University of Maryland Medical Center on Keeping Sinuses Clear
“Treating chronic sinusitis can be just as complex as diagnosing it. Antibiotics are the main weapon used to fight the condition. The type that’s prescribed depends on many factors including patient allergies, sinus culture results and the most likely type of bacterium causing the infection.
The American Rhinologic Society says other medications that may be prescribed include oral decongestants, mucus-thinning drugs, topical steroids for the nose, systemic steroids like prednisone and nasal saline washes. Treatment of acute sinusitis is usually prescribed for a few days. For chronic sinusitis, treatment can last for up to eight to 12 weeks.
CLEARING THE CONFUSION: Because chronic sinusitis can be complicated to diagnose and difficult to track, researchers have developed a new way to do both using a simple blood test. After blood samples are taken, scientists analyze protein expression in the blood using a technology called surface-enhanced laser/desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy, or SELDI-TOF-MS.
The technology can quickly identify unique protein profiles of conditions like sinusitis. The protein profiles act like fingerprints found in the body.
In the study, researchers found the technique detected protein profiles involving patients with chronic sinusitis and separated them from healthy patients with 77.1 percent sensitivity and 65.8 percent specificity. Experts hope to eventually use SELDI-TOF-MS to assist in the identification of breast, lung, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancer. ”