Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Sinus

at least it's not TB....

sio42 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:24:53 -0800

MiseryFilter: I have had a dry cough for about 6 weeks that has gotten increasingly worse. I am seeing an allergy specialist as I already know I have allergies. For the last two weeks, I have been on Nasonex, Singulair, and Allegra. Most nights I cannot lie down due to coughing and have to sleep propped up on the couch. I have been doing the neti pot for the last few days, but it's not like tons of stuff is getting washed out of my sinuses when I do it. It just seems to go in one side and out the other. Then I resume coughing a little whlie later. Also, they started me on Flovent as of Monday. I think it's maybe starting to help, but not sure. Oct 26 I started Adderall XR. About two weeks after that I started getting a dry cough, but it wasn't bothersome. I drink plenty of water, don't smoke, etc.

We moved into our house on Oct 31. There are nice hardwood floors in the entire house and it was already pretty clean. There are no cats, we already take dust mite precautions. (We did pull up wall-to-wall carpet in the entire house before we moved in and then had professionals come in and redo the hw floors. I wore a mask for most of the carpet crap. The previous owner did not have any pets that I know of.)

Other than those two things, nothing has changed for me that I can see causing this awful coughing. Both my GP and allergist do not think that Adderall caused it. They said it's not something they ever heard of. They just want to keep trying different meds for allergies.

My chest X-ray did not show anything. My breath test did not show I was asthmatic. Normally, I just suffer through allergies without meds. This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever put up with.

I have no other signs of reflux and already do all the things that are supposed to be what relieves it as part of normal life (with the exception of the raised bed obviously).

I am just fricking miserable and my boyfriend is really starting to get concerned. I just cough all night and can't get more than 5-6 hours sleep at a time. It doesn't matter where I am or what I am eating/drinking/wearing. I can count on having a horrible incapactitating coughing fit about 6pm everynight, which is when I assume the meds ran out. I take the Adderall in the AM along with the nasonex. the other meds at night with more nasonex since trying to sleep is the most important thing right now.

I am at my wit's end. Sometimes I cough so hard, I feel like I might puke or pass out, but so far I have done neither. It's also really bad usually in the morning when I get up. Steam doesn't help, neither does the cold. Other things that do nothing: cough suppresents and/or expectorants, cough drops menthol or otherwise, nettle tea, hot water with lemon and honey, spicy foods, bland foods, wishing.

I have recently, over the past 3 days, starting actually coughing stuff up, but it's only a very little bit of mucous and not yellow, mostly white or clear. I've had my share of sinus infections and colds and my "production" is nothing like those.

Any ideas on what I can ask my dr about next? I really don't want to stop the Adderall because it has been a godsend, but if this is the price, then it's too much.

Stop snot - instantly

Lesser Shrew — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:04:46 -0800

Sinus are slowly drip drip dripping - A low, dull, quick sound - much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. How to stop this? Right now! After a lifetime of allergies and sinus BS, the last couple of years have been pretty good. However, right now, as of yesterday and and all day today, my nose is dripping. Constantly. It's like a little kid crying - just drop after drop and they're all so small and slow you think it's just about to stop but it goes on and on and on. Normally, I'd say home with a box of tissues and some menthol rub. Have weaseled out of an opening tonight but have a thing (performance so I must be quiet) tomorrow, and two things Saturday, including a family thing, that I can't wriggle out of or find a proxie for. Had a work event last night - fortunately, we were at tables so my open purse with a box of Kleenex was in my lap for dabbing at my nose every eight seconds. How am I to go out in public the next two days? Should I wear a purdah and dab discreetly beneath the veil?

Don't usually like drugs but anything is better than this agony! Anything more tolerable than this derision!

What OTC fellow sufferers recommend? Is there a script I should try to get? Once upon a time, a doctor gave me something in his office to "dry me up" which effectively shut down my sinuses for 24 hours - effective as in jumping out of a cold ocean into a hot, roiling hot tub is effective at warming you up - but I don't recall what it was, not even if it was a shot or a pill or a suppository. Anyone know the name of something that works that quickly?

Drinking plenty of water - maybe too much - so it's a very thin drip. Do not have any of the sensations associated with being stuffed up - no aches, no weird ear feelings, no pressure. Have rinsed. Have steamed. Drip does not stop.

Oh, and nothing anti-inflammatory, not even aspirin, because I'm on steroids right now. (Yes, for the last two days - could they cause this side effect?) Will check with an MD before ingesting anything so all suggestions welcome.

Whence nosemeat?

Ambrosia Voyeur — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:31:00 -0800

I don't think this is, strictly speaking, supposed to happen: meat often comes out of my head when I'm sick. Why? What does it portend? [Warning: so gross.] Sinus tissue, very similar in texture to what you might inadvertently bite off your cheek, detaches in my sinuses and I cough it out. In single, big ol' pieces you would not believe. They're mucousy and sometimes bloody, but not themselves mucous, meat rather. I'm an ovo-lacto vegetarian, I know the difference.

This seems to occur with fever. I almost never have nasal congestion, and am prone to dry sinuses when I travel, including bloody noses. This time, it seems like I have a pretty run-of-the-mill cold, not something I should be panicking over, except this nasal meat-gifting is happening. Only twice. Maybe once daily when I'm feverish.

I know, so gross. I've spared you a photo, though.

Do I have some nose-disease you know of? Does this happen sometimes to people you know? Is it okay? It it my brains? What?

Looking for a 3D model of the human head

Alaska Jack — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:47:57 -0800

I'm trying to visualize, in 3D, the structure of my sinuses/nasal cavity. Is there a transparent 3D model of the human head somewhere out there on this crazy internet thing? I'm very happy since I started using a neti pot (actually, a neti-pot-type squeeze bottle made by NeilMed). But I have a hard time visualizing exactly where the water is going (besides the obvious -- up my nose). I'd be interested in seeing some kind of QuicktimeVR-type model (that is, zoomable, rotatable, etc) that would show me, in 3D, the sinuses and nasal cavity.

When I'm doing nasal irrigation, does the water go into the sinuses? Or just the nasal cavity? Why do my ears sometimes plug up? How exactly does the nasal cavity connect with the back of the throat?

There are plenty of 2D diagrams around, but I feel like I could understand these questions better if I could see a transparent 3D model. Any pointers?

- AJ

help me sleep... PLEASE.

isoman2kx — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:35:06 -0800

Please help me sleep. Please :( This is going to be VERY VERY VERY long because my sleeping problems have a 2-3 year history. Any replies I get beyond zero I will be very appreciative of.

I've posted questions/threads this in the past but the past has spanned a while hasn't it? As the months have progressed, each time I post this I'm increasingly frustrated and saddened that I will never have a normal sleeping life to get through college and get my degree. I started having sleeping problems when I started college. To this day, I cannot recall anything particularly horrific happening to me to traumatize my sleeping patterns. 4 years ago I switched from high school to college. That's what a good percentage of Americans do right and? Right.

I have a history of depression and a history of anxiety. Both I would say are not severe. The depression is moderate to slightly above moderate most of the time. I take 120 mg of Cymbalta for it and have done so for almost a year. I have anxiety, I used to take Xanax 3 times a day at .5 mg a clip and now I take it all at night to see if it helps me sleep any since I can cope with the anxiety in the day better now.

My depression/anxiety stems from lack of self-esteem and energy from a lack of sleep. So far it's all making sense right? Ok, let's keep going then.

I've always had a hard time winding down for sleep since I can remember and definitely before I started college. I'm sensitive to light before going to bed and I spend way too much time on the computer before bed (even though I've incorporated at least an hour to 2 hour cool down period before bed now after turning off the computer). I currently see an ENT doctor and a psychiatrist (and a psychologist for talk therapy sessions just to kinda vent really, I never have any big updates to give lol) . My ENT doctor is outstanding while I feel my psychiatrist is useless and I'm strictly on a seeing her every 2 month just because that's what you do I guess when you have all this shit going on. My psychologist/campus counselor is outstanding as well.

Roughly a year ago, I went in for a sleep study because as you'll see later on in this master thesis, I've tried every medication known to man for falling asleep and staying asleep. After an awful night in those horrendous laboratories they call sleep clinics, they said they had enough data despite my whopping 240 minutes of sleep. I was later diagnosed with sleep apnea and frequent arousals with my brain wave patterns. My options were CPAP, throat and uvula surgery (noooooooooo way. nooooooo way in hell), mandibular retainer, treating restless leg syndrome and jumping off a building. We tried a CPAP machine and I just got increasingly frustrating with the thing. At first the mask wasn't right, I got a new mask. Then I just detested all the maintenance you had to do to keep the piece of crap that didn't help me sleep all clean and functional. Later on, the sleep clinic and I tried to treat me for restless leg syndrome. Needless to say that didn't do a damn thing. I was on mirapex, although I don't remember the dosage. I just remember increasing it and then quitting the stuff. After I went back to them after all of that, I wrote them off as idiots and politely never scheduled another appointment with them again. I'm done with them. Best sleep clinic in Houston??? We fix the problems other clinics miss? Oh really???

So that led me to my ENT that I currently see. After a few months of trying nasal sprays (prescription), afrin, and useless saline rinses I decided to have sinus surgery on June 22, 2009. For the medical students out there... I had a balloon sinusplasty done combined with correcting a deviated septum (which doesn't cause problems in most peoples sleep) along with a right turbinate reduction. The surgery sucked balls but now I can breathe better, just no improvement in sleep. Hooray! :) The sinus surgery was my part one out of a two part plan for fixing my sleep. My ENT informed me that he could definitely get me breathing better but the surgery would not be primarily to fix my sleep. If it did so then that would be great, but if not then that was what we had understood going into the surgery so no big whoop. I secretly hoped it would though and had the surgery more so for that reason than fixing my day-time breathing. My second part would be using a mandibular retainer after my sinuses fully heal up. I think at this point, my ENT and I are "entertaining" the idea of when it's all healed I'll have great sleep. At this point, if I got a mandibular retainer it would be through a doctor that my ENT knows and not the useless sleep clinic that I previously went to. I don't even know what good that would do?

Now let us back track to what goes on once I manage to get relatively sleepy. I always eat before I go to bed because I've gotten so frustrated with every other method and medicine I've tried, so that's my first step. I then go to sleep and proceed to wake up anywhere from 3-4 times like god damn clockwork (for the past 4-5 years at least). I've consulted with other friends and they wake up too, but they fall asleep quickly. I usually eat before I go back to bed because in my mind I'm tiring my body out by using energy to digest food and thus it will help me get back to sleep. I know, but it's my theory, valid or not, lol. At this point when I post, I'm always asked well what do you think about when you wake up? Are you short of breath? What is your mood? How do you feel?

Well, I'm almost always irritated because I immediately think "great, it starts again. let's see how many times I wake up this night". Despite my severe sleep apnea diagnosis, I never wake up in a panic or short of breath. My mood of course is frustrated and irritated and I feel the same. Surprisingly, this is the point where I say there is nothing traumatic going on in my life that's causing me to wake up in the night like this. I've got the usual responsibilites such as being the man of the house since my dad passed away last year (again, sleep problems existed long before he passed away and I've discussed this with others at length), going to school trying to finish my degree through being tired as hell, helping my mom with daily house chores, running whatever errands I do, getting a good amount of exercise per week, getting together with friends, etc. It's not like I'm waking up every night 3-4 times because there's some lingering issue. If it's buried deep in my subconscious then that's where it must be and someone needs to Harry Potter my brain and extract whatever haunting fear or memory that is buried there with a magic wand because it sure as hell isn't anything out of the ordinary I can think of.

So now we're done with describing this. Have you fallen asleep yet? :). Within the last 3 months, we've replaced my bed and I have a brand new tempurpedic mattress and tempurpedic pillows - both of which I happen to like. However, the new bed and new pillows are not helping my waking up 3-4 times a night any. It's more comfortable to sleep on, but it's not helping the issue I bought it for.

Ok, aside from that paragraph I've stopped taking sleeping pills. They just don't work. Here is a list of what I have taken and I have been on each of these medications for at least 2 week periods (which in my mind is more than enough to see a difference, I've never believed that crap about give it more time...give it more time. 2 weeks is enough god damn time).

list (most are official sleeping pills, some are not):

Ambien
Ambien CR
Lunesta
Restoril
Rozerem
Trazodone
Seroquel

regular things I've tried:

all the sleep time teas in the world
valerian root capsules
different herbal cocktails (like those bottles that have valerian root, chamomile, etc in their capsules)
different indian teas.
hot baths for at least 30 mins, about an hour before I go to bed.
hot baths with epsom salt (yeah, it doesn't help sleep specifically, whatever right?)
hot baths with different "sleep" salts and other sleep mixtures.

what I haven't tried:

overdosing on drugs and getting permanent sleep. I'm kidding about this as I've entertained the idea, but you get the point of my situation.

After all of that and I really am sorry I had to put you through reading it, but there's just no way to sufficiently describe my situation. I wake up 4-5 days out of the week wanting to kill someone upon waking up or wanting to punch holes in my wall (which I haven't done yet).

What do you guys recommend? I am seriously convinced that certain pathways in my brain are screwed up and that I should almost see a neurologist to see what else could be going on with me. At this point, what would you do? I have tried so many things... so so many things and for what? What has it done for me besides nothing? Who should I take my problems to? Who should I see for this? What battery of tests can help me?

- Travis

The Joy of Nasal Rinsing

Toekneesan — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:20:21 -0800

What do you put in your Neti Pot? I'm tired of paying >$9 for 50 small packets of salt. I'd like to make my own but I'm wondering about recipes. If you use a Neti Pot, do you make your own rinse? If so, what do you add? Does it ever change— during cold or allergy season, for example? Anything beyond salt and baking soda? What ratios do you use? Bonus points for bulk recipes.

Sniff. Blow nose. Ouch!

adverb — Fri, 08 May 2009 03:14:51 -0800

Why does my nose hurt after a cold? I'm starting to get over a cold from hell - lots of nasal congestion (went through two boxes of Kleenex). I'm finally on my feet, but the right side of my nose - starting about where the cartilage/bone starts - is really sore. Any pressure on that side of my nose causes a throbbing pain. Did I sprain something after four days of nonstop nose-blowing? Secondary infection? Bonus points for treatment tips. Little more info: Never had any sinus problems. No pain in face, no earaches.

“Every head has its own headache”

Sassyfras — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:24:19 -0800

I am woken up each and every night with a pounding sinus headache. What remedies can you suggest? I would love to hear any ideas/remedies to get this taken care of.

A little background info on me - I am a 33 yr old female. In relatively good health. I exercise at least an hour every day. I am at a normal weight. I eat a healthy diet. I went to an allergist a few years back. I do have some mild environmental allergies, but not enough that I would have qualified for allergy shots. I don't know if this is what is causing my sinus headaches anyway. I have had these headaches since in my teens.

About once a year (some time between October and February) they get so bad that they cannot be ignored and I take a trip to the doctor. He prescribes antibiotics, thinking I have a sinus infection. The antibiotics lessen the severity of my headaches to where they are tolerable, but it doesn't get rid of them all together.

In conjunction with your remedies for me, if you could let me know (if you know) of the time your remedy would take to have an effect, I'd be most grateful.

I guess I look slightly worse than the Elephant Man....

Oriole Adams — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:03:54 -0800

My face is suddenly asymmetrical. Can the medically-inclined members of the Hive Mind give me ideas as to what may be the cause? A little less than a year ago, it occurred to me when looking in the mirror that the left side of my face seemed to be slightly swollen in one area. Even though I've always had a "chubby" face, the right side of my face has a slight indentation between the "apple" of the cheek and the ear. Not so the left side. Just a few millimeters above the left earlobe and forward toward the left cheek "apple" (closer to the ear than to the cheek, though) there is a very slight (but still perceptible) bulge.

I mentioned this to my rheumatologist (who is also my GP) during my most recent appointment last January. She studied my face from a distance and stated "It is asymmetrical." She pressed along the area that appears to be swollen and commented that she couldn't feel any sort of mass there. She then said if it hadn't gone away on its own by my next appointment (June), she'd order either an X-ray or CT scan (I can't remember which) to see if there was "anything in there."

I've had lifelong sinus problems, along with Sjogren's Syndrome (one of the manifestations of my Lupus). The side of my face that is slightly swollen doesn't hurt, per se, but I am *aware* of it, if that makes any sense. If I happen to sleep on my left side for a long period of time, I'll still feel it after several hours after I've awakened and been out of bed. My left ear also often has a "full" sensation, and makes little popping noises (like Rice Krispies). My rheumy has gazed inside that ear and not found anything significant (not even excess wax). The only other "symptom" I can describe is that, after laying for a long time on my left side, I get a subtle but weird taste in my mouth - the best way I can describe it is a sort of baby food fruity taste, if that makes any sense.

Obviously, I'll most likely be undergoing further testing in a few months, but I wonder if anyone has any thoughts as to what this might be. When I press on the swollen area, I don't feel any pain. But, again, I do often feel a sensation of "fullness" on that side of my face. Any chance this could be some sort of sinus-y thing? But then again, what could make the face swell enough to be visibly obvious and yet the doctor can't feel anything when palpating it?

How do I restore order to my sinuses?

rachaelfaith — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:55:39 -0800

Calling all chronic sinusitis sufferers! How do you keep your sinus infections and symptoms to a minimum? In the past year, I have developed a chronic sinus problem, though I may have had a low-lying nasal issue forever. My ENT ordered a CT scan and called my sinuses 'crappy-looking' and suggested surgery, but I'm not ready to take that leap yet.

The worst part for me is the post-nasal drip, coupled with dizziness/nausea and a constant stuffed-up feeling. Lately have been getting headaches, too.

Here is what I've tried:

1. Sinus rinse. I use inconsistently and only when I feel sinus problems cropping up, but I hear this may be my best maintenance option. Trying to increase use to daily.

2. Nasal corticosteroids. Also use only when symptoms are severe.

3. Humidifier. Is this really helpful in the long run?

Things I have not yet tried: Dietary changes, daily allergy medication [I am reluctant to take these unless I know what I'm allergic to], injections, etc.

Anything that helps or has helped you significantly? Please share!

Just When I Thought They Were Out, They Grow Right Back In

katyjack — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 06:58:09 -0800

Would removing tonsils get rid of recurring sinus infections and can or cannot tonsils grow back? (Semi-long question with confusing & contradictory info inside) So when my daughter was around 8 months old (approx 10 years ago - she's 11 now), she got a sinus/ear infection, took an antibiotic and got better. Then she got another, took an antibiotic, got better, and then another and so on for another 18 months. Tried the tubes in the ears, tried the little machine that sprays mist, tried it all and finally the ENT we were referred to (at this point she's two) says she needs to have sinus surgery to scrape out her sinuses because they are impacted and to have her tonsils and adenoids out. We take her in and it's a two part deal. I distinctly remember the ENT telling me that the 2nd part would be better than the 1st, but it was the tonsillectomy that actually hurt more than the sinus surgery. She goes back for the 2nd round of sinus surgery. The ENT later calls me to say that they cultured the mucus in her sinuses and that she had an antibiotic resistant form of strep(!) and that he sprayed in there with an antibiotics and she should be fine.

Despite my natural pessimism toward all things, she actually is. Until last January when the cycle begins again. I'm sent to another ENT who says that too much time has passed for her earlier problems to be related to the current situation. And then he says something else: "her tonsils look a little swollen - that could be part of the problem". I say "they better not" and tell him they were removed. He says no way were they removed, these are full blown tonsils.

I sent away for her records from the hospital to see just what she did have done and in the meantime I called my ex-husband who confirmed that yes, we were told that her tonsils and adenoids were removed. So can they can they grow back? To full size? And how would tonsils cause sinus problems anyway? The more I think about it, the more none of this makes any sense.

I understand that none of this is life or death, but daughter does have hearing problems and dyslexia and I think both were caused by not being able to hear very well during her early years and it seems like both are getting worse. Would love non-MD 2nd opinions.

Winter nose woes.

Stewriffic — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:36:04 -0800

Runny nose, dry sinuses, nosebleeds--must be December. Humidifiers are expensive and gross. Boiling water on the stove, etc, doesn't help. Could you please give me suggestions of easy, cheap ways to alleviate/eliminate the side effects of dry air? At least I'm assuming that dry air is the cause of my winter nose problems. From December to March or so, I have a chronically drippy nose coexisting with dry, itchy nasal passages, and minor nosebleeds. I have to have a hankie with me at all times, just to mop up. That chafes my nostrils. Congestion is not typically part of the problem.

Two part question:
1) Any suggestions on how to stop or at least alleviate the runny nose and dry nasal cavities? I think the nosebleeds would take care of themselves if the first two issues were resolved.
2) Why does this common response to dry air happen? Seems to me that it would make more sense if my body held on to the nose moisture instead of letting it drip out.

Humidifiers might be a possibility for #1, but it seems like an overly fussy/expensive/bacteria-filled option. I do try to leave out water to evaporate naturally.

Help with sinus ear pressure

rbf1138 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:51:20 -0800

I have ear sinus pressure, muffled hearing, and general discomfort in one of my ears. Help me find some relief until my doctor's appointment. About 2 weeks ago, sound in my left ear started to sound muffled. I'd experienced this i nthe past once or twice before, and had gone to the ENT and just had some wax removed (from overuse of Q-tips). I figured this was the case now, and so I went to my campus health services, where the doctor told me my ears looked clean, it was likely a sinus issue, and some Sudafed would clear it up.

Yesterday it had been about 2 weeks since this started -- and after taking Sudafed -- it had not gone away. For whatever reason, I felt like it had gotten slightly worse, and tried some earwax drops to see if it did anything. Well, all it seemed to do was create even more pressure in my ear, and even more trouble hearing anything. Since yesterday, my ear has felt full with liquid, completely muffled, and incredibly uncomfortable.

When I burp or yawn, it opens up a bit for a few seconds. I called and scheduled an appointment with an ENT on Monday, but this is making me mental, and was wondering a. is there anything I can safely try to relieve the pressure until Monday, and b. what procedure(s) is the doctor likely to try?

Thanks.

Is Claritin giving me terrible allergy attacks?

faunafrailty — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:45:01 -0800

ClaritinFilter: Does daily use of Claritin give you strange once/month insane sneezing/sinus attacks? Please let me know if you've experienced this side effect (or not)... I started taking Claritin daily in February after realizing I am allergic to my new workplace. (Long story short: It's very nature-y and park-like. I broke out in insane rashes on my arms and neck. Claritin made those rashes go away. If I stop taking it, the rashes come back.)

But for the past several months, about once per month, I've had really terrible allergy attacks--worse than normal. Each time it happens, I think I'm getting a cold, but it goes away after 8-12 hours (or a good night's rest).

I sneeze much more violently than normal. My nose doesn't stop running, and my sinuses hurt so much I want to extract my upper jaw. I usually take Benadryl and Tylenol Allergy-Sinus during these times, but they don't help much. I never experience my other typical cold symptoms--body aches, sore throat and coughing. Just the nasal/sinus issues. It really puts me out for the entire day.

Sometimes it happens at home, sometimes at work. It's happened in spring and summer. (I'm in SoCal.) Not much of a pattern. But this is brand new to me in my life full of allergies. Could it be the Claritin? Has anyone else experienced this?

Tonsillectomy or sinus surgery or both?

ictow — Thu, 29 May 2008 13:05:30 -0800

I am a classic example of poorly-designed nose and throat, and I want to fix it. But my ENT doesn't have any advice and I don't know what's going to do the trick. Post-nasal drip, rampant sinus infections, tonsillar crypts (and accompanying gross white debris), snoring, permanent stuffy nose, coughing up phlegm. It's a hoot. I've tried allergy medicine and neti pots, and while both help a little, I'm never in the clear. I was at the ENT today and he said that despite all of my symptoms none are so bad that it's clear what needs to be done. It's been a dream of mine to get my tonsils taken out, and they're what I've blamed, but now I'm nervous that it might be some crabby sinuses causing the ruckus and the tonsillectomy will result in bupkis. I can get a CT scan that might provide answers, but I'm on a cafeteria insurance plan and am reluctant to spend $400 unnecessarily. I know I don't have any polyps. So any IANAD-advice from people who have been there? What worked, what didn't?

Ears the problem...

Oriole Adams — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:11:25 -0800

Ear filter: Is there an over the counter medication that is similar to the prescription version of Allegra D? (Long story inside.) I've posted previously about my chronic sinus problems. In the past few months, however, I've noticed a "full" feeling in my left ear, and whenever I slept on that side my ear felt especially "warm." I also occasionally heard very small popping sounds (along the lines of small Rice Krispies pops) in that ear. During my most recent visit ( a week ago) to my rheumatologist (who is also my primary care physician) I mentioned the problem, and she peeked inside. She said the eardrum was dull (it's supposed to be shiny) and she said that that was a symptom of fluid behind the eardrum. She also said that based on my symptoms she didn't think I had an inner ear infection and gave me some samples of prescription strength Allegra D. After taking the first couple, the fullness feeling was gone, but I still hear that "popping" sound now and then. Two weeks have passed since I used up the last Allegra pill, and I'm starting to feel that ear fullness again.

What would cause fluid behind the eardrum? Should I call and ask for a full month's Rx of Allegra D? Or is there a similar over-the-counter decongestant that would work as well? Could this ear fluid be connected to my constant nasal congestion? (For what it's worth, my previous rheumatologist, who passed away a few years ago, used a tuning fork on top of my head to discern that I did have some hearing loss. I'd had many severe ear infections as a child, but he seemed to think that the hearing loss was more likely due to the small stroke I'd had as a result of anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome.)

So what's the hive mind verdict? Should I press my doctor for further sinus/ear tests (maybe an MRI or something)? Or will a steady dose of decongestants clear up this ear thing?

I can't get no sinusfaction.

spec80 — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:33:44 -0800

What was your post nasal polyp surgery experience like? I've asked a bunch of these questions to my doctor already but I wanted to know if any of the hivemind have gone through this procedure. Would I be okay for work on Monday if I had this done the previous Wednesday? Would the swelling have subsided? What is it like with the splints and packing? How often did you have to get them redone and for how long? What is sleeping like? How are you doing now?

Due to my sinus problems and the attempts before to make it better, I really want to do this. However, I keep on thinking about the scene in the Mummy when Evelyn explains how Egyptians got the brains out.

I would rather not banish Doritos from my diet.

ruby.aftermath — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:21:22 -0800

A food additive that causes sinus problems? I was talking to someone last week who mentioned that she had heard of a food additive that can cause sinus problems and headaches. She said it was mostly found in "things that started as a mix" -- think Rice-a-roni, mac and cheese, even powdered drinks and snacks like Doritos. She said it was used as an anti-caking agent, and was often hidden in the "artificial flavors" category in ingredient lists.

This may or may not be true, but I would like to see if there's ANY research or articles at all on this. The problem is that I can't remember what the additive is.

I know is it is NOT MSG, and I thought she said maltodextrin but that doesn't seem to be right. I've spent hours googling this with no luck. And I can't ask her again, she was my supervisor on a random temp job and even she was kind of working as a temp.

Does anyone know what this mysterious and pain-inducing food additive could be? To repeat, it's not MSG, although that would indeed be the obvious culprit.

How do I prove to my doctor that I have a sinus infection?

bitterkitten — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 07:35:57 -0800

How do I prove to my doctor that I have a sinus infection? Now I know that typically, your average doc will go "does your head hurt a lot? feel pain in the jaw? tooth area? yellow or green mucus? painful sinus areas?"

And if you say "no" to all of the above, the likelihood of them wanting to give you antibiotics is nil.

However, I have experienced, previously, the same symptoms I've got now - TONS of drainage to throat, far beyond what i normally get from allergic symptoms (which I keep under control pretty much with regular allergy injections, saline rinsing and astelin nasal spray), and super heavy-feeling head. Of course, I don't have the green or yellow mucus. My current doc says the problem is just an allergy flare-up. I haven't had this problem much since I've had this allergist, so she doesn't see that I have previously had this occur. Usually it happens when I get a cold, and the cold goes away... then it turns into this. Of course I do every damn thing I can to prevent it, crank up the humidifier, go to sleep earlier, etc....

Sure, I know that there's the chance that taking the antibiotics could be coincidence in terms of eventual improvement, or the placebo effect... but after having something like this for a couple weeks, and nothing improving it, in the past, I have seen antibiotics do the trick.

And yeah, I could just go to another doctor.

But couldn't whether or not I have a sinus infection just be proven with a throat culture, and then we'd be done with this kind of argument? If not - WHAT is the 100% definitive way to tell if a person has a sinus infection other than the usual melange of symptoms?

Snap crackle sinus

I_Love_Bananas — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:21:50 -0800

Why do my sinuses crackle when I sing? All my adult life (as a singer of opera & musical theater), I have experienced distinct crackling sensations/sounds (audible to others) that occur when I sing.

I must warm up to the point that I "sing through it" and smooth out the crackling that takes place in my sinus cavities. Certain notes are more likely to result in crackling. Generally, the more thoroughly I warm up and sing, the more the crackling goes away. My mental image of the process is that I must break through some sort of barrier to achieve optimum vocal resonance. Some days it takes me 30-40 minutes to get there.

Has anyone else experienced this? I use saline solution, facial massage and have seen an EENT, none of which have given me any idea why this occurs. I don't think it's a dryness issue. What is happening physiologically when I sing that could make my sinuses crackle?

Help me breathe!

missjamielynn — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 09:48:03 -0800

Can you help my nasal congestion? Over the past month, I've had the flu, a stomach virus, and bronchitis. Needless to say, my immune system is not in the best shape at the moment; so when I got a relapse of the flu again this week, it hit me pretty hard.

The worst of it is over(I think), but I'm left with horrible nasal congestion. I've had chronic sinus issues for about a decade and I've been irrigating my sinuses with a mixture of salt and baking soda to try and prevent sinus infections due to cold/flu. I've also been using Nasonex, but it's not really doing the trick.

Unfortunately, after a month of this sickness, I gave in to the instant gratification of Afrin(the original 12 hour spray). I used it once a day for 3 days which I thought was the right amount of time. It says not to use it for more than 3 days and I didn't, but I'm feeling the horribly painful rebound symptoms.

How long does this rebound last and is there anything I can do for relief?

Why can I breathe better with water in my nose?

odi.et.amo — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 08:19:03 -0800

Why is my nose-breathing markedly improved if I moisten my nasal passages with saline spray? I'm not talking about actually spraying the saline, but just getting a drop on my finger or the tip of the spray bottle and rubbing it all around inside my nose. This gives immediate relief to mild inflammation due to cat allergies, and goes away as soon as the saline is absorbed/evaporated (less than a minute).

Why does this happen, and is there anything I can do to give myself more long-term breathing relief? The imflammation requires me to breathe through my mouth while cycling and, since I'm about to start that again, I'd love to have a less-dry mouth when exercising.

No need to recommend sinus irrigation because I do that on occasion and don't get this kind of immediate but short-term improvement.

More info: I take zyrtec daily, am not a stranger to sinus infections, and had septoplasty and turbinate reduction surgery a year ago.

Psychomatic sinusache?

WCityMike — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 10:18:59 -0800

Slightly weird one: I occasionally get what I think is a psychosomatic sinusache. It seems to be induced by looking at a sharp edge or point, and perhaps happens to me once every one or two weeks. I'm wondering if anyone else has ever experienced this, and/or has any input into what's going on (mentally or physically) and any fixes or things that alleviate what's going on. As always, In such cases, it can severely increase in intensity, making it difficult to continue remaining focused on anything, requiring that I close my eyes, rub the bridge of my nose, and then try to return to staring at the screen. Taking off my glasses and rubbing the bridge of my nose, or blowing my nose, doesn't seem to alter the ache; it seems to quite literally be something changed by mental focus. I don't believe it's eye strain or mucus. I'm not sure if some underlying part of me imagines my eyeball being pierced or something, and the ache is an aversion thing, or if it's related to mental focus, or what. This has been with me for years, but it just occurred to me the other day to inquire with you guys as to whether it was just completely out of left field or was something other people had experienced.

What is the best medicine for an airplane sinus headache?

afx114 — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:43:37 -0800

What is the best medicine for an airplane sinus headache? I am flying to Japan in a couple days and am fearing the sinus headache of death that plagued me on prior lengthy flights to Europe. It is a pain on the bridge of my nose between my eyes, and it hurts the more I breathe in through my nose. It's not a congestion pain (able to breathe just fine), more of a pressure pain from the altitude and stale fake-ass air pumped through the plane. I know that hydration is key, but are there any suggestions for over-the-counter medicines to combat this pain? Is there any preparation I can do before takeoff to prevent it? Thanks!

Sore septum: sinus infection or dehydration?

gsh — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 14:37:51 -0800

On Tuesday, I had a 9-hour flight back from Paris. I drank as much water and non-caffeinated liquid as I could. Within 2-3 hours of landing, I found that my septum was rather sore to the touch. I immediately took some Sudafed to ward off any kind of sinus infection awfulness. None of my sinus areas are at all tender, but it's Thursday and my septum is still sore. As this is a new experience, I'm curious as to whether this is a typical sign of impending sinus infection or maybe my poor inner schnoz is dehydrated?

(Other information: my septum is indeed deviated and thus it will always be; sinus headaches and the odd infection are commonplace for me.)