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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Sinusitis / March 2005Anyone explain post-viral inflammation condition?
This is partly related to my other post, and is something I am confused about.. Whenever I get a bad cold virus these days, even if I have no evident sinus infection afterwards (as used to happen a few years ago), it takes a long time - often 3 or 4 weeks - for me to be able to breathe normally. There's not much in the way of discharge, it just feels like general inflammation of the membranes of my sinuses. This would be quite logical and understandable, except that I don't recall this happening years ago before I encountered sinus problems. My sinuses in general are OK these days aside from this irritating pattern. Any ideas why this is happening or how I can reduce it without using sprays? I irrigate with saline solution each day. Thanks in advance, TAS >This is partly related to my other post, and is something I am confused >about.. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >takes a long time - often 3 or 4 weeks - for me to be able to breathe >normally. You do not breathe through your sinuses. You breathe through your nose only. Probably the turbinates have gradually swollen over the years. >There's not much in the way of discharge, it just feels like >general inflammation of the membranes of my sinuses. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > >TAS >>Whenever I get a bad cold virus these days, even if I have no evident >>sinus infection afterwards (as used to happen a few years ago), it >>takes a long time - often 3 or 4 weeks - for me to be able to breathe >>normally. >You do not breathe through your sinuses. You breathe through your nose only. >Probably the turbinates have gradually swollen over the years. I can breathe fine when I'm healthy / haven't had a virus for a while, so would there be any reason why the turbinates would react so acutely post-virus now, whereas they didn't a few years ago? > This is partly related to my other post, and is something I am confused > about.. > Whenever I get a bad cold virus these days, even if I have no evident > sinus infection afterwards (as used to happen a few years ago), it > takes a long time - often 3 or 4 weeks - for me to be able to breathe > normally. There's not much in the way of discharge, it just feels like > general inflammation of the membranes of my sinuses. It could be a low-grade infection. > This would be quite logical and understandable, except that I don't > recall this happening years ago before I encountered sinus problems. > My sinuses in general are OK these days aside from this irritating > pattern. > Any ideas why this is happening or how I can reduce it without using > sprays? I assume you mean steriod sprays. Try using a near 100% saline solution in a metered spray bottle. Just use one spray in each side 3 or 4 times a day. It will sting for about 3 seconds, but it will also stimulate your immune system to attack the infection. > I irrigate with saline solution each day. Daily irrigation just provides a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus. Try irrigating 2 or 3 times a week. Another thing that might help is the CanDo upside down method. Or use a little peroxide when you irrigate, but don't use the peroxide more than 3 or 4 times a month. Using it all of the time in the sinuses is counterproductive, because dries out the tissues. Normal sinuses are not too moist or too dry. > > This is partly related to my other post, and is something I am confused > > about.. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > 3 or 4 times a day. It will sting for about 3 seconds, but it will > also stimulate your immune system to attack the infection. I mean oxymetazoline sprays. I know you're not supposed to use them for too long, but they get me out of jail, and enable me to work as normal rather than be driven insane by 'cement in head' feelings. As soon as I'm back to normal, I stop using it, and then I'm fine all the way until I get my next cold or flu type thing, which if a heavy one, results in the same annoying condition afterwards. I'll take your advice re. saline spray. > > I irrigate with saline solution each day. > > Daily irrigation just provides a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus. > Try irrigating 2 or 3 times a week. I didn't know that. Interesting, is this well known advice? I've been irrigating daily for a couple of years. It's helped me greatly but I didn't know it shouldn't be a daily thing. I often skip days these days as my sinuses are pretty normal, fortunately. Many thanks for your help - TAS >> > I irrigate with saline solution each day. >> >> Daily irrigation just provides a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus. >> Try irrigating 2 or 3 times a week. > I didn't know that. Interesting, is this well known advice? I've seen it mentioned directly or indirectly a few times on this newsgroup. About 10 years ago I had a sinus infection that lingered for a couple of months, so I finally ended up seeing an old doctor that was just about to retire. He prescribed antibiotics and a decongestant. I said I thought antibiotics didn't work for viruses and that I had heard decongestants shouldn't be used either. He then told me that a virus had probably weakened my immune system and that I now had a bacterial infection and bacteria thrived in a moist environment. This made sense to me and after a week or so the problem was gone. My guess is that the decongestants alone would have cured the infection by reducing the bacterial load enough to let my immune system do it's job. Since then I have used decongestants instead of going to the doctor and they have always worked. However antibiotics, decongestants and steroids will not cure a low-grade infection, they will only relieve the symptoms temporarily. It doesn't sound like the infection is too bad, so you might not have any problems with the 100% saline spray. The spray itself will reduce swelling to some extent, but if you have any problems breathing at night try not using the spray in the evening. If that doesn't help try mixing 1 part oxymetazoline to 3 or 4 parts distilled water and just use one spray before you hit the sack. > I've been > irrigating daily for a couple of years. It's helped me greatly but I > didn't know it shouldn't be a daily thing. Irrigation helped me greatly too. But if people have to irrigate everyday something is wrong. <<top snipped>> > Irrigation helped me greatly too. But if people have to irrigate > everyday something is wrong. Thing about it is, I've got chronic sinusitis and irrigation everyday seems necessary as I believe that my cilia have mostly 'died'. I might just try the two or three times a week and see how I come out...but reading this group for well over 5 years, I recall a majority of responders irrigating daily. I know that Dr. G. will tell you to only irrigate to 'help' the cilia get back on track...but if they no longer respond, because of a chronic long term sinusitis problem, manual 'help' may be useful in my experience. ...Allen On 3/8/05 6:15 AM, in article QriXd.58021$SQ4.24061@fe1.texas.rr.com, "Allen L." <invalid@invalid.com> wrote: > <<top snipped>> > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > ...Allen You are correct, there are some persons where cilia can't return for various reasons. Here, pulsatile irrigation daily acts "in place" of normal cilia action. Don¹t forget, humming "oooommmmmmmm" is also desireable as it helps break up thick mucus. Usually if the nasal cilia are impaired, so are the chest cilia. Here humming is good too as is taking great big breaths. There is a good article in this month's Bottom Line Health monthly about getting more oxygen by deep breath. Recommend the artice. >> > Any ideas why this is happening or how I can reduce it without >using [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >results in the same annoying condition afterwards. I'll take your >advice re. saline spray. Prescription Steroid sprays (nasonex or flonase) do not have this diasdavantage and can be used indefinitely. They are not as drametic in efect as Afrin but you should use them and over time they will help your condition. |
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