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Sinus Infection induced Asthma isn't going away, help?

pyrom — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:18:16 -0800

Sinus infection two years ago led to immediate symptoms of exercise-induced asthma. After two years, it's gotten better, but never fully disappeared. Will it ever go away? Am I impeding my recovery by continuing to utilize an inhaler? Two years ago, I had two sinus infections within relatively close proximity of each other. Each time while recovering, I'd go for daily runs, during which I'd have to stop because it became almost impossible to breathe.

My doctor prescribed me an inhaler and said that the infection somehow affected my lungs, and that the symptoms would eventually go away.

Almost two years later I can run without the inhaler- on some occasions, I don't realize I've forgotten to take it until the end of the run, but at other times it is, to a noticeable degree, harder to breathe. The symptoms are exasperated by cold weather, but are for the most part much better than they were two Septembers ago.

I'd like to be able to stop using the inhaler completely.
Am I impeding my recovery by continuing its use? Will my symptoms ever go away? My symptoms only occur during intense exercise and are otherwise nonexistent.

Any information is much appreciated!
(I hope to formally ask a doctor about this upon my next visit, but this may be a couple months from now.)

Stupid bronchitis, what is it NOW?

Eudaimonia — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:13:58 -0800

I'm spitting up black stuff, but not in pain. Gross details inside. I've had a sinus infection/bronchitis for the past few weeks. I finally got myself to the doctor about 8 days ago, and they put me on antibiotics, which I finished two days ago. I feel a LOT better. yay. But I'm still coughing up phlegm, which is to be expected, I think. Its clear now (vs. being green before. Ew, I know), BUT its got these strands of dark grey/blackish stuff in it. This happened once or twice before the meds and I assumed it was my lungs clearing out tar from the handful of times I've smoked (which I only did once or twice while I was sick and stopped after I realized I was actually, really sick) But its still happening now and there's more greyish stuff this time (though it really only happens in the morning and at night, and not really during the day if I have to spit anything up.)

I really don't think its dried blood or anything - its more grey than black, and I'm not in pain at all. My coughing isn't out of control, either.

So, my questions - You are not my doctor, but should I be worried? My doc's office is closed today (yaaay Boston Marathon) so I'll call tomorrow, but is this the sort of thing that I should go to an ER for (I know I shouldn't care about cost but I really don't want to go if I don't have to - I just don't have that kind of money)

Also, what do you think it could be?

Thanks, all.

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?

I smell feet

peep — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:34:43 -0800

I smell feet. For the past 2 weeks, I smell a foot odor constantly. It feels a little dry and/or itchy underneath my cheekbones. Could this be the beginning of a sinus infection? But here are some complicating factors:

1. I don't feel sick - not one bit. No headache, and I wouldn't even describe the cheekbone feeling as "pressure." No body aches, fever, etc.
2. I have no mucus, and I'm not congested. I can breathe completely freely.
3. The feeling under my cheekbones is on both sides, so I don't think it's a tooth thing. Also, I just saw the dentist this week, and if I had teeth rotting to the point of giving off an odor, I think he would have noticed.
4. I've had this for 2 weeks, and nothing's changed. At some point, wouldn't I actually start to feel sick, or start expelling some mucus?

My husband tells me he doesn't smell anything and insists the smell is not emanating FROM me in anyway.

I've been irrigating my sinuses with a neti pot each morning. Anything else I can do? I've heard that the current thought on sinus infections is that for mild to moderate ones, antibiotics aren't necessary. This is a first for me. Have you ever smelled a foot smell like this before, and what was it?

I've seen this question , and I wouldn't characterize this smell as bleachy or like propane, and that poster definitely had some mucus going on, which seems to differentiate our problems.

I started a new job yesterday (yay!). I got sick on Sunday (boo!). I need to get better fast, but how?

misanthropicsarah — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:37:30 -0800

I started a new job yesterday (yay!). I got sick on Sunday (boo!). I need to get better fast, but how? I have a head cold with a possibility of a sinus infection (no insurance for 30 days, so no doc for me). Sinus pressure, the stuffies, the runnies (clear), the gooey snot (yellowish-green) and the general cloudiness that comes with a head cold.

All of this creates for a below-average job performance (I can tell I'm dragging, I don't know if they can), which is bad. I don't want my first week to give my new employers a bad impression of me, so I want to get back in the game and get rid of this cold ASAP.

I've been taking Airborne a few times a day since Sunday afternoon, and since yesterday I've been taking Sudafed (from behind the counter). I can't remember what kind. It had blue on the package. I'm also drinking lots of water and going to bed earlier than usual.

What else can I do to make this cold go away sooner than it usually does with me (anywhere from 1-2 weeks)?

Congested Ear Canal

vers — Fri, 19 Nov 2004 08:02:11 -0800

Remedies for opening up a congested ear canal? I've had a sinus/ear infection this week, and am currently taking both a decongestant and an antibiotic. My head seems to be clearing nicely, except my inner ear on one side which feels completely blocked. I'm trying hot compresses and steam. Are there any other suggested methods to clear this up at home?