Best remedy for that frozen sinus thing...

[pintopiaffe]

I'm putting this here because I think that most folks who do chores in double digits below will understand what I'm talking about.

Question is: to dry or to drain? Decongest, demucous, antihistamine?

I *always* wear a polarfleece headband over ears and forehead. Hats can be too much for me, but once it's below zero, the rabbit fur bomber does go on.

But sometimes it's still not enough and after the whole feed/water thing at 0300 at -14, I woke up this morning with the frozen sinus hangover. Sometimes I have to go in to work with it.

That dull face-headache, usually accompanied by itchy ears that sometimes feel like they are draining, sometimes not.

I don't know if I need to dry things up (decongestant) or actually loosen things up (mucinex). Besides a hot shower (not an option at the moment) what else do you do?

[sk_pacer]

I generally take Dristan or something similar - stops the dripping and the pain. It also helps if you can keep your cheek bones covered.

[CallMeGrace]

Look at these: http://www.rei.com/gear/feature/search/Google/balaclava?cm_mmc=ps_google_Action-_-Category%20-%20Ski-_-Ski_Apparel_Hats_General-_-balaclava&gclid=CPLbk9j3xZgCFRk_awodiWa22A

You can roll them up if it gets warm - I have chronic sinus problems, and one of these has helped.

[Simkie]

Lots of fluids, sudafed and guafenesin.

[Just Wondering]

Saline nasal rinse when you get back into the house. Anything loose with flush right out.

[Guin]

Ditto on the saline. I find what hurts the worst is the dryness caused by too-strong decongestants, so keeping the nasal passages irrigated is a must. Do you have a vaporizer or humidifier in your bedroom? That's a huge help.

ETA: You don't want an antihistamine - that's for sneezing and allergies. Just a decongestant.

[Chief2]

The itching ear thing sounds like you might already have a infection brewing.

the decongestant: too much, and you dry out the nasal passages and leave them open to a sinus infection. Also, decongestants are known in some people to elevate the heart rate, preventing them from getting to sleep at night (c'est moi! :D)

My PCP's recommendations: drink herbal tea and warm, non-caffenated beverages; a cool mist humidifier adds moisture to the air without promoting the growth of bacteria that the warm mist humidifier does; a balaclava to cover the nose, head and throat; a long, warm shower, or lower your head over a steaming bowl of water, under the hood of a towel.

Another way to add moisture to your rooms: hang your laundry inside your rooms rather than put it in the dryer. If the rooms are really dry, everything will be dry by morning and your air will have a higher moisture content.

Good luck!

[greysandbays]

Cayenne pepper (or whatever other "hot" pepper product you have/like/can get your hands on).

When I get stuffy, I put hot pepper or salsa on my lunch/supper.

[imissvixen]

Neti pot with saline solution. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/fashion/03skin.html

You can buy a kit and all you do is add water. At first it is so horrifying but you get used to it. It is good for anything that ails the sinuses. If your ears are bothering you don't blow your nose too hard. The neti pot is amazing. You can really reduce the need for drugs.

I try to avoid drying out my head too much as dry sinuses are more vulnerable to infection.

[texang73]

Neti pot with saline solution. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/fashion/03skin.html

You can buy a kit and all you do is add water. At first it is so horrifying but you get used to it. It is good for anything that ails the sinuses. If your ears are bothering you don't blow your nose too hard. The neti pot is amazing. You can really reduce the need for drugs.

I try to avoid drying out my head too much as dry sinuses are more vulnerable to infection.

Ditto. FWIW, I use my neti pot in the shower, less mess that way!

[li'l bit]

It could be something in your diet that encourages it. I had it for a few years and it drove me C-R-A-Z-Y.:eek: After cutting out whole milk products, a LOT of sugar, soft drinks, excessive fat, etc. I am not affected by it at all now. I was just thinking the other day about how my sinus hadn't bothered me for quite some time; I can only surmise that in my case, all of those things added up to making me miserable in more ways than one. If any of those things are in your diet, maybe you could try cutting just one at a time, and eventually find whatever is making it worse. (For me, I believe that the whole milk products were the biggest culprit.)

[Snowflake]

I'm having surgery on the 18th for abnormal bone growth in the sinuses. The bone growths and calcifications are trapping big pockets of air that expand and make it feel like my face is going to explode. This has been going on for what feels like forever....

The recovery from the surgery just sounds horrific. I don't know which is worse, 3 months of nose bleed, post op bleeding and the inability to bend over, pick things up and visit my pony for 6 weeks or exploding face...

[li'l bit]

Wow, Snowflake, that does sound horrible. Good luck with your surgery and hoping the recovery is less severe than expected.

[CallMeGrace]

Oh, Snowflake, I have had two sinus surgeries. The recovery is not pleasant, but I feel better than I have in YEARS. It was definitely worth it. Incredible how badly you can feel. You will be glad you did it. I wish you a speedy recovery.

[Snowflake]

Yes... I'm actually terrified.

In my research for my surgery I found someone who had a procedure that sounded very similar to what I'm having done, and I asked him for his thoughts. This is what I got:

It was horrible but well worth it. I had a lot of bone removed and some cartiledge "carved out" so I had a lot of scabbing. (This is exactly what they're doing for me plus deviated septum repair.) It actually took about two-three months before I started really having no more signs of surgery.

You'll probably be perscribed to do nasal rinses after your surgery. I suggest going out and buying that now and getting started with those. They're awesome, and if I had been doing those for the twenty years I was working in dust I probabaly wouldn't of needed surgery. (Could this be from the barn? They're dusty. Damn horses.) There are several brand names and you can find them at just about any drug store (sinus rinse kit and saline packets).

The first week after surgery is more gross feeling than actual pain. The first two days you'll have gauze up your nose and that's discomforting, but if you take your pain killers as perscribed the pain is equivilent to a bad sinus cold (ice pack on the eyes works good, but don't over due it). After they pull the gauze it gets gross. You'll have blood clots running down the back off your throat for several days as you continue the rinsing, but when it finally starts to clear up (as for me, I choked up a huge loogie in the shower that almost made me puke but it was the end of the gross part). (OMG!!)

I couldn't work for two solid weeks because I'd get nose bleeds every time I'd bend over for a period of time.

I'm still doing the nose rinse every other day or so whenever the dust starts to bother me and so far everything is going good.

My thoughts: This is AWFUL!!

[CallMeGrace]

Well, that's pretty graphic! I second the ice packs - helped a lot. I was in pain more than grossed out. However, like I said, I didn't know how awful I felt until I got it fixed. It affects your whole life - you may regret not being able to see your pony for a while, but you'll be amazed at how much more energy you'll have when you are able to get back to horses. I think I felt like I had the flu for years.

[Snowflake]

Thanks for the well wishes guys... I've been in tears the last few days knowing that it's going to have to get much much worse before it gets better.

[Angela Freda]

How about one of those heatable eye mask thinigies?
I have on made of rice and I nuke it and lay it on my eyes/sinus for sinus or migraine issues.

My ears constantly drain and pop. No infection, just teeny tiny congested eustacian [sp?] tubes. I hear water pills- that make you lose water like Midol- help, though medicating for something without knowing what it is is not schmart. For me drinking really, really hot bev can help.

[greysandbays]

Yes... I'm actually terrified.

In my research for my surgery I found someone who had a procedure that sounded very similar to what I'm having done, and I asked him for his thoughts. This is what I got:

It was horrible but well worth it. I had a lot of bone removed and some cartiledge "carved out" so I had a lot of scabbing. (This is exactly what they're doing for me plus deviated septum repair.) It actually took about two-three months before I started really having no more signs of surgery.

You'll probably be perscribed to do nasal rinses after your surgery. I suggest going out and buying that now and getting started with those. They're awesome, and if I had been doing those for the twenty years I was working in dust I probabaly wouldn't of needed surgery. (Could this be from the barn? They're dusty. Damn horses.) There are several brand names and you can find them at just about any drug store (sinus rinse kit and saline packets).

The first week after surgery is more gross feeling than actual pain. The first two days you'll have gauze up your nose and that's discomforting, but if you take your pain killers as perscribed the pain is equivilent to a bad sinus cold (ice pack on the eyes works good, but don't over due it). After they pull the gauze it gets gross. You'll have blood clots running down the back off your throat for several days as you continue the rinsing, but when it finally starts to clear up (as for me, I choked up a huge loogie in the shower that almost made me puke but it was the end of the gross part). (OMG!!)

I couldn't work for two solid weeks because I'd get nose bleeds every time I'd bend over for a period of time.

I'm still doing the nose rinse every other day or so whenever the dust starts to bother me and so far everything is going good.

My thoughts: This is AWFUL!!

But not nearly as awful as having your condition misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and generally screwed around with.

One of my cousins had severe ongoing not-specific-enough-for-concrete-diagnosis issues for years (during which time the best diagnosis they could come up with was multiple sclerosis). Although he could walk a bit with a cane if he had to, he was so weak he used a wheelchair most of the time.

I'm not sure how the conclusion that it was a really nasty sinus infection came about, but other than being years too late, he's made an almost complete recovery and is back to work.

[Hilary]

Snowflake, it's not that bad! I had sinus surgery done about 3 years ago. BEST thing I ever did. I had my septum straightened, polyps removed from ALL sinuses and my turbinate bones reduced. A lot of stuff going on.

Recovery was mildly uncomfortable, and was mildly gross - but there was no "massive blood clots" running anywhere. Removing the packing took about 5 seconds and I was led to believe it would be "the grossest thing ever" . Um, no, hoof abcesses are far worse! If you deal with horses on a regular basis, this is sort of fascinating gross and you've probably seen far worse. Besides, how bad could 5 seconds be - it was over before I could get grossed out.

Take your pain meds as prescribed, and you sleep sitting propped up for a couple of days, and you can't breathe through your nose. But I couldn't breathe through my nose before the surgery so it wasn't any different!

the worse pain was that the roof of my mouth hurt right behind my front teeth for a while, and I would feel weird pressures in my head if I put my head below my waist, and once in a while my nose will buzz if I have a cold and talk loudly.

No heavy lifting for 2-3 weeks. I stayed home from work for a week - the anesthesia knocked me for more of a loop than the nose.

The relief you feel when they take out the packing? Makes it worth every moment of discomfort and every gross bit.

I lost my sense of taste for about 3 weeks, but it came back.

No big black eyes either - a couple of small bruises.

[Simkie]

Recovery was mildly uncomfortable, and was mildly gross - but there was no "massive blood clots" running anywhere. Removing the packing took about 5 seconds and I was led to believe it would be "the grossest thing ever" . Um, no, hoof abcesses are far worse! If you deal with horses on a regular basis, this is sort of fascinating gross and you've probably seen far worse. Besides, how bad could 5 seconds be - it was over before I could get grossed out.


I removed my OWN packing, and I would not recommend it. Lots of blood and bone chips in the sink.

Sinus surgery really improved my life, though!

[Romany]

Our pharmacist steered us well clear of sudafed et al, but directed us towards Aerius, which is an antihistamine.

I generally find stuff like sudafed makes me feel slightly stoned, but I'm not aware of any side effects from Aerius when I take it for sinus infections. It also worked effectively and rapidly for a friend with allergies.

Wear a scarf or one of those trendy bandana thingies they wear on Survivor - can't remember what they're called, but they're great for lightweight facial coverups!

And put a humidifier in your bedroom beside your bed, hang the laundry on a drying rack to dry in the house vs using the tumble drier, etc; anything to keep up the humidity in the house will give your sinuses relief. Again, according to our stellar pharmacist. :)

[Inuktik]

Hi Snowflake,

ER nurse here and finally found an ENT to operate on my nose, after 30 years of allergies and chronic sinusitis problems. Had 4 ENTs previously throughout the years refuse to operate on me because I also was a daily Dristan user, not because I wanted to use it, but mainly to deal with the sinus pressure and to breathe. Actually one of the ENT docs shook his finger at me and said, "It's people like you that make me wish this stuff was behind the counter, you're an addict." Needless to say, I did not see him again. There finally was a young, nonjudgemental ENT doc who is trained in Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery, or Computer Assisted Sinus Surgery who operated on me this past August. I was on the OR table for over 4 hours as he found alot more infection than he was expecting,full deviated septum repair, bone spurs removed, diseased bone removed, and sinus's stripped. I had silastic stents and packing in for 9 days. The regime was meds and daily sinus rinses, along with using a cool mist humidifier at night. Ice bags over the eyes and forehead were really comforting. I actually requested a mild anxiolytic to aid with sleep until I had the stents out. There was no bruising and only minimal swelling. My recovery time was 6 weeks till back to work, about 11 till I was feeling completely like myself, or even better as not having to deal with a chronic infection. There will be some clots. I had some doozies, but the post op care instructions should help. If you would like any more info, please feel free to PM me. Everyone else, sorry that this turned into such a long post, just wanting to provide some reassurance that she is doing the right thing. All the best Snowflake.

[CallMeGrace]

Hi Snowflake,

ER nurse here and finally found an ENT to operate on my nose, after 30 years of allergies and chronic sinusitis problems. Had 4 ENTs previously throughout the years refuse to operate on me because I also was a daily Dristan user, not because I wanted to use it, but mainly to deal with the sinus pressure and to breathe. Actually one of the ENT docs shook his finger at me and said, "It's people like you that make me wish this stuff was behind the counter, you're an addict." Needless to say, I did not see him again. There finally was a young, nonjudgemental ENT doc who is trained in Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery, or Computer Assisted Sinus Surgery who operated on me this past August. I was on the OR table for over 4 hours as he found alot more infection than he was expecting,full deviated septum repair, bone spurs removed, diseased bone removed, and sinus's stripped. I had silastic stents and packing in for 9 days. The regime was meds and daily sinus rinses, along with using a cool mist humidifier at night. Ice bags over the eyes and forehead were really comforting. I actually requested a mild anxiolytic to aid with sleep until I had the stents out. There was no bruising and only minimal swelling. My recovery time was 6 weeks till back to work, about 11 till I was feeling completely like myself, or even better as not having to deal with a chronic infection. There will be some clots. I had some doozies, but the post op care instructions should help. If you would like any more info, please feel free to PM me. Everyone else, sorry that this turned into such a long post, just wanting to provide some reassurance that she is doing the right thing. All the best Snowflake.

Oh, your story is so like mine! When I finally found the "right" doctor, he looked at me aghast and said "don't EVER get so bad again!!!". What a joy to wake up every morning able to breathe, to be able to fly somewhere without crying in pain, and to be able to smell and taste again. Yes, the descriptions of recovery sound awful, but I am trying to give you a little description of why it's worth it! Inuktik's post is very true. Chronic infection is a systemic disease - in other words, it makes you feel like s*** ALL OVER, not just in your head. You will appreciate this when it's all over.

[nightsong]

I had CHRONIC sinusitis until my doctor taught me to drink hot liquids. The sinus passages are just above the roof of the mouth so the HEAT melts the gunk in them, allowing drainage. That way, the stuff doesn't sit around and get infected.