Antibiotic drugs commonly used by patients suffering from sinus infections, are not always effective, a recent study shows.

Sinus infection or sinusitis is one of the most common complications of the common cold or flu. People suffering from sinusitis may experience headaches, pressure in the eyes, cheeks and nose, nasal congestion with thick nasal secretions, cough and fever.

British researchers at the University of Southampton in Britain stated that antibiotics used in treating this disease might not be very helpful.

Ian G. Williamson lead author of the study and his team analyzed 240 patients, aged 16 and older, who had sinus infection caused by bacteria. Participants were divided in four groups, first being given amoxicillin, an antibiotic often used for bacterial sinus infections and 400 units of steroid spray for 10 days. Second group received  only amoxicillin, the third only steroid spray and the fourth placebo.

After 10 days, patients who did not receive any treatment were as likely to be cured as those following a treatment with antibiotics.

“Our main conclusions are that among patients with the typical features of acute bacterial sinusitis, neither an antibiotic nor a topical steroid alone or in combination are effective in altering the symptom severity, the duration, or the natural history of the condition. Topical steroids are likely to be effective in those with such features but who have less severe symptoms at presentation to the physician,” the authors of the study concluded.

Although antibiotics are designed to combat bacteria, they are not always effective with bacterial infections because the drugs have difficulty reaching the sinuses, said Vincenza Snow, director of clinical and quality of care at the American College of Physicians.

The findings should lead to a “reconsideration of antibiotic use for acute sinusitis,” said Williamson.

He also recommended other methods, which have shown to be effective in treating this disease such as inhaling steam and squirting salt water into the nose to flush out thick mucous.

The findings were reported in the December issue of the Journal of American Medical Association.