Only 55.5% of videos posted on TikTok about sinusitis are reliable.
- Sinusitis is inflammation of the facial sinuses caused by a virus or bacteria.
- “Acute maxillary sinusitis is generally of viral origin and heals in a few days with symptomatic treatment (analgesics, antipyretics) in combination with regular nose washings for two to three days” indicates Health Insurance.
- Only 55.5% of videos posted on TikTok about sinusitis are reliable.
A new studypublished in the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgeryrated the quality of sinusitis-related videos on TikTok. To do this, the researchers searched using popular hashtags such as #sinus, #sinusitis and #sinusinfection on TikTok, from January 29 to 30, 2023. They sought to capture a broad spectrum of content, filtering videos that provided information related to sinusitis in English. Of the 465 videos initially found, 220 met the criteria for inclusion in the study cohort.
The content of these videos was then categorized and evaluated based on the accuracy of the facts reported.
Sinusitis: the majority of information posted by influencers is incorrect
Bottom line: Only 55.5% of videos were deemed trustworthy, meaning nearly half of them contained inaccuracies or misleading content about sinusitis. Videos from healthcare professionals had the highest proportion of trustworthy content, at 84.4%. On the other hand, only 45.3% of content posted by non-medical influencers and 53.6% of that posted by ordinary citizens contained correct information.
Concerning general quality more generally, videos from health professionals obtained an average rating of 3.76 out of 5 from researchers, while videos from non-medical influencers and ordinary citizens obtained ratings of 2. 47 and 2.38. These scores suggest that content from healthcare professionals is not only more accurate, but also of higher quality in terms of presentation and usefulness.
Finally, the most viewed videos tended to have lower quality scores, suggesting that the popularity of content on TikTok does not necessarily correlate with the quality of the information. Thus, the now viral tip of putting garlic in your nose to overcome sinusitis is ineffective, or even counterproductive.
@madelinebhealth Garlic up the nose!! #garlic #garlicgirl #healing #healingtiktok #chronicillnessawareness #congestion #congestionrelief #healingwithfood #healingprocess #naturalliving #organic #nontoxic ♬ Funny Song – Mas Gombal
TikTok Tips: What is Sinusitis?
Sinusitis is inflammation of the facial sinuses caused by a virus or bacteria. The infection most often affects the two maxillary sinuses following nasopharyngitis and much more rarely the frontal, ethmoid or sphenoid sinuses.
“Acute maxillary sinusitis is generally of viral origin and heals in a few days with symptomatic treatment (analgesics, antipyretics) in combination with regular nose washings for two to three days” indicates Health Insurance. If you experience symptoms, consult your doctor.