Dr. Subinoy Das Is working to develop a nasal swab test that would identify the type of sinus infection a patient has because it's information doctors really need.
In most cases, patients suffer from periodic sinus congestion and pain.
But when sinusitis is caused by a bacteria, the side effects can be devastating.
The bacteria can rapidly spread back to your brain or to your eyes and cause serious complications.
Traditional treatment has always been antibiotics. Now doctors are being urged to cut down on antibiotic prescriptions.
That's because according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America about 90 percent of all sinus infections are viral which cannot be treated by antibiotics.
In fact, the medication actually rids the sinuses of healthy bacteria and strengthens the dangerous bacteria creating a super sinusitis bug that can't be treated by any medication.
The big problem in society is that doctors don't know which patients are going to have viral infections and which ones will have bacterial infections.
By knowing whether the cause is viral or bacterial, Dr. Das says doctors will be able to prescribe the right medication, in serious cases, without creating a sinusitis resistance to antibiotics.
In most cases, patients suffer from periodic sinus congestion and pain.
But when sinusitis is caused by a bacteria, the side effects can be devastating.
The bacteria can rapidly spread back to your brain or to your eyes and cause serious complications.
Traditional treatment has always been antibiotics. Now doctors are being urged to cut down on antibiotic prescriptions.
That's because according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America about 90 percent of all sinus infections are viral which cannot be treated by antibiotics.
In fact, the medication actually rids the sinuses of healthy bacteria and strengthens the dangerous bacteria creating a super sinusitis bug that can't be treated by any medication.
The big problem in society is that doctors don't know which patients are going to have viral infections and which ones will have bacterial infections.
By knowing whether the cause is viral or bacterial, Dr. Das says doctors will be able to prescribe the right medication, in serious cases, without creating a sinusitis resistance to antibiotics.
