Recently, I received a question from one of my readers asking whether or not antibiotics was the solution for people dealing with clogged ears from sinusitis. I thought it was an interesting topic that I wanted to briefly address. My response it below.
Not always. When dealing with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and clogged ears it is important to assess each patient clinically and treat accordingly. That being said, there are many patients who respond to antibiotics despite negative bacterial cultures. Unfortunately, routine bacterial culture techniques are not as reliable as most clinicians and lay people believe. Thankfully with new technology such as DNA sequencing a better understanding of CRS and the organisms involved available.
