Why should not use antibiotics to treat sinusitis?

The UK's National Health Service has issued a recommendation that doctors should not prescribe antibiotics to treat sinusitis. Researchers say that sinusitis does not necessarily require antibiotics.

The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says most cases of recurrent sinusitis will gradually improve. NICE advises patients to be patient and doctors to prescribe paracetamol instead of antibiotics, according to the Daily Mail.

NICE has stressed that if doctors prescribe antibiotics to patients with sinusitis, the antibiotics will gradually become less effective. At the same time, using too many antibiotics can easily create strains of drug-resistant superbugs. Instead, doctors should prescribe paracetamol to control the uncomfortable symptoms of people with sinusitis, NICE recommends. British health officials issued the warning after government data showed that many doctors were prescribing antibiotics to patients with sinusitis. Most acute sinusitis is caused by viruses. The disease can cause nasal congestion, nasal blockage and often yellow nasal discharge. Figures show that up to 91% of patients in the UK with this condition are prescribed antibiotics. Overuse of antibiotics can easily create dangerous drug-resistant strains.

“Antibiotic-resistant pathogens are one of the biggest threats to human health, which is why we must work together to combat them,” said Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive at NICE. NICE’s guidance will help doctors use antibiotics effectively and only when they are really needed, Professor Leng added.

Also, antibiotics are primarily designed to kill bacteria, not to treat colds, coughs, sore throats or any other viral illness. Using antibiotics to treat viruses can increase their resistance to the drugs, according to the Daily Mail. “We know that most people with sinusitis will get better within two weeks without antibiotics. Unless the symptoms are severe, it’s best to just take paracetamol and slowly ease the symptoms,” said Dr Tessa Lewis of NICE.

According to TNO