Sinus sufferers’ antibiotics ban
NHS fears drug resistance due to overuse
GPs should no longer prescribe antibiotics for sinus infections, says official NHS guidance.
Currently nine out of 10 people with symptoms are given antibiotics – but healthcare bosses fear this is building up a potentially deadly resistance.
Three million Britons a year are hit by sinusitis that usually develops after a cold.
In some cases the illness also causes headaches, high temperatures and tenderness around the cheeks, eyes or forehead. Most people will feel better within three weeks but doctors can prescribe antibiotics or corticosteroid in spray or drops. Now the National Institute for Clinical Excellence states GPs should avoid such drugs unless the symptoms are prolonged. The new guidance said: “People with sinusitis should rest and manage their aches and pains with paracetamol.” Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive at NICE, said: “Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest dangers to our health.”