Sinus Problems
 

You have my sympathies - I caught a cold back in August 2003 and the blocked nose never went away. All they tell me is that it's "allergies". There hasn't been a day since then that I haven't squirted some form of nasal unblocker up my nose.

In a fit of desperation one day, when nothing else was working, I tried eating raw horseradish sauce off a spoon to try and make my nose run. :D I get fed up of people asking me if it's hayfever - actually a walk outside in the woods helps enormously!

I'm currently using Beconase, a standard nose unblocker and black mentholyptus. I've also noticed that since I left my job in a big air conditioned office, things have been a lot better! :thumb:

Yup...same here.

Presume you don't smoke?

If you do, then stop and you'll notice some benefit.

Don't get the canals scraped as this tends to make little difference and can make things worse, have an aunt who has suffered even more since having this done.

Dairy is seen to be a big contributor so if things are that bad for you, then try cutting that out for a while.

I found exercise to be one of the best things for clearing mine, but it's catch 22 as the sinusitis saps your energy, so you lack the motivation to go out and do anything.

If it's really bad then the docs will give you antibiotics that should ease things considerably within 5 days

Cheers

Yup, quitting soon tho

Aircon is a killer for me too, Beconase works for me. My problem is that the enterances to my sunus' passages are small and they easily block up wit dirt, dust and snot (yuk i know). This causes an infection which is hell on earth!

Usually brough on by flying and airconditioned rooms. This is a bit of a pain as i travel quite a bit and stay/work in a lot of hotels, perhaps time for a career change:)

Quit 2 1/2 years ago and strangely my sinus problems have reduced to a fraction of what they used to be......

Coincidence ???

Doubt it :thumb:

You can now buy a nasal spray in Boots called STERIMAR. It's actually pure sea water and you can use it as a sinus flush, or a quick squirt as a nasal lubricant (good for when flying and against air con.). Don't use over the counter sprays like Otrivine or Vicks long term. Go to the doctor and get a proper spray. I have 'Rhinocort', which is a Budesonide spray. Also, one of the best things I found was acupuncture. That's all from nurse oldsplice for today :D

i found that cold and flu tablets really help :)

Wow you found that accupuncture helped? I tried it a couple of times (only a couple of treatments) and could feel no difference at all.

If you don't mind talking about it, how many treatments did you have before you noticed an effect? Also, how many top up treatments are needed for it to remain effective. I only ask as around here you cannot get that on NHS, so its an expensive option to just pray and hope with.

Does it help you with hayfever btw?

Sorry for all the questions. I am just interested in a natural alternative to using lots of drugs all the time. As I go through life the docs answer just seems to be to give me more and more, not really a solution if you ask me.

Sounds like Peruvian flu :p

Sudafed spray is the only thing that works for me, and it's miraculous.

i suffer with sinusitis it is a ball ache .. yeah very painful indeed .. i have tried sprays but they don't work for me .. doc offered nasal canal scraping for me too but i didn't fancy the black eyes that go with it plus i had a friend who had the procedure done and she isn't any better for it .. i find in summer I'm popping pills for hay fever and winter popping antibiotics for me sinuses .. no win situation for me .. I'm gonna look in boots for that STERIMAR thanks oldsplice anything new is worth a try :thumb:

I used to suffer with it quite badly when I was flying. The worst time was when the rapeseed was in bloom and I kne that every May I was going to have a bad time with it. I used to carry a Vick inhaler at all times.

Now I am no longer flying it seem to have subsided.

Les

I tried acupuncture in desperation, when I had been suffering really badly with rhinitis. I'm pathetic with needles, by the way, but it didn't hurt at all, and they were in my face! :eek:. It wasn't an instant relief thing, but I suddenly realised a couple of months down the line that I wasn't suffering so badly. I literally went for months without using a spray at all. I didn't have to have a lot of appointments. I can't remember how many...approx 4 I think. It was about 8 years ago. It's worth giving it a try. I'm thinking of going again for my sinuses. I've had a couple of bad infections in the last 2 years. The last one was in April....Two lots of antibiotics! :razz: You can get acupuncture on the NHS, but I'm not sure if it's for anything or just joint problems. :)

Mark = You big fairy. :lol1:

The STERIMAR spray is messy to use if you're using it as a flush....best done in private! You have to squirt it until it all runs out again :freak3: But use that first, then a proper steroid nasal spray from the docs. I think it's £5.99.

Thanks oldspice, its nice to know that you saw some result from having it done. I may give it a go if I can find some cash, or get it free :)

failing all that................stick a couple of Tampax up your nose! :lol1:

Nasacort for me!

Also helps with the drip into the back of throat causing constant irritation and pain.

Ain't medicine wonderful...!!

I suffer too. When i was recently off work for two months i was a lot better, then a week or so after being back (air con in 70's built office) i was really bad again :(

Air con is the work of the divil! :razz:

Dave :hjtwofing

Will give this a go, use something similar when i get clogged ears.

could guarantee at least one week off work every winter from chronic sinusitis when I lived in the UK, but have never had a re-occurrence since shifting to NZ.
So, there's a cure for you (maybe something to do with living upside down?)

Have you tried removing your fingers from them? :D

I'm not sure if it's the dust it circulated - or if I was allergic to a perfume or something that someone else was wearing and it just kept getting circulated past my desk. Either way, now I've left there I'm loads better - at least during the day. Haven't had a full uninterrupted nights sleep since it started :( . Am so used to it now though that when I wake up suffocating I can usually go to bathroom, use nasal spray, return to bed and refresh olbas oil soaked tissue under pillow almost without waking up properly! :)

or just came across this while stumbling round the 'net;

Forget Sudafed. An easier, quicker, and cheaper way to relieve sinus pressure is by alternately thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you’ll feel your sinuses start to drain.

... never tried it, but would be interested to hear if it works

I'm trying it now!!

Funny looks mind you.

Apologies if I'm telling you something you already know but you're probably suffering from rebound congestion that occurs with prolonged use of nasal sprays like Sinex etc.

Basically what happens is that you start taking the stuff when you have a cold but take it for longer than the suggested time and you end up with this condition where the nasal passages / sinuses become irritated by the nasal spray and become inflamed, thus blocking your nose.

Your natural reaction is to reach for the spray to unblock again. The spray works by constricting the blood vessels in your nasal passage and therefore reducing the blood flow to the tissue and consequently the inflammation too. This of course only lasts until the effects of the spray wears off and then it all swells up again. Vicious circle, see :mad:

I know 'cos I had this too and unfortunately there's really only one way to stop it and that's to go cold turkey and leave the spray alone completely. It's not very pleasant because your nose will be totally blocked for a few days but it's what you have to do if you want to break the cycle.

My only tip is to get some breath-right strips to put on your nose at night. These mechanically, rather than chemically, hold your nose open and might afford you just enough relief to get you off to sleep :)

Good luck :thumb: