The body can actually produce a pint of mucous a day and have it drain unnoticed. But for sinus sufferers, post-nasal drip can become a major concern and can effect a patient's quality of life. The mainstay of initial therapy is the use of appropriate oral antibiotics to treat the underlying bacterial infection. Environmental allergens that may trigger the initial inflammatory response are eliminated or reduced to lessen the sufferer's exposure. These include reduction in household dust mites, pet dander, as well as to smog, plant pollen, certain medications, etc.
Chronic sinusitis can be a very difficult condition to treat.
Patients may fail to adequately respond to standard therapy. Typically, a chronic sinusitis patient has been treated with many different antibiotics for extended periods often with little or no improvement in symptoms or quality of life. An allergic reaction can be described in general terms as an exaggerated response to an irritant. The allergic reaction causes swelling of the mucous membranes leading to blockage of drainage which can result in sinusitis. For many, effective, long term management of chronic sinusitis includes a thorough evaluation by an appropriate specialist to identify and treat allergies.