According to a CBS Boston report, 20 percent of antibiotics are used to treat sinusitis, about 30 million annually, although they are not always necessary.
Now, leading ENTs surgeons are informing patients and physicians that the symptoms of sinusitis often go away on their own. If the patient has been sick for more than 10 days and is getting worse, it may be bacterial, and may even still not need antibiotics.
The report also notes nasal steroids, over the counter pain relievers, and saline nasal rinses are good alternatives to antibiotics in some cases.
