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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Can sinus infections be prevented?

    Related Topics
    Colds & Flu Respiratory Health Sinusitis
    I have had 3 sinus infections already and would like to know how I can prevent this recurring problem. Advice?
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  • 8

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    Dr David McIntosh

    Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgeon

    David McIntosh is an Australian trained ENT surgeon with international experience. His areas of interest are paediatrics, nose and sinus disease, and providing access to … View Profile

    It is unusual to get recurring bouts of acute sinusitis, so the question becomes one of whether the diagnosis is correct, and if it is, what is the underlying cause for this. Long story short an ENT would assess for allergy, infection, and structural drainage problems as the more common (but not only) causes of recurring infections. Once a cause is identified, targeted management follows. 

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    A/Prof Kymble Spriggs

    Allergy Specialist & Immunologist

    Dr Kymble Spriggs is a Specialist Allergist & Immunologist, and Consultant Physician. He has an extensive experience of allergy, allergy symptoms & allergic diseases. In … View Profile

    Recurrent bouts of sinusitis are abnormal.  Sinusitis is inflammation and blockage of sinuses spaces surrounding the nose.
    The most common cause of blockage is infection, however the common viral infections should not recurr frequently in a normal nose.
    An important diagnosis to consider is chronic allergic inflammation in the nose (sometimes called hayfever, or allergic rhinitis.)  This can be so longstanding that patients just accept it as “normal.”  Diagnosing and treating the underlying allergy can lead to resolution of inflammation, thereby allowing the sinuses to drain normally and avoid secondary infections.
    An Allergist & Immunologist is also well placed to consider more unsual causes of chronic sinusitis, including mild underlying immunodeficiency, as well as considering structural problems with the help of ENT specialists.

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  • Dr Liam Beiglari

    Allergy Specialist & Immunologist

    I am a clinical immunologist and allergist. I am experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of adult patients with allergic diseases, autoimmune conditions, those living … View Profile

    Recurrent sinus infections are worth reviewing, because prevention depends on the underlying cause. In some people, especially where infections are frequent, severe, unusual, persistent, or associated with chest infections, blood tests to look for an underlying immune deficiency may be appropriate. In other people, the key question is whether infection is really the main problem. Symptoms that feel like repeated “sinus infections” can sometimes reflect chronic nasal inflammation, allergic rhinitis, nasal polyps, or structural sinus disease. In that situation, allergy assessment and/or ENT review may be more useful than repeated courses of antibiotics. So the best prevention strategy depends on first working out the pattern: true recurrent infection, allergic inflammation, structural sinus disease, or sometimes a combination.

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