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May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Antibiotics Do Nothing to Cure Sinus Infections, Study Says
By
Jason Koebler
Not only are they a waste of money, they can be counterproductive
JewishWorldReview.com | (USNWR)
It causes itchy eyes, facial pressure, a runny nose, and general feeling of lousiness. Unfortunately, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the antibiotics you're likely taking for sinus infections aren't doing anything to make you feel better.
Sinusitis is one of the most common infections in the United States. Its 24 million annual cases account for nearly one fifth of all antibiotic prescriptions. Because sinusitis can be caused by either a virus or bacteria, by definition, antibiotics won't have any effect on the viral infections. And, according to the AMA report, it doesn't have any effect on the bacterial infection either.
Amoxicillin, the most commonly prescribed antibiotic prescribed to treat sinus infections, doesn't work any better than a placebo, according to Jay Piccirillo of Washington University School of Medicine, one of the authors of the study.
After three days, patients who were prescribed amoxicillin didn't feel any better than those who received a placebo. Because sinusitis usually goes away on its own, it's better to not take any antibiotics at all, Piccirillo says.
But try telling that to someone with sinusitis.
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"People say, 'Look doc, I took off from work, I paid an $89 copay, and you're telling me to take Tylenol,'" Piccirillo says. "It sounds cruel maybe, but by saying, 'I want antibiotics,' you've made the assumption they make you better quicker, but they don't."
Piccirillo says more doctors should be sending patients toward over-the-counter medicines that treat the symptoms and let a patient's body take care of the infection on its own. If the patient isn't feeling better after 10 days, that's another story--the vast majority of sinusitis infections are "acute," or short-lived, but anything lasting longer might require more treatment.
The researchers say doctors should have patients wait at least that long before prescribing antibiotics. Although amoxicillin is most often prescribed, Piccirillo says at least 29 different antibiotics, "most of which don't even have FDA indications for sinusitis," are prescribed for the infection.
By demanding antibiotics as soon as they experience symptoms, patients are wasting their money, he says, and can be helping breed antibiotic-resistant bacteria in their bodies.
Patients often take a few days' worth of amoxicillin and then "save it for the next [infection]," he says. By taking the antibiotic, patients aren't doing themselves any favors--remaining bacteria will have built up a resistance to that antibiotic. Although resistance in streptococcus bacteria, one of the main causes of sinusitis, hasn't been seen much yet, Piccirillo says there's no reason to encourage the bugs to develop it.
"Resistance isn't a big factor," he says. "But that doesn't mean it can't become one very quickly."
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© 2012, U.S.News & World Report LP All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services
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