Sinus Issues - What Do You Do?

[Deactivated] on 11/11/2021 - 14:21
Last edited 11/11/2021 - 14:32

Hey all,

I've basically been dealing with sinus issues since I was 17-18.
I had surgery when I was younger, but it didn't do anything.

Some days my nasal by the touch of God is clear, but 95% semi blocked.
I do have some Polyps in my nose.

I've seen an ENT multiple times, no help. I've been told to rinse with salt, and use Rhinocort.
I've tried anti-histamines, and noticed no benefit.

So, I'm just curious what people are doing daily, or weekly to aid? Just looking to get into a routine to even slightly improve my breathing through my Nasal.

What brands do you recommend?

Appreciate any information.

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • djones145 on 11/11/2021 - 14:26
    +5

    escape to mars?

    • lunchbox99 on 11/11/2021 - 15:37
      +1

      get ur ass to mars!!

  • freefall101 on 11/11/2021 - 14:39
    -8

    I'd totally ask random people on OzDoctor. Because they're doing to give great advice that is supported by years of research and definitely not be a solution that might work for a day but do long term damage.

    I suggest you rinse with salt, and use Rhinocort. If it doesn't work, see a different ENT and ask for options.

  • Stalker on 11/11/2021 - 14:43
    +4

    Avoid dairy and do your research on foods and supplements that are anti-inflammatory. ;)

    • lgacb08 on 19/11/2021 - 21:35

      dairy is not even remotely antianflammatory.

      • Stalker on 20/11/2021 - 10:26

        Correct. It is inflammatory.

  • Hithere on 11/11/2021 - 14:57
    -2

    I'd see another Otolaryngologist and avoid random information on the Internet

    • [Deactivated] on 11/11/2021 - 15:22
      +4

      Information online isn't random, you literally have thousands of people who have visited thousands of Drs compiling information which you can bring forward to your own ENT.

  • randomusername2017 on 11/11/2021 - 15:10
    +1

    Nasonex

    Considered getting the polyps removed?

  • [Deactivated] on 11/11/2021 - 15:19
    +1

    I'm not looking for medical advice, but blocked sinus is quite common.

    Just seeing how people manage it themselves, when conventional medicine isn't benefiting them 100%>

    Different products work for different people, and Doctors offer different advice. My latest ENT was curious why they performed surgery on me so young.

    Please spare me the lecture on where I ask information, it's part of my research.

  • Ryanek on 11/11/2021 - 15:34

    Sounds like you need to burn those suckers

  • silenthillrocks on 11/11/2021 - 15:36

    you can get surgery to remove polyps and clear the airways, speak to another ENT

    i heard some people use a dental flosser with distilled+saline water

  • newsat on 11/11/2021 - 15:41

    I would find another ENT, I would have thought they would have at least tried a rinse mixed with pulmicort (after removing polyps)

  • destination on 11/11/2021 - 15:43

    I been using Sudafed from past 6 months and was told by specialist to use at a night time only. This one is really helpful and doesn't block my nose at all while sleeping. This can't be used for long time unless recommended by your doctor.

    https://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/buy/54963/sudafed-nasal-…

    • newsat on 11/11/2021 - 16:03
      +1

      oh wow, I've always thought this stuff was bad for longer than a week and then weaning off causes rebound inflammation. But that's why they are the specialists, to treat each person case by case. Definitely would only use that long if Specialist prescribes it

      • yk300 on 11/11/2021 - 16:14
        +1

        bro… it's 3 days, not a week.

      • thatonethere on 11/11/2021 - 16:17

        It's bad stuff if you use it too long. I did that and suffered the consequences - awesome chronic sinusitis.

  • saintpotter on 11/11/2021 - 15:48

    Try turmeric!

  • NatoTomato on 11/11/2021 - 15:56
    -1

    Ivermectin?

  • thatonethere on 11/11/2021 - 16:21

    My sinus story was I went to a few GP's who gave me this and that for sinusitis over the course of several years. It got pretty bad to the point I also thought I had migraines or cluster headaches. As above I naively over did the usage of over the counter meds such as nurofen and sudafed nasal spray - which gives you rebound effects (ie terrible headaches and sinusitis).

    Anyway, eventually after seeing a new dr they said I had very high blood pressure (previously dr's said "hm looks like but take care of yourself ok") and gave me BP meds, told me to lose weight and change diet. Anyway, sinus problems went away after 3-6 months - BP reduction took a lot longer.

  • jjjaar on 11/11/2021 - 16:42
    +1

    Massage. I’ve been getting my face and where my neck/head meet (ie the two places my sinus pain hurts most) massaged for the last 3 years and it’s the only thing that works for me. But boy it works amazing. It was suggested to me by an ENT as the first step. Never had to figure out what other steps were.

    • thatonethere on 11/11/2021 - 17:16

      Yes I found forced smiling (seriously) and face massage helped a fair bit.

  • pformag on 11/11/2021 - 17:41

    Telfast works for me.

  • bigticket on 11/11/2021 - 19:01

    Try a strict clean keto/carnivore diet for 2 to 3 months. Remove vegetable oils and refined/processed foods from your diet. You may also be deficient in vitamin D and vitamin C.

    • mapax on 11/11/2021 - 19:32

      I went that route for other chronic health issues and to my surprise my sinuses also cleared up.

  • bobbified on 11/11/2021 - 19:01

    How many grams do you put up there each day?

  • contrafibularities on 11/11/2021 - 19:14
    +1

    I had serious sinusitis since I was a kid and had my adenoids removed which did very little. My sinus were blocked almost 100% of the time and they went ballistic when I had even a minor cold. I was alway getting secondary sinus infections. Nasal drops had savage rebound effects so I stopped using them. Now I use a Neti pot a few days a month and my sinus have never been better, I haven’t had a single sinus infection since using it. In case you don’t know it’s a saline wash that you pour through one nostril and out the other. I had tried saline nasal sprays before but they did nothing, the neti pot on the other hand has changed my life.

    • Stalker on 11/11/2021 - 19:21
      +1

      I can vouch for the benefit of regular Flo Sinus Care saline flushes using slightly warm (not hot) water, but I stopped needing to do this altogether, and my (overall health improved in many other ways) when I stopped consuming dairy. I've also since stopped eating any animal products, but cutting out dairy was huge for me.

      Seriously, humans do not need to be consuming dairy - it just causes inflammation and you can get your calcium intake from many many better sources. /rant

  • Drakesy on 11/11/2021 - 19:29
    +1

    i've had surgery to correct my deviated septum and turbinates but my sinus problems remained.

    What i've found that helped me the most were salt water rinses with one of These don't bother with the sachets, just warm/hot water and salt works wonders once every couple of days.

    Also when i get really tired/stressed my turbinates tend to become inflamed which hampers my breathing which makes it difficult to sleep. Basically just need to break the cycle and get into a decent sleeping pattern (going to sleep earlier, no screen time etc.)

    Also get a nose hair trimmer, you'd be surprised just how much of an impact having a tonne of hair in there does to your breathing quality.

    And finally sleep with a heater/humidifier, this causes my turbinates to contract and greatly improves airflow, noticed this when travelling to humid countries and my sleep quality was 1000x better.

    • Reggie74 on 13/11/2021 - 09:08

      I had the deviated septum surgery too which was a complete waste of time and money. Did not help one bit.

  • ozcheese on 11/11/2021 - 19:37

    Living in Sydney I had sinus issue my whole childhood and into 20s. When overseas they suddenly went away, now I live in Queensland and hardly anything as well. I think its down to the type of pollen there, not sure though.

    For example Pellitory (Parietaria judaica). "Pellitory is mildly toxic to humans, causing skin irritation when plant hairs cling to clothing, and allergic reactions through the pollen which is produced throughout the year but copiously in spring. Reactions include asthma, conjunctivitis, hay fever and severe skin irritation."

    "Pellitory common weed on roadsides and in gardens and thrives in cracks especially against walls. It is a common weed in Sydney suburbs. "

    https://weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au/Weeds/Pellitory

  • Peachout on 12/11/2021 - 10:28

    I can only commence by saying "Sigh". Seems you have a cross- section of issues going on here. I have chronic, year round allergies (although no Sinusitis), and I have completely tired of having the same tired old advice marched out to me by doctors and specialists, who seem to consider that because you're upright and breathing, it's not particularly serious. But I can tell you now I'm in my 40's, in the long term it affects every aspect of your life.

    Question: what is the reason for your blockage? You've mentioned Polyps, and I assume that the ENT would've told you if you had a deviated Septum (as I don't have either, I have no knowledge of what to do about either). But you've also been told to use rhinocourt - that's for allergies! Hasn't anyone sent you to an allergy specialist? As people have mentioned, you have constant inflammation, what is the source?

    If you haven't done so already, fork out the $$ to see an allergy specialist & get tested to see whether/ what you're allergic to. Then at least you can begin to know how to treat it. If you are allergic, they'll usually recommended desensitisation therapy. This costs thousands $$$, the majority of which isn't covered by Medicare, takes 3-5 years of treatment, and is effective for maximum 10 years. It's also not guaranteed to work. For those reasons I haven't tried it, so cannot either recommend/ not recommend. My cousin has and it didn't work for him.

    If it's an allergy, what is occurring is that your overreactive immune system is trying to rid itself of an 'enemy', eg pollen, dustmites, and your mucosa is swelling and producing mucous to do so. Over time, the inflammation becomes chronic, and if your sinuses don't freely drain, infected. The only useful thing to do is to treat the source.

    Treatments: the salt washes don't treat the allergy at all. They are simply to try and reduce the infection in the mucosa by destroying bacteria. On their own, they don't work. They are to be used in conjunction with other treatments.
    - tablets/ nasal sprays - 1 allergy specialist told me that the tablets are useless and the only good over the counter nasal spray is Nasonex. After using both for years, I can agree. However, the gold standard nasal spray is a prescription spray called Dymista. In comparison, I found Nasonex ineffective. Costs about $45-$50, but for me it's worth it. If you have allergies and your doctor is reluctant to prescribe it, insist on it.
    - Diet - doesn't effect every person. If you find that your sinuses are worse after eating something, try cutting it out and see if it makes a difference.
    - Air purifiers/allergy free bedding - air purifiers only reduce air borne allergens (if you keep all the windows closed and never go outside). Therefore only effective for you if your allergen is airborne. There's no such thing as allergy free bedding. If 1 of your allergies is dustmites, there's not much you can do about bedding. Other than steam clean it every day. You can get allergy reduced pillows and mattress (eg latex), but they'll still live in your quilt, pj's, sheet, etc.
    - Move to QLD/NT - If you are allergic to dustmites, this is a great recommendation. Cooler climate=more dustmites. Also, what people are actually allergic to is dustmite poop. Tropical dustmites don't produce the same poop, it's either allergy reduced or allergy free. I lived in a tropical country for 3 years and hardly ever had to use nasal sprays, only for pollen allergies (which are lesser than my dustmite allergy). The humidity will also help to soothe irritated nasal passages.
    - Acupuncture - this & Dymista is my current treatment, and if you can handle the needles in your face, I'd thoroughly recommend it. Not every practitioner does it though, so you'll have to seek out someone that advertises this as their speciality. Basically, the Dr will stimulate the nerves in the face that cause the swelling and get them to calm down. It can take several months of treatment, but it should last indefinitely/a few years. I've never been able to breathe better.
    - Speech therapy - I know sounds strange, but speech therapists do a far lot more than correcting a lisp these days. It's possible that due to desperation for oxygen your brain has developed some bad breathing habits (eg clenching your jaw when you sleep to open up your airways). Speech therapists can help to retrain your tongue/jaw etc, which will improve your breathing. I haven't tried it yet, I've heard anecdotally it works. That's my next step. When I looked into it before, they were doing it all completely online (Melbourne, during lockdown), which is useful if you don't live nearby to a therapist. http://coughclinic.com.au was recommended to me, they don't just treat coughing.

    Hope some, all, any of that helps.

  • Chris Topher on 12/11/2021 - 13:21

    I had sinus issues since my late teens and found the cause of it when I turned 40yo and on that birthday gave up smoking.

  • esq on 12/11/2021 - 16:14

    Went to the GP with this issue recently (also had a blocked nose since teenage years), apart from pointing to Nasonex she also prescribed Dymista. Minimal effect - to the effect I suspect it's had no effect.

    Next step is sleep clinic and cpap, next bulk billed GP visit gets me a bulk billed referral.

  • jenki on 12/11/2021 - 23:00
    +1

    I had chronic sinus infections for my whole childhood. Antibiotics would work for a few days, then the infection would return.
    My doctor finally recommended trying salt water irrigation. I started with 6 times a day, and after a month or so my sinus passages started clearing up. It was amazing, I suddenly didn't have a constant taste of snot. I didn't realise how much the sinus infections affected my taste and smell!

    After a month or so I only had to irrigate my nose twice a day (easiest when showering). 20 years later I only have to do it twice a week, or whenever there is a lot of pollen around or pollution.

    Edited to add: I also take antihistamines as needed.

  • thriftybunny on 01/12/2021 - 22:39

    Food sensitivities can cause blocked noses. Get yourself tested for food sensitivities and allergies, then cut out all food you are sensitive or allergic to.

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