Acute Sinusitis, Antibiotic Treatment (Child)

Home care

Follow these guidelines when caring for your child at home:

• The doctor has prescribed an oral antibiotic for your child. This is to help stop the infection. Follow all directions for giving this medicine to your child. Make sure your child takes the medicine every day until it's gone. You should not have any left over.

• If needed, give acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever, pain, or fussiness. Do not use ibuprofen if your child is less than 6 months old unless the doctor gave you instructions to use it. Read and follow all instructions on the label. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20. It has been linked to Reye syndrome, a serious illness.

• You may also be told to use saline nose washes to help keep your child's nasal passages open and wash out mucus. If your child is too young or not able to do saline washes, you can use saline nasal drops or sprays.

• Be careful with cough and cold medicines. Don't give them to children younger than 6. They don't work for children that age and can even be harmful. For children 6 and older, always follow all the instructions carefully. Make sure you know how much medicine to give and how long to use it. And use the dosing device if one is included.

• Be careful when giving your child over-the-counter cold or flu medicines and Tylenol at the same time. Many of these medicines have acetaminophen, which is Tylenol. Read the labels to make sure that you are not giving your child more than the recommended dose. Too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be harmful.

• Give your child plenty of time to rest. Try to make your child as comfortable as possible. Some children may be distracted by quiet activities.

• Encourage your child to drink liquids. Toddlers or older children may prefer cold drinks, frozen desserts, or ice pops. They may also like warm chicken soup or beverages with lemon and honey. Don't give honey to children younger than 1 year old.

• Use a cool-mist humidifier in your child’s bedroom to make breathing easier, especially at night or if the air in your house is dry. Clean and dry the humidifier to keep bacteria and mold from growing. Don’t use a hot water vaporizer. It can cause burns.

• Don’t smoke around your child. Tobacco smoke can make your child’s symptoms worse.

• Don't use antihistamines with acute sinusitis. They can keep fluid from draining from the sinuses.

• Sinus infections aren't contagious. Your child can return to school if they don't have a fever and feel up to it.

Follow-up care

Follow up with your child’s doctor as directed.

When to seek medical advice

Contact your child's doctor right away if your child has:

• A fever that does not improve after your child starts antibiotics.

• Swelling or redness around eyes that lasts all day, not just in the morning.

• Vomiting that continues.

• Sensitivity to light.

• Irritability that gets worse.

• Sudden pain in the face or head.

• Double vision.

• A stiff neck.

• Symptoms that don't go away in 7 days.

Call 911

Call 911 or get immediate medical care if your child:

• Has trouble breathing or is short of breath.

• Isn't acting right or isn't thinking clearly.

• Has severe pain in the face or head that is not relieved by pain medicine, or as directed by the doctor.