topic Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome! in Wellness

Sinus issues, advice welcome!

Mom2Dogs — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:25:20 GMT

I have had a sinus issue for quite a long while...one side of my nose is swollen..all the time...the other side is not. I wake up often in the middle of the night or in the morning with a headache, with pressure the sinus. I do not see any pattern to the headaches...the sinus (side of my nose) is always swollen.

I have seen 2 ENT's one told me my nose was not swollen...but he could not bother to get up and take a closer look at me, the other ENT told me to see an allergist.

I did go to a naturalpath...she gave me a bunch of pills that did nothing for me, I spent $130.00 with no relief.

I do use a netti pot..but that does not seem to help. My family doctor ordered an MRI about a year ago, that came back OK.

I have not seen an allergist, possibly I am wrong but I don't think this is an allergy and I really don't want to get pricked all over my back......does anyone have any suggestions??

Thanks

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

Terrywu — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:35:28 GMT

Unfortunately, I don't have much advice. Hoping to ride your coat tail and see if any advice you receive might help me. I have chronic sinus problems, even had surgery to remove polyps and still cannot breathe. My sense of smell is all but gone. I do find sleeping with a vaporizer or humidifier in the bedroom helps with the headaches in the morning. If the dr finds it to be an infection the only thing that gave me relief was Prednisone. Unfortunately only temporary. Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving🦃

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

Reba055 — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:44:44 GMT

Have you tried an over the counter steroid spray like Flonase or Nasonex?

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

wishylady — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:52:31 GMT

I have had some of the same issues. I found using astelin nose spray, which is a,prescription in the am and Flonase in the pm to be helpful. Also avoid irritants such as ceiling fans, cigarette smoke, strong odors, etc.

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

DoneTryin — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:54:54 GMT

It might be your mattress. I used to wake the night, with a plugged nose, & it was always plugged up in the morning, even though I used a neti pot before bedtime. This just came up this year, so I tried to figure out what changed in my life that could have caused it. Ah Ha! I moved last Dec & got a new bed. So, I got a hypoallergenic mattress encasement for $22 at Amazon. It's a complete mattress cover that encases the entire mattress & has a zipper. Sort of like a giant pillowcase. A side benefit is that bedbugs can't get in.

Good luck!

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

sophiamarie — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:56:08 GMT

You could try an OTC med. called "Contac".... It has helped me in the recent past.

Many, many years ago, I had a terrible sinus attack where my nose was so stuffed, I couldn't talk, I had severe headaches, etc. I went to my doctor and told him I took everything available and he told me I didn't take the right thing. He then prescribed "Ornade", which worked like a miracle. It is/was a time-release capsule and practically cured me overnight.

I don't know if it's still available or there is an OTC medication similar to Ornade, but if there is, you could try that...... Ask a Pharmacist. They are very smart.......

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

Mary Bailey — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:57:46 GMT

My sister had to have sinus surgery after many tests (some painful), mri, cat scans and steroids. It may have taken 9 months to a year before the doctor said surgery was needed. I think it was polyps. I'm not sure any more. Now she uses a netti pot daily. The netti pot did not help before the surgery.

It was terrible for her.

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

ROMARY — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 01:03:41 GMT

It could be an allergy. I'd try one third or one half of a pink Benedryl pill, see if there's relief. The straight allergy kind, not the one with added meds for this and that. Somtimes folks have headaches, and other symptoms and they're allergies.

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

Love orchids — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 01:07:17 GMT

I have had chronic sinus problems all my life. Have had allery testing three times and results show an allergy only to one thing. Also had an MRI which showed no abnormalities.

I use NeilMed Sinus Rinse 2x day and have not had any infections since doing this and have less frequent congestion/headache problems. In the '90's I lived on sudafed until I deleloped high BP, so I use now only when symptoms are bad and only one or two doses.. I also use an antihistimine and mucinex when needed. I have used flonase on and off in the past, but allergist said to stop because it was causing inflammation of nasal passages.

When I have sinus congestion and headaches I have had some success with elevating my head and chest at night. I also use a warm pack across my forehead and a smear of oil of peppermint under my nose when pain relievers aren't helping and inhaling warm steam. 15 yrs. ago I developed asthma. So in addition to all the above I use a cortosteriod inhaler twice a day..

Don't hesitate going to see an allergist. Being poked with needles is a small inconvenience to find out if you have any allergies and then you can go from there.

Good luck, you are not alone as you will find out from responses you will get here.

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

jlkz — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 01:08:47 GMT

Hoping this does not jinx my luck so far, but for the last two years since I have been using the Air Innovations cool humidifier, I have had no sinus infections. My doctor said that when the mucus layer inside the nose dries out and cracks, you are much more vulnerable to infections getting in.

Liked the results so much that I got one for the vacation house too. I use them year round except when in FL because we have a humidistat there to control moisture.

So, if there are no polyps, humidifiers may help prevent the mucus layer from letting infections in. Good Luck all sinus sufferers.

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

Love orchids — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 01:12:22 GMT

So I assume the mattress cover cured the problem with your sinuses?

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

Snowpuppy — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 01:20:12 GMT

Skip the pricey MRI and get a dr who will swab your sinuses. Then they do a culture & sensitivity test. That will tell you whats in there, if anything.

My pcp kept giving me the same antibiotic, over and over. I got so disgusted I finally left. I found another dr who did this test. It was fungus and didnt respond to the antibiotic I had been given.

He sent me to a compounding pharmacy with a script for a nasal spray that was an anti fungal. Cost was a whopping $24 bucks after suffering more than a yr.

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

Desertdi — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 01:35:14 GMT

I use Walgreens Ephrine nose drops

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

sophiamarie — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 01:45:04 GMT

Ornade is no longer available here in the U.S. but it IS available in Europe.. Sooooo, if you are so inclined.......

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

Mom2Dogs — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 02:08:06 GMT

@SnowpuppyMy PCP is leaving his practice the end of this year, so I tried to get in to see a new doctor...she is booking into May 2016!! I will have to try and find another doctor.

Was it a general doctor that did the swab? My issues just started up one day, no trigger that I know of and only one side of my nose is swollen. Sometimes my ears are plugged.

I really don't want to take medication longterm, but I also understand that sometimes you just have to....

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

jaxs mom — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 02:19:59 GMT

It absolutely could be an allergy, since you've seen an ENT I'm going to guess that they ruled out rhinitis? That was my first thought as a possible cause. There is allergic and non allergic rhinitis. I have allergies but also rhinitis. I was diagnosed by my allergist with both allergic and non allergic rhinitits plus I now know what I'm allergic to.

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

Reba055 — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 02:24:38 GMT

@Snowpuppy wrote:
Skip the pricey MRI and get a dr who will swab your sinuses. Then they do a culture & sensitivity test. That will tell you whats in there, if anything.

My pcp kept giving me the same antibiotic, over and over. I got so disgusted I finally left. I found another dr who did this test. It was fungus and didnt respond to the antibiotic I had been given.

He sent me to a compounding pharmacy with a script for a nasal spray that was an anti fungal. Cost was a whopping $24 bucks after suffering more than a yr.

@Snowpuppy Great advice. I've read where a very high percentage of chronic sinus infections are caused by fungus, not bacteria. Doctors are feeding the fungus by continuing to prescribe antibiotics.

Now on the other hand, good luck in finding a doctor who will listen. I tried that when I had one for about 8 months and they looked at me like I was from Mars, lol.

You can also try to work on the good bacteria in your gut. Yeast overgrowth can cause the same problems.

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

Mom2Dogs — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 02:28:46 GMT

@jaxs mom One of the ENT's did diagnose rhinitus...but that is all he said......no treatment, nothing. What exactly is rhinitus...is it something that you treat?

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

tedEbear — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 02:46:50 GMT

@Mom2Dogs---I have a breathing problem,like you. However it is apparently as we get older something inside our nose falls, just like our face, it is not a polyp, nor a swollen sinus. ENT suggested hydrocortisone to moisten, as spray doesnt work. Neither did hhydro, just felt stuffier. He then suggested I try a new product called AYR. Land o goshen, I felt air. So AYR and BreatheRight strips work well. My nose ALWAYS feels plugged and I get the headaches. When I blow the nose, it doesn't even squak,nothing there!! Give the AYR a try, along with breathe right( or whatever nose strip) and your nights will be a whole lot better. I bought Ayr from Amazon, but it is probably in any drugstore. Comes in a tube. Hope this helps you and everyone else--------tedEbear

Re: Sinus issues, advice welcome!

jaxs mom — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 14:40:01 GMT

@Mom2Dogs wrote:
@jaxs mom One of the ENT's did diagnose rhinitus...but that is all he said......no treatment, nothing. What exactly is rhinitus...is it something that you treat?

It's swelling which can be caused by allergies or not. It also be caused cold air, chemical fumes, smoking or other things. Since I have allergies, and both non allergic and allergic rhinitis I can't be sure if what my allergist rx would be rx for non allergic rhinitis alone. He gave me a steroid nasal spray, plus anti histamines.