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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Sinusitis / May 2005What can I do/how long should I wait?
I had sinus/head ache problems starting about six years ago, it got progressively worse. I sought help and was told I had a deviated septum, so I had a septoplasty operation 18 months ago. Still my sinus is often painful. I had been smoking for about 14 years and tried to quit about 3 years ago (I am 34 years old), I quit for a total of about a year (failed) and then I completely quit 18 months ago. I feel headaches/muggy headed mostly around/under/behind my left eye less so on the right. I am frequently tired. Still I have a slight wheeze/asthma, I am occasionally coughing mucus and tar, but mostly my nose and throat are too dry. Occasionally I get a pin prick pain at the back of my throat on the left. I went back to my GP a number of times and got some anti biotics, I also went back to the surgeon concerning the sinuses but he was dismissive saying the operation was a success and he would not make any other comment. An accupunturist said my pulse was weak and I was not getting nutrition from my food and suggested exercise and echinacha which I took for a while. I do not know what to do other than rest and eat well, I try to get exercise but I do not have much stamina and need prolonged rest after any exercise. Approx how long (if ever) will I take to recover from these symptoms? Which ones are exaserbated by smoking and how long after quiting before these fade ? Thanks. After I suffered with multiple sinus infections, year after year, for decades, I experimented with flooding my nasal passages with an anti-infective mixture that could kill germs and infection, without killing me. I found a safe way, for me, to keep my forehead pointed down, for a few minutes, with my nasal passages flooded with a mixture of diluted 3% hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and kosher salt. Sinus flooding not only killed my sinus infection, but also has kept myself infection free, without having to use antibiotics. . I have now been sinus infection free for over 3 years. I think that my chronic infection problems were associated with my turbinates, so the anti-infective mixture worked very well, for me, since the infected areas were fairly easy to reach. . Here is the link to the detailed documentation of the "Upside Down Sinus Flooding: http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-upsidedown . . "If you save one life, it is as though you save the entire world" > I had sinus/head ache problems starting about six years ago, it got > progressively worse. I sought help and was told I had a deviated [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Thanks. >. I sought help and was told I had a deviated >septum, so I had a septoplasty operation 18 months ago. Septoplasty is a very limited operation and I might well not resolve problems in the sinuses. >Still my sinus >is often painful. I had been smoking for about 14 years and tried to [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >and got some anti biotics, I also went back to the surgeon concerning >the sinuses but he was dismissive saying the operation was a success Well it probably was a success in fixing the septal deviation. But you may have problems deeper in the sinuses. You cannot assume that every ENT can deal with all forms of sinus disease. I would get a second opinion at a major University medical center from a sinus specialist. >and he would not make any other comment. An accupunturist said my pulse >was weak and I was not getting nutrition from my food and suggested >exercise and echinacha which I took for a while. I do not know what to >do other than rest and eat well, I try to get exercise but I do not >have much stamina and need prolonged rest after any exercise. In that case you should see a good internist (specialist in internal medicine) and get a thorough workup for heart, thyroid, lungs, anemia etc. You need to determine specific causes. >Approx >how long (if ever) will I take to recover from these symptoms? Which >ones are exaserbated by smoking and how long after quiting before these >fade ? We do not know in an individual case whjat the relationship to past smoking is. It is better to approach them as individual problems. >>. I sought help and was told I had a deviated >>septum, so I had a septoplasty operation 18 months ago. [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > and get a thorough workup for heart, thyroid, lungs, anemia etc. You need to > determine specific causes. Before doing a possible wild goose chase for something as vague as fatigue, I think Occam's Razor suggests that we start with the most straightforward theory: He may still have sinus problems that the septoplasty didn't cure, and we know that chronic sinusitis can be fatiguing. So ruling out chronic sinusitis is job one before looking for a zillion other causes of his fatigue.  SignatureSteven D. Litvintchouk Email: sdlitvin@earthlinkNOSPAM.net Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me. >Before doing a possible wild goose chase for something as vague as >fatigue, I think Occam's Razor suggests that we start with the most >straightforward theory: He may still have sinus problems that the >septoplasty didn't cure, and we know that chronic sinusitis can be >fatiguing. So ruling out chronic sinusitis is job one before looking >for a zillion other causes of his fatigue. All I suggested was a thorough checkup by an internist. My opinion is that anyone suffering from fatigue should do that, even if they can guess at a specfic cause. Even if a sinus infection is one contributing factor, there could be others as well that could be missed. Fatigue can be a symptom of some quite serious conditions. > I had sinus/head ache problems starting about six years ago, it got > progressively worse. I sought help and was told I had a deviated [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > the sinuses but he was dismissive saying the operation was a success > and he would not make any other comment. First of all, I congratulate you on quitting smoking. Your chances of curing your respiratory problems are now much better. Good for you! I assume your surgeon did a CT scan of your sinuses? If so, get a second opinion from another ENT. Take the CT scan films to him. While you had the septoplasty since the CT scan was done, it can at least show this new ENT what your sinuses looked like at the time. He may order up a second CT scan now. The simple septoplasty you had may not fix your sinuses if there is more extensive sinus disease already in there. A major teaching hospital is where you should look for a second ENT. If you tell us where you live, perhaps we could recommend someone. SignatureSteven D. Litvintchouk Email: sdlitvin@earthlinkNOSPAM.net Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me. > First of all, I congratulate you on quitting smoking. Your chances of > curing your respiratory problems are now much better. Good for you! [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me. Yes, when I went back to the hospital they did a scan, but the ENT specialist did not tell me anything new. I am in the south west of England. Something I did not mention is that I get some relief from the irritation near the eye by blinking my eyes in a particular way, does this sound like a symptom associated with sinusitis or could it be something else? >Yes, when I went back to the hospital they did a scan, but the ENT >specialist did not tell me anything new. I am in the south west of >England. Something I did not mention is that I get some relief from the >irritation near the eye by blinking my eyes in a particular way, does >this sound like a symptom associated with sinusitis or could it be >something else? I would not be sure that irritation of that nature would be associated with sinusitis. Have you seen an opthalmologist? Incidentally, if your eyes are bulging, that could eb a symptom of hyperthyroidism. >>Yes, when I went back to the hospital they did a scan, but the ENT >>specialist did not tell me anything new. I am in the south west of [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Incidentally, if your eyes are bulging, that could eb a symptom of > hyperthyroidism. It can also be a sign of a mucocele in an ethmoid sinus that has grown to the point that it is starting to invade the eye socket. We've had at least one poster on this NG that had that problem. SignatureSteven D. Litvintchouk Email: sdlitvin@earthlinkNOSPAM.net Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me. I don't think I have hyperthytoidism. I have not seen an opthalmologist. I do not have any serious problems with my eyes or swelling. I do have some dark patches on my skin below the eyes. I am quite sure that there is some kind of restriction/swelling/growth in the left sinus. When I give my nose a good blow it feels as though there is only a small hole in one of the passage ways close to the eyes, also the sound is different more like a motor boat engine that will not start, than the classic elephant like sound. >It can also be a sign of a mucocele in an ethmoid sinus that has grown >to the point that it is starting to invade the eye socket. We've had at >least one poster on this NG that had that problem. That's a good point Steven - I think that he should be sure to get a satisfactory investigation and diagnosis of that symptom. What should I say to my GP? >What should I say to my GP? Since the firat ENT was dismissive of your problems, and th ey appear to affect your eye when you move it, you could ask your GP for a referral to another ENT for a second opinion. I know you are in England which probable requires your GP to authorize any referrals. Perhaps some U.K. readers can comment on how to get around such requirements. Dr. Grossan, if you read this, do you have any suggestions? >>What should I say to my GP? > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Perhaps some U.K. readers can comment on how to get around such requirements. Or perhaps some UK readers would be able to point us toward a website that explains how the NHS deals with such things, so that we can add that to the FAQ. SignatureSteven D. Litvintchouk Email: sdlitvin@earthlinkNOSPAM.net Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me. Antibiotics are worse for your respiratory tract than smoking (compare East & West Germany) and have also been shown to increase the risk of cancer (breast) to the same extent that smoking increases lung cancer. Woody |
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