Have you ever stood in the pharmacy aisle trying to decide between a nine dollar generic medication and a twenty nine dollar name brand option? ENT specialist Saurin Sanghvi MD explains that in many cases, the choice may not impact your relief at all. As he notes, you are often “getting the same sinus relief but for a fraction of the price,” because the difference you are paying for is “usually just the marketing.”
Dr Sanghvi explains that generic medications are required by the FDA to have the same active ingredients, provide the same relief, and work the same way as name brand medications. While there may be small differences such as dyes or fillers, those differences typically do not affect results. According to Dr Sanghvi, “the relief is the part that matters.”
He also emphasizes that over the counter medications are not always the full solution. If the medications you are using are not working or if you have to rely on them just to function, “maybe there is something else going on or information that you do not know about,” he explains. In those cases, “that is when you want to see an ENT.”
Watch the video below to hear Dr Sanghvi explain what is the same, what is different, and how to know when it may be time to see a specialist.