Sinusitis (cont.)

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Can sinus infection be prevented?

Currently, there are no vaccines designed specifically against infectious sinusitis. However, there are vaccines against viruses (influenza) and bacteria (pneumococci) that may cause some infectious sinusitis. Vaccination against pathogens known to cause infectious sinusitis may indirectly reduce or prevent the chance of getting the disease but there are no specific studies to support this assumption. There are no fungal vaccines against sinusitis.

If a person is prone to recurrent bouts of "yearly sinus infection" it may be important to consider allergy testing to see if this is the underlying cause of the recurring problem. Treatment of the allergy may prevent secondary bacterial sinus infections. In addition, sinus infections may be due to other problems such as nasal polyps, tumors or diseases that obstruct normal mucus flow. Treatment of these underlying causes may prevent recurrent sinus infections.

REFERENCES:

Centers for Disease Control. "Sinus Conditions." ;

Centers for Disease Control. "Sinus Infection (Sinusitis)."

FDA.gov. Is Rinsing Your Sinuses Safe?

MedscapeReference.com. "Sinusitis, Acute, Medical Treatment."

MedscapeReference. "Sinusitis."

NeilMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. NeilMed Sinusrinse Video.


Reviewed by William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR on 1/31/2013

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