With the advent of MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant infection, doctors are becoming more leery to prescribe antibiotics unless they're sure it's the appropriate treatment. (MRSA has actually been known since the early '60s. It's just become more prevalent in the US in recent years. You may have heard it referred to as a "superbug.") A recent study urges doctors to refrain from prescribing antibiotics for adults with acute sinus problems.

Antibiotics fight bacterial, not viral, infections. It's difficult for doctors to tell when sinus issues are bacterial or viral in nature. The study looked at more than 2,500 adults with acute rhinosinusitis. They used symptoms such as facial pain to determine which infections were likely bacterial and should be treatable with antibiotics. The symptoms proved unreliable however. Out of 15 patients given antibiotics, only one saw relief as a result of the medications. This means the other patients were given antibiotics unnecessarily.

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Do your nails look a little worse for wear? They may need more than a manicure. Your fingernails and toenails can actually be a window into your internal health and various problems you may be having with them may be a sign that something more serious than ragged cuticles is going on. If your nails:

• are shaped like spoons, it can be sign of anemia.
• are pitted, it may be a symptom of psoriasis or alopecia.
• are yellow or orange, it could be a sign of sinus infection or lung disease.
• show signs of clubbing, it could be due to lung or cardiac problems including cystic fibrosis or TB.
• are uniformly white, except for a band at the top, it could indicate liver cirrhosis, congestive heart failure, or diabetes.

Before you cover up those unsightly nail imperfections with the perfect polish, make sure they aren't giving you a sign that you need to make a visit to your doctor first!

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Are U.S. doctors being a little overzealous when prescribing antibiotics to sufferers of sinus infections? According to a study just released yesterday, that indeed may be the case.

The study concluded that sinus infections are more often caused by viruses and not bacteria -- therefore, making antibiotics useless in many of the cases.

The study said that antibiotics were prescribed for about 82% of acute and 70% of chronic sinus infections -- but that "far outweighs the predicted incidence of bacterial causes. The literature repeatedly shows that viruses are by far the most frequent cause of acute rhinosinusitis."

Is this a cause of physicians not having the latest statistical information to allow for the most customized treatment of sinus infection patients? Sounds like it to me -- but you make the call. One thing is for sure -- it's never a bad idea to ask quite a few questions when visiting your doctor.

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Have you been suffering from a runny nose, an itchy throat, sinus pressure and a feeling of lethargy? If so, do you know if you actually have a cold (a viral infection) or are just suffering from an allergic reaction to something in the immediate environment?

It's sometimes hard to tell, as many of the symptoms between the two are very similar. But, if in doubt, you can take this small quiz over at iVillage and find out exactly what your malady is most likely to be.

One quick sign usually does it for me -- the running of a fever. If I'm having an allergic reaction to something, there is generally no fever -- but there sure is if I have a cold!

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