Sinuses clogged when sleeping causing sleep interruption

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ewhaley1@comcast.net - 14 Aug 2006 00:00 GMT

My sister's sleeping problem is driving ME crazy. She has for the last
several years been unable to sleep through the night due to her nasal
passages swelling when she goes to sleep.
She has to get up in the middle of the night (often several times) and
"flush" her nasal passages so she can sleep.

She has been to several doctors who have not been able to appropriately

diagnose her since the symptoms do not present themselves during the
day ( her nose does not swell so much it closes off her breathing) - so

she continues to "suffer"

Now she tells me she recently went to another doctor and may have an
"Autoimmune" disease?

Is this ringing a bell with anyone out there or is she still in need of

finding a doctor who knows what they are doing (one doctor told her
it was in her head - - I can tell you, unless some alien abducted her
in the middle of the nite - -she does not have "head" problems, other
than this sinus swelling at night.)

She is white,50 years old, has a intermittent history of asthma in her
childhood that she grew out of - so other than the usual cold and
upper respiratory infections from time to time - -no other allergies or

symptoms she has told me about.
She is my sister and I am not sure what advice to give her - - but my
instincts are telling me this new doctor is setting off in an entirely
new direction and I wonder if this is possible?

I have been Searching for possible connections with this kind of
symptom and autoimmune diseases and have not come across anything yet?

If anyone out there has any ideas I would be interested in them

Thanks,
- racking my brains in new england

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Don Brady - 14 Aug 2006 03:28 GMT

>My sister's sleeping problem is driving ME crazy. She has for the last
>several years been unable to sleep through the night due to her nasal
>passages swelling when she goes to sleep.

>She has to get up in the middle of the night (often several times) and
>"flush" her nasal passages so she can sleep.

She might be flushing too much. People should not need to flush at all
(whatever it means). I mean maybe ot helps but maybe not.

She can try a steroid spray.

By the way your title shows that you may not know what sinuses are - that's ok,
most people don't. You do not breathe through your sinuses.

>She has been to several doctors who have not been able to appropriately
>
>diagnose her since the symptoms do not present themselves during the
>day ( her nose does not swell so much it closes off her breathing)

If she can still breathe, why can she not sleep? Or so you mean she can still
breathe during the day but not at night?

Maybe she has a sleep problem more than a nasal one.

Try to get rid of dust etc. Try different room temperatures - warmer or
coolder. Try wearing a hat at night to keep the head warm.

>she continues to "suffer"

>Now she tells me she recently went to another doctor and may have an
>"Autoimmune" disease

You'll get that suggestion eventually if you go to enough doctors....

>finding a doctor who knows what they are doing (one doctor told her
>it was in her head - - I can tell you, unless some alien abducted her
>in the middle of the nite - -she does not have "head" problems, other
>than this sinus swelling at night.)

Actually turbinate swelling.

The problem should be manageable. Ask to try prescription Nasonex or Flonase
nasal spray.

Note: do NOT use Afrin as it is addictive.

>She is white,50 years old, has a intermittent history of asthma in her
>childhood that she grew out of - so other than the usual cold and
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>Thanks,
>- racking my brains in new england

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Steven L. - 15 Aug 2006 02:38 GMT

> My sister's sleeping problem is driving ME crazy. She has for the last
> several years been unable to sleep through the night due to her nasal
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> she continues to "suffer"

Well, here's a simple test she can perform: Have her check into a luxury
hotel far away from where you live, in a healthy seacoast community, and
stay there in a non-smoking suite for a few nights. For this
experiment, she should buy brand-new clothing to wear there because I
don't want her to bring any mold, pollen or pollutant particles from
home. If she feels better there, then we know there's something in your
local environment that is making her sick.

Let's rule out environmental causes before we go further.

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Susan - 15 Aug 2006 03:49 GMT

> Well, here's a simple test she can perform: Have her check into a luxury
> hotel far away from where you live, in a healthy seacoast community, and
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Let's rule out environmental causes before we go further.

If she feels better there, then it's not dust mites. I don't know how
much further you can go.

Hotels have mold, virii, bacteria and dust and pollen in their ductwork,
too, smoking room or not.

Susan

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Larry Fletcher - 16 Aug 2006 19:12 GMT

> > My sister's sleeping problem is driving ME crazy. She has for the last
> > several years been unable to sleep through the night due to her nasal
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> > day ( her nose does not swell so much it closes off her breathing) - so
> > she continues to "suffer"

> Well, here's a simple test she can perform: Have her check into a luxury
> hotel far away from where you live, in a healthy seacoast community, and
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> home. If she feels better there, then we know there's something in your
> local environment that is making her sick.

> Let's rule out environmental causes before we go further.

Another way to test this is to buy some pollen masks at a drug
store. Just wear the mask while you are sleeping for a few days
and see if it helps.

When I found out I was allergic to dust mites I tried this while
I was waiting for the mattress covers, etc. to come in the mail.

I think the pollen masks made more of difference than the mattress
covers, but you can't wear them indefinitely because moisture under
the mask will eventually cause skin problems.

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judy.n - 16 Aug 2006 20:34 GMT

This is a weird coincidence, but my almost 50 year old sister has a
terrible time sleeping due to nasal congestion and post nasal drip.
She's been skin tested at Kaiser Permante and came up negative. She has
had chronic sinusitis for 7-8 years. She did get sinus surgery about 2
years ago, despite "negative CT" and is somewhat better--but just told
me she's infected again.
She got a lot of relief from Astelin. She also uses rhinocort AQ and
irrigates--her ENT told her three times a day, but after reading the
sinus FAQ's, I think she cut back.
Despite the negative allergy tests: they were not an extensive panel
of skin tests, she removed her bedroom carpets, covered her bedding,
got a HEPA filter etc. She does have a dog, who sleeps on the floor.
Despite all this, she still has a rough time at night.
Judy

> > > My sister's sleeping problem is driving ME crazy. She has for the last
> > > several years been unable to sleep through the night due to her nasal
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
> covers, but you can't wear them indefinitely because moisture under
> the mask will eventually cause skin problems.

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Susan - 16 Aug 2006 20:49 GMT

> This is a weird coincidence, but my almost 50 year old sister has a
> terrible time sleeping due to nasal congestion and post nasal drip.
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> got a HEPA filter etc. She does have a dog, who sleeps on the floor.
> Despite all this, she still has a rough time at night.

Just my recent discovery that completely determines whether or not I get
congested at night: If you have a bathroom connecting to your bedroom,
and the other methods haven't resolved the problem, try sponge mopping
the walls, ceilings, floors, doors, etc. with a bleach solution, and
spraying with same once or twice weekly. This includes daily spraying
inside the shower, walls, floor, inside of door or curtain, etc. daily
after bathing.

If I start to fee stuffy, I get up and mop and or spray my bathroom, and
the congestion disappears.

Susan <already has dust mite proofed bedroom>

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Steven L. - 18 Aug 2006 23:09 GMT

> This is a weird coincidence, but my almost 50 year old sister has a
> terrible time sleeping due to nasal congestion and post nasal drip.
> She's been skin tested at Kaiser Permante and came up negative. She has
> had chronic sinusitis for 7-8 years.

It's time for my standard question: Can your sister recall how her
sinusitis first got started? Was it after a bad cold or flu? Did she
change her lifestyle in any way (new home, new job, home remodeling, etc.?)

> She did get sinus surgery about 2
> years ago, despite "negative CT" and is somewhat better--but just told
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> got a HEPA filter etc. She does have a dog, who sleeps on the floor.
> Despite all this, she still has a rough time at night.

What about outdoor pollutants? When you visit her, do you think the air
is polluted there? I have two standard recommendations to determine if
air pollution may be the cause:

1. Check the pollution level in her neighborhood at www.scorecard.org.
That website will also show where the specific polluting culprits are
in her neighborhood, and whether she lives close to any of them.

2. Let her live elsewhere (nice resort area) for a few nights and see
if her nose opens up.

What I have noticed again and again on this NG, is that people are
having trouble not with allergens in their home but with pollution
coming into their home from outside the home. For example, somebody who
lives on a busy street with buses and trucks belching diesel fumes all
day and night shouldn't be surprised if they have sinus problems. And
at night, the mucus builds up in the respiratory tract, rather than
draining and being swallowed, so you're more conscious of it.

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judy.n - 19 Aug 2006 13:15 GMT

Steven,
Her initial sinusitis occured with the flu during a flight from
Hawaii. Prior to that episode, she didn't get sinus infections.
She lives in the Bay area, and her neighborhood is quite polluted ,
moldy and full of plant allergens. I have trouble when I visit my
family in California due to the molds--because they don't heat--and the
pollution in the city and the particulate in my parents' house in
Sonoma county, because they insist on using a wood stove. (I always get
an infection, and had my first asthma attack there.)
She has made many attempts to find a better location: she goes to the
desert and higher elevations and feels better.
The bus issue is pertinent to her as her street has a major bus run
behind her back fence.
She is an artist who would have financial difficulty moving, but her
sinus disease is running her life.
She works with her ENT at Kaiser to treat her infections, and did a
trial of topical amphotericin via her internist.
Didn't you move to improve your health?
I know she would do better in a less polluted environment.
Personally, I live near but not on the water: so I get the mold
without the view. Our kids will both be in college within the week, and
we're looking at moving. When I look at houses, they need to have no
carpets, be dry--very few make the grade.
Judy
She did recently improve the windows in her house, remove the carpets
and get a HEPA filter.

> > This is a weird coincidence, but my almost 50 year old sister has a
> > terrible time sleeping due to nasal congestion and post nasal drip.
[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]
> Email: sdlitvin@earthlinkNOSPAM.net
> Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me.

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