What is a sinus infection?

A sinus infection is a bacterial infection of one or more of the air spaces in the head that are a part of the nasal passages.

What are the symptoms of a sinus infection?

• Pain surrounding the eye, eyebrow, and cheekbone that lasts longer than ten days

• Green mucus discharge (snot) that lasts for more than ten days

• Runny nose

• Cough and/or bad breath that lasts longer than ten days

• Mild fever

Home care

Your child should be evaluated in our office. Please call our office today for an appointment.

We may prescribe antibiotics (prescription medicines to fight off bacteria):

• Fill the prescription right away.

• It is important to give all the medicine that we have prescribed, even if your child feels better.

• If you do not give all of the medicine, your child’s illness may return and become harder to treat.

We may prescribe decongestant nasal drops or spray for children older than 1 year.

• To drain the sinuses you can use nose drops or sprays (Afrin®, Neo-Synephrine®).

• Use the drops or spray as directed for 3 days.

• Stop the drops or spray for 3 days in between treatments to prevent  your child’s nose from getting used to the medicine. If this happens,  the medicine will no longer work and the symptoms will get worse after  you stop the medication.

Use acetaminophen (Tylenol®, Tempra®, or Panadol®) or ibuprofen  (Advil®, Motrin®) for pain and discomfort. Avoid ibuprofen if your child  is dehydrated or unable to take anything by mouth.

Follow the package instructions to determine the appropriate dose by your child’s WEIGHT or age for acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Do not use aspirin because of the increased risk of Reye’s Syndrome with certain infections.

Warning signs – Call our office for advice if:

Your child develops swelling of the face around the eyes, Call Our Office Now.

Your child’s fever and pain do not go away after 2 days of medicine, call our office for an appointment.

Your child’s other symptoms do not go away in 4-5 days, call our office for an appointment.

Your child develops a fever, please refer to the fever page.

You have any questions or concerns, or if you have any doubts about the severity of your child’s symptoms, Call Our Office Now.