ANTIBIOTICS: Are They CURE OR CURSE?

First some background. Sinusitis is a huge problem that usually goes unnoticed. More than 30 million Americans are affected by sinusitis every year. In addition to the pain and suffering of those who suffer every day , additional costs to society of 73 million days of restricted activity or work lost per year , and an estimated annual financial burden of $ 5.8 billion .

In addition, the vast majority of doctors themselves say they are dissatisfied with their ability to treat disease. In a 2007 study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology , 202 physicians were interviewed in the United States , United Kingdom, France , Germany and 86% of them said they were generally unhappy with current treatment methods.

So here's our question - Recent research gives us new insight into one of the main reasons for our inability to treat sinusitis : the injudicious use of antibiotics to treat a disease that is usually based viral.

Bacteria causing sinusitis in only 2 % to 10 % of cases, but a national survey showed that 81 % of adults with acute sinusitis were prescribed antibiotics .

It's like using a fishing rod to hunt deer , such as bacteria and viruses are also different "animals" .

In fact antibiotics are on - requires that sinusitis is now the fifth leading indication for antibiotic prescriptions by primary care physicians .

The reason for prescribing antibiotics incorrectly that the distinction between bacterial bases, and viral sinusitis is difficult to do. Normally , the difference can not be varied during the first 10 days of the onset of the disease.

So in 2012, the Infectious Disease Society of America has published guidelines to help physicians and their patients the distinction between the two . Generally symptoms last longer and more severe , they are the more likely it is that the problem is bacterial base. IDSA defines stringent than those who had ≥ 10 days without improvement , high fever of ≥ 39 ° C or 102 ° F , or nasal discharge pussy or facial pain lasting at least 3-4 consecutive days symptoms.

Here's another thing to consider. What happens when you take an antibiotic when you should not? For starters, it will not help you with your illness - you might as well have taken a sugar pill . But something else happens too : it kills your "good" bacteria and what remains is the "bad" bacteria - bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics (which is why they are still there ) . Resistant bacteria then pass "multiply" grabbing the space formerly occupied by the "good" bacteria .

So here's the rub: you say possibly contracting a bacterial infection such as pneumonia base for which you need antibiotics - what happens when you take them ? Nothing , pneumonia continue unchecked. And it is because your bacteria are now resistant to antibiotics - remember , this is what remains after taking this first batch unwise to antibiotics. And this can put you in a very difficult situation when you can not treat something serious like pneumonia - it may possibly heal itself - or not.

The lesson ? Before you ask for antibiotics or until your doctor decides to prescribe it for you - for sinusitis or otherwise - be sure to ask this question: Doctor, how do you know that my disease is caused by bacteria and not by a virus or other pathogen ?

The answer can be the difference between the restored health and continued suffering - or between life and death.