Sinus Infection & Respiratory Infection Treatment Online in Alberta
Facial pressure, thick coloured nasal discharge for more than 10 days, head feels full when you bend over — TelePlus Care connects Albertans with a licensed doctor by secure video to assess whether you have a bacterial sinus infection, viral cold, or something else, and to prescribe the right treatment. For residents physically located in Alberta at the time of the consult.
Book Your Appointment Now
TelePlus Care offers same-day virtual visits across Alberta for sinus infections, sinusitis, and upper respiratory infections. A licensed doctor differentiates viral from bacterial cause, prescribes intranasal steroids, saline irrigation guidance, and antibiotics only when bacterial sinusitis is suspected. A licensed doctor reviews the concern and explains the safest next step.
- Most sinus infections are viral and resolve in 7–10 days without antibiotics
- Bacterial sinusitis is suspected when symptoms last > 10 days, worsen after initial improvement, or include severe facial pain + high fever
- First-line antibiotic when needed is amoxicillin or amoxicillin-clavulanate per Bugs & Drugs Alberta
- A licensed doctor reviews virtual consultation requests
- Severe headache + neck stiffness + fever, eye swelling, or vision changes need ED — possible orbital cellulitis or meningitis
Clinical content is reviewed for accuracy and scope. TelePlus Care appointments go ahead only when a doctor agrees it is the right call, after a real assessment, and the doctor will explain the next step if virtual care is not the right fit.
Who This Service Is For
Most adult and adolescent sinus and upper respiratory infections can be managed virtually. Book if any of these describe you:
- Cold symptoms that have lasted more than 10 days without improving
- Cold that seemed to get better, then suddenly worsened ("double sickening")
- Facial pain or pressure especially over cheeks, forehead, or behind the eyes
- Thick green or yellow nasal discharge for more than a few days
- Headache that worsens when bending forward
- Reduced sense of smell from congestion
- Recurring sinus infections — needs assessment for allergy or structural contribution
- Post-viral sinus symptoms that won't clear
What We Prescribe (and When We Don't)
We follow Canadian and Bugs & Drugs Alberta guidance, which strongly favours conservative management for most sinus and upper respiratory infections.
- Saline nasal irrigation (Neil Med sinus rinse, Hydrasense) — first-line for most cases
- Intranasal cortidetailseroid — Nasonex (mometasone), Avamys (fluticasone furoate), Flonase — reduces inflammation
- Decongestants — pseudoephedrine short courses, intranasal oxymetazoline (Drixoral) for 3 days only
- Analgesia — acetaminophen or ibuprofen for facial pain and fever
- Antibiotics ONLY when bacterial sinusitis is suspected: amoxicillin first-line, amoxicillin-clavulanate for treatment failures or complicated cases, doxycycline for penicillin-allergic adults
- We do NOT prescribe antibiotics on day 1–7 of a typical viral upper respiratory infection — they cause harm without benefit
- Allergy contribution — antihistamines and nasal steroids if seasonal/perennial allergies are driving the inflammation
Red Flags — When We Refer or Send to ED
Some sinus and respiratory infections hide serious complications. Go to ED or expect an in-person referral if you have any of the following:
- Vision changes, double vision, or eye pain — possible orbital cellulitis
- Severe forehead headache, fever, neck stiffness, confusion — possible meningitis
- Swelling around the eye or forehead
- High fever > 39°C, especially with shaking chills
- Severe facial pain that wakes you from sleep
- Persistent symptoms after 4+ weeks of appropriate treatment — needs ENT referral
- Recurrent sinusitis (4+ episodes per year) — needs ENT and possibly CT scan
- Immunocompromised patients with sinus symptoms — lower threshold for in-person assessment
How the Virtual Visit Works
Three steps, same-day in most cases.
- Step 1 — Book a slot and complete a short intake covering symptom duration, where the pressure is, fever, recent improvement-then-worsening pattern, allergies, and any prior antibiotic use
- Step 2 — Meet your licensed doctor by secure video. They may ask you to tap on cheeks/forehead, demonstrate where it hurts, and check for red flags like eye swelling or vision changes
- Step 3 — Receive your treatment plan — saline + intranasal steroid for most, antibiotics if warranted. Prescription sent to your chosen Alberta pharmacy
Self-Care That Actually Works
Conservative care helps most viral and early bacterial sinusitis:
- Saline sinus rinse twice daily — Neil Med sinus rinse, Hydrasense, or a similar device. Use distilled, boiled-and-cooled, or sterile water (never tap water)
- Warm compresses to the cheeks and forehead
- Steamy bathroom showers 2–3 times daily
- Stay well hydrated — water, broth, herbal tea
- Sleep with head elevated
- Avoid cigarette smoke and wildfire-smoke exposure
- Treat underlying allergies if relevant
Access and What to Expect
A licensed doctor reviews the concern and explains the safest next step.
- Virtual consultation — have your contact details ready
- Your intake helps the clinician understand your symptoms, history, and goals before the visit.
- The booking team confirms appointment timing, intake needs, and follow-up expectations before your visit.
- Your care team confirms the visit steps, intake requirements, and follow-up plan before the appointment.
- For Sinus Infection & Respiratory Infection Treatment Online in Alberta, the clinician reviews medication options, pharmacy steps, and follow-up needs during the appointment.
- A licensed doctor reviews your intake before the visit and explains the safest next step.
- No-show detail may apply if you miss your booked time without rescheduling
Recurrent Sinusitis Work-Up
Four or more episodes per year deserves further investigation. Your doctor will:
- Treat the current episode appropriately
- Assess for underlying allergic rhinitis and start daily nasal steroid
- Refer to an Alberta ENT (otolaryngologist) for CT sinus and possible endoscopy
- Consider allergist referral for skin prick testing
- Discuss balloon sinuplasty or functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) options through AHS or private clinics
- Review immune function in selected cases
Why Albertans Choose TelePlus Care
Quick assessment, honest antibiotic stewardship, no waiting room.
- Every consult is with a licensed Canadian family doctor
- Same-day appointments most days, including evenings and Saturdays
- Virtual consultation for patients
- We follow Bugs & Drugs Alberta — antibiotics only when they will help
- Honest red-flag screening for orbital cellulitis, meningitis, and complications
- Prescription sent to your preferred Alberta pharmacy
- ENT and allergist referrals for recurrent cases
- Trusted by 500+ Alberta patients (4.9 / 5 average rating)
Sinus Infection & Respiratory Infection Treatment Online in Alberta — Fast, Convenient Virtual Care
Connect with a licensed healthcare provider from the comfort of your home. No referral needed — book your virtual appointment today.
Book Your Appointment NowExplore Our Alberta Services
Other Alberta Locations
We also provide this service in these Alberta communities:
Teleplus care clinic is not an urgent care clinic. If you have an emergency please call911 or go to the nearest urgent care facility.
Virtual care in Alberta: coverage & licensing
TelePlus Care connects patients across Alberta, in communities including Airdrie, Beaumont, Brooks, and Calgary with Canadian licensed doctors by phone or secure video — often the same day.
Licensed in Alberta
You are seen by a Canadian licensed doctor authorized by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) to care for patients in Alberta.
Public insurer: AHCIP
Health care in Alberta is administered through Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan. TelePlus Care is a private virtual clinic — your flat-fee visit is not billed to AHCIP, and no referral, roster, or wait-list is required.
Free health advice
For free, publicly funded non-urgent health advice in Alberta, you can also call Health Link (811).
Emergencies: call 911
Online care is not for emergencies. For severe or rapidly worsening symptoms, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.
