Suffering from an Upper Sinus Infection?
Infected sinuses are painful, whether or not they occur in the upper or lower passages. The degree to which a sinus infection impacts your day-to-day life can vary. You may be able to continue going to work, or you may need to stay home and recover. Either way, a basic health problem like a sinus infection can be treated at home with telemedicine. SmartDocMD is here to provide convenient, personalized care… without the wait and cost of a doctor’s office.
What is SmartDocMD?
Telemedicine is an undiscovered territory of the medical industry. Since the proliferation of the internet, various industries have used the internet to provide their services. Medical treatment is among the wave of services transitioning from only being provided in brick-and-mortar buildings. SmartDocMD is among the first group of doctors that are providing medical treatment online.
The SmartDocMD provides convenient, personalized healthcare from the comfort of your home. When you are sick, it can feel daunting to have to make the trip to a doctor’s office. With SmartDocMD, you can avoid the waiting rooms and end up saving money!
SmartDocMD does not require health insurance, and our rates are set so that you can receive quality healthcare at an affordable price. Becoming unexpectedly sick should not have to place a large financial burden on an individual. We provide top quality care, with a specific diagnosis and treatment plan for you – without a hefty fee.
The Benefits of Telemedicine
There are many benefits of telemedicine that give us confidence it will proliferate as a form of receiving healthcare. The creators of SmartDocMD researched extensively the pros and cons behind telemedicine, and the approach is not perfect, the pros are significant enough to outweigh the cons.
The first major benefit of telemedicine is keeping infectious disease away from those with a compromised immune system. A viral infection can be deadly for someone with a weakened immune system. Telemedicine allows for a sick person to stay at home and receive treatment for basic healthcare problems.
SmartDocMD recognizes that many healthcare problems require in-person treatment. But why should people have to spend time and money visiting a doctor when their condition can be treated through telemedicine?
Another benefit of telemedicine is that it can be much more affordable than standard office visits. A doctor’s appointment can cost hundreds of dollars. Healthcare is becoming more expensive in the United States, even for people who have insurance. The steep costs discourage those who do not have health insurance from seeking care, even when they should.
SmartDocMD works to ensure that healthcare is affordable. You receive a free consultation and do not need to pay anything unless you want to use the information. For just $30, you can skip the waiting room and forego an in-person visit – saving you time and money.
What We Treat
Telemedicine is ideal for treating basic healthcare problems, which is exactly what SmartDocMD focuses on. We provide personalized treatment recommendations for the following basic health problems: sinus infection, common cold or cough, urinary tract infection or yeast infection, and pink-eye/eye allergies. Most of these ailments are ear nose and throat related, but not all.
The reason that these are considered basic health problems is that they are able to be diagnosed by a doctor following clinical guidelines. With online medicine, you actually can receive more effective treatment. Up to 50% of traditional medical care does not follow clinical guidelines, making telemedicine the better choice when you have the option to use it.
Sinus infections present with symptoms such as nasal drainage, facial pain, and facial pressure. This common health problem may or may not require antibiotics to treat, so it’s best to consult a doctor if you believe you may have this type of infection.
If you present with the following symptoms for a common cold or cough, you may benefit from seeking medical advice: cough, post nasal drip, nasal drainage, and stuffy nose. SmartDocMD will recommend the best methods to soothe your symptoms, and may even write a prescription depending on the level of your discomfort.
Pink-eye and eye allergies can present symptoms similar to those of a cold or cough but do have differences. If you have eye drainage, red or bloodshot eyes, or painful, irritated eyes, you may have pink-eye or eye allergies. If you have eye allergies, they may never go away completely. Seeing a doctor is recommended to help preserve general comfort throughout your life. Pink-eye often requires a prescription of antibiotics or steroid eye drops to treat, which SmartDocMD can provide if deemed necessary.
Urinary tract infections and yeast infections can make it very uncomfortable to sit or move, which makes them an ideal medical problem to treat at home. Urinary tract infection symptoms can include burning with urination, frequent urination, and foul-smelling urine. Yeast infection symptoms can include vaginal itching and vaginal discharge. Start your care with SmartDocMD if you are having such symptoms.
The SmartDocMD Story
The idea behind SmartDocMD came from one patient and one doctor – offer convenient, quality health care for basic problems without the waiting room. Years later, online medical care has successfully replicated the patient-doctor experience. The development of technology such as webcams allows for patients and doctors to see each other and communicate, which can be an alternative to an in-person visit. However, video-chats and “online” waiting rooms still require a single, uninterrupted chunk of your day.
SmartDocMD helps address this time inconvenience. We developed proprietary software tools and harness the power of online networks, making medical care faster, more accurate, and less time intensive for everyone.
We aim to be part of the solution in the advancement of medical care – for everyone. We believe business should be a force for positive social impact. SmartDocMD’s innovative methods help solve issues of accessibility to medical care in certain communities. We aim to bring medical care to all communities by partnering with free health clinics and other nonprofits.
How SmartDocMD Works
If you have never used telemedicine before, you may wonder how SmartDocMD works. While each online doctor is unique, there are similarities in how they function. Each has the goal of making healthcare more convenient than the doctor’s office.
With SmartDocMD, you will first choose from five different types of basic medical problems. You will then use SmartDocAl, which will guide you through an online patient interview (OPI) where you will tell us what is wrong and provide a medical history.
Next, an individual health screening will help triage you based on your OPI. SmartDocAl will offer guidelines specific to your problem, suggestions for finding treatment and alert you to more serious conditions – all for FREE. If you wish to do something with the information, simply pay $30 – well worth skipping the waiting room.
For this fee, you will receive a personal care plan, flexible health care, referrals, and support. The personalized care plan may include prescriptions, medication recommendations, lifestyle and diet changes, expected recovery, prevention, and a doctor’s note from work or school.
Signs and Symptoms of a Sinus Infection
You may wonder what symptoms to look for when it comes to sinus infections. While symptoms vary from individual to individual, certain symptoms appear in most sinusitis cases.
The most common sinus infection symptoms include pain in the face, back of the eyes, or forehead. Postnasal drip, discolored nasal discharge, nasal congestion, and runny nose are also common. If you develop a fever, cough, or bad breath, then these are more signs that you have a sinus infection.
If you believe you may be suffering from a sinus infection, skip the doctor’s office and use telemedicine to find treatment. SmartDocMD treats sinus infection symptoms, regardless of the type.
The Various Sinus Cavities
Sinus infections are can present with different symptoms depending on what cavity the infection is affecting. Many people do not know that the sinuses consist of a connected system of hollow cavities in the skull. They exist outside of your nasal passages, contrary to what many people believe.
Sinus cavities vary in size – some are an inch across, others are much smaller. The maxillary sinus is the largest cavity and exists behind your cheekbones. The frontal sinus is also a large cavity and is in the low-center of your forehead. The ethmoid sinuses are smaller and between your eyes. The sphenoid sinuses are behind your nose.
How the different sinuses are affected by a sinus infection vary from person to person. Some people report feeling pressure in the center of their forehead, while others do not. Some people’s cheekbones may become tender, while others report no change in feeling in this area of the face.
The Various Types of Sinus Infections
Sinus infections can vary in type. Some are contagious, while others are not. SmartDocMD treats each type and will figure out which type you have and how to ease the symptoms.
Viral sinusitis presents symptoms that are similar to a cold. Unfortunately, the best way to manage symptoms is time, rest, fluids, and over the counter treatments such as nasal spray, pain relievers, and oral decongestants. Antibiotics are not effective against this type of infection.
Bacterial sinusitis has very similar symptoms to viral sinusitis but is treated differently. A doctor will prescribe antibiotics such as amoxicillin. A majority of individuals who have a bacterial infection have symptoms clear in 10-14 days with the use of antibiotics.
Allergic sinusitis is caused by inflammation of the sinuses that block normal sinus drainage. Allergies commonly lead to chronic sinusitis and can be seasonal or year-round, depending on what a person is allergic to.
Most sinus infections are categorized as frontal sinusitis. If you have chronic or long term sinusitis or symptoms that persist for months, you are recommended to seek medical help. A prescription of a nasal steroid spray can be used as a form of treatment and can help soothe nasal polyp symptoms, which can be irritating.
Treating Sinus Infections
Sinus infections can be treated with antibiotics or home remedies, depending on the cause. The CDC strongly recommends against using antibiotics unless directed by a healthcare professional.
If a sinus infection is caused by bacteria, then a doctor will prescribe antibiotics such as amoxicillin. Sinus infections that are chronic will often result in the patient using a steroid nasal spray.
Sinus infections that are caused by a virus cannot be treated with antibiotics. Home remedies are best for this type of sinusitis. Options for at-home symptom relief include the use of saline spray, drinking lots of fluids, rest, and using a neti pot.
Persistent chronic sinus infections may require sinus surgery. In this case, you will definitely need to visit an in-office doctor. SmartDocMD can help determine if the next best step is to schedule an in-person doctor’s appointment.
Discover the Future of Medicine with SmartDocMD
The future of healthcare includes the use of new technology. Doctor’s visits will continue to advance and transition to be more convenient. Follow the SmartDocMD trend of online healthcare. For basic health problems, forego an in-person doctor’s visit and choose SmartDocMD.