close window
Housecall Archives
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you're diagnosed with sinusitis, your doctor may recommend:
- Antibiotics. Be sure to finish the entire course of medication you're prescribed — even if your signs and symptoms disappear before all the pills or capsules are gone. This is the only way to eradicate the germs causing the infection.
- Corticosteroid nasal sprays or pills. Your doctor may prescribe this medication if your sinusitis is related to inflammation or allergies.
- Over-the-counter medications. As the sinus infection clears up, the sinus headaches should disappear. In the meantime, over-the-counter pain relievers, decongestants and saline nasal spray might help you feel better. Use these products only as directed. It may help to drink plenty of fluids as well.
- Surgical correction. If a structural problem in your nasal cavity is contributing to sinusitis or sinus headaches, surgical correction may be recommended.
References
- Bajwa ZH, et al. Headache symptoms other than migraine. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 15, 2009.
- Hwang PH, et al. Acute sinusitis and rhinosinusitis in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 15, 2009.
- Sinus headaches. American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/sinusHeadache.cfm. Accessed Dec. 17, 2009.
- Sinus infection (sinusitis). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/antibiotic-use/URI/sinus-infection.html. Accessed Dec. 17, 2009.
- Sinusitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec08/ch091/ch091g.html?qt=sinus headache&alt=sh. Accessed Dec. 16, 2009.
- Sinus headache. National Headache Foundation. http://www.headaches.org/education/Headache_Topic_Sheets/Sinus_Headache. Accessed Dec. 17, 2009.
- Headache and sinus disease. American Rhinologic Society. http://www.american-rhinologic.org/patientinfo.headache.phtml. Accessed Dec. 17, 2009.
- Swanson JW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 23, 2009.
- Schreiber CP, et al. Prevalence of migraine in patients with a history of self-reported or physician-diagnosed "sinus" headache. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2004;164:1769.
Find Mayo Clinic on