Children don't always have sinus pain, and X-rays aren't helpful or recommended. Swabbing the nose and trying to see which bacteria grow won't help. There are always many bacteria in nasal passages, and it would be impossible to know which, if any, is causing the illness, she added. Many parents believe that a green or yellow drainage from the nose is a sign of a sinus infection. In fact, physicians are carefully considering before prescribing antibiotics these days.
Antibiotics can help reduce the child's discomfort when there is a bacterial infection.
Sometimes, fluid simply builds up behind the eardrum, without other symptoms. This approach, however, requires good follow-up to make sure the condition doesn't worsen, she cautioned. The same condition in a child under 2 may require antibiotics as a precaution. Parents are often willing to wait, as they learn more about when antibiotics should be used, and when they shouldn't, she added. I'm finding it easier to explain to parents that with non-inflamed fluid behind the ear or yellow drainage from a cold, it's better to wait and see, rather than prescribing antibiotics.