Cavernous sinus thrombosis is a serious condition. If it's suspected you will be immediately admitted to hospital. Depending on your general state of health this may be to a regular ward or to an intensive care unit.

You will be given a combination of different antibiotics through a drip that is directly connected to one of your veins.

Most people will require at least a 3-4 week course of antibiotics to ensure that the infection has been fully cleared from their body.

Around 1 in 10 people will experince side effects when taking antibiotics. These are generally mild and include:

• diarrhoea
• nausea
• skin rash
• hardening of the skin at the point where the drip goes into your vein

In some cases you may also be given a medication called heparin to help dissolve the clot and /or prevent further clots.

Heparin makes the blood less sticky.

You may also be given steroid medication (corticosteroids) to help reduce levels of inflammation and swelling in your body.

If the symptoms of cavernous sinus thrombosis were due to an infection spreading from a boil or sinusitis, then it may be necessary to drain away pus from that site.

This can be done using a needle or during surgery. Read more about treating abscesses.

Even if you respond well to treatment it may be several months before you are well enough to leave hospital.