How Can I Clear Up an Bacterial Sinus & Ear Infection?

You feel miserable. Your face and teeth hurt along with one of your ears. You feel feverish and have no energy. You had an allergy attack or a cold before you got so sick and your congestion and runny nose have not stopped. You may have an ear infection that developed simultaneously with a sinus infection. If your infection is bacterial, your doctor can prescribe the appropriate antibiotics. If not, she will prescribe other treatments.

Sinus Infections

• Your doctor has to diagnose you with a sinus infection, for which he has to perform a physical exam. Calling your doctor to ask him to phone a prescription in for an antibiotic won't work because he will have to see you in person and examine the interior of your nose. He will also ask you about the color of your mucus and refer to your medical history. He also has to make a determination whether your sinus infection is bacterial or viral in nature.
  It will do no good to ask for an antibiotic prescription if he determines your infection is due to a virus. Antibiotics only work on bacterial sinus infection and if you attempt to use them to treat a viral sinus infection, you are only contributing to antibiotic resistance.

Ear Infections

• Your ear infection can be either bacterial or viral. Your doctor will have to see you in her office so she can look into your ear and determine its origin. If she sees pus behind your eardrum, which is easy to spot, she will make the determination that it is bacterial and she will prescribe the appropriate antibiotic.
  Even though you feel horrible, dizzy, feverish and your ear aches and feels full, that does not mean antibiotics are appropriate for your symptoms. If your infection is viral, your doctor will refuse to prescribe antibiotics because she does not want to contribute to antibiotic resistance.

Other Treatments

• You can take advantage of other treatments to help relieve the worst of your ear infection or sinusitis symptoms. Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help relieve pain and swelling. For your sinus infection, use nasal decongestant drops and take an oral decongestant to help clear up the excess mucus. Blow your nose gently and drink plenty of clear fluids in order to thin your mucus.
  For ear infections, you can put a warm, moist washcloth on top of your ear which will help to ease the worst of your pain. Add several drops of either vegetable, garlic or olive oil that has been slightly warmed. (If your ear is draining, do not put drops in your ear.) If your ear pain is really bad, ask your doctor for a prescription for anesthetic ear drops so you can numb your eardrum. You will feel relief from the pain for up to two hours.