Good points.
One problem that some people can have is that the indoor temperature is kept
too warm.
I think nose hairs are supposed to screen some of bacteria out but they
"paralyze" if too dried out and don't work well.

Believe this or not
http://www.nethealthbook.com/nasaldischargewithpus.html
Nasal discharge with pus
(rhinosinusitis)

It has been assumed that a pussy discharge would always be bacterial and a more
watery nasal discharge viral. Studies have shown a different picture. Many times
severe acute rhinitis that obviously is infectious, is actually viral when
evidence based medical studies are done. Ref. 3 give an overview from a group of
emergency medicine physicians who have reviewed the evidence based literature.

First they found that isolated rhinitis and sinusitis does not exist. Any upper
respiratory infection starts in the nose and simultaneously affects the sinuses
as well, but the sinuses are only really sympotomatic in the moderate and more
severe forms of the rhinosinusitis (that's the name they used in this article).

Pussy rhinitis or rhinosinusitis is one of the 10 most common diagnoses in the
office setting. 25 million Americans in the U.S. see their physician at he
office every year. Patients call any nose infection that leads to facial
fullness and a plugged up feeling "sinusitis". Physicians call "sinusitis" the
condition that leads to an accumulation of secretions ("purulent effusion") in
the sinus cavity with upper toothache on one side only or extreme one-sided
facial pain with a high fever.

This latter more narrow definition of sinusitis has a higher likelihood of being
the bacterial sinusitis as dealt with under sinusitis. All other cases of pussy
nasal discharge from both nostrils, particularly within the first 7 days of a
cold or rhinosinusitis is usually viral when the appropriate viral studies are
done and sinus punctures with cultures were done in evidence based trials
(reviewed in Ref. 3).

Only less than 2% of all viral upper respiratory tract infections are
complicated by bacterial rhinosinusitis! As most people do not see their
physician about every cold, only 15% are seen in doctors' offices or
walk-in-clinics. According to Ref.3, if all patients with bacterial infections
were seeing their physicians only about 13% of patients seen by the physician
should receive antibiotic treatment. However, close to 100% of those patients
receive antibiotic therapy. This has created the problem of resistant bacterial
strains as bacteria learn how to chew up antibiotics, if they are exposed long
enough.

Symptoms:

So, who should get antibiotics? Only those how have a high probability of having
true bacterial rhinosinusitis. I have summarized the answer to this question
from data provided in Ref.3 for you in this table

Who should get antibiotics?
Bacterial rhinosinusitis symptoms:
Comments:

pussy discharge from only one nostril
viral infection mostly in both nostrils
gnawing pain in cheek bone on one side          usually associated with pus in
maxillary sinus cavity
upper toothache on one side                                        irritation of
nerve root from sinusitis infection
one sided facial pain present more than 10 days into cold  most viral infections
heal within 10 to 14 days
CT scan, ultrasound or plain X-rays show sinus fluid level  infection
accumulates secretions in sinuses, but viruses can cause this too

high fever restarts after a period of normal temperature    the second fever
usually indicates the start of the bacterial superinfection

poor response to decongestants (Sinutab etc.)      bacterial superinfection
leads to swelling of mucous membranes and blockage

However, if three of the symptoms listed in the table above are positive at
7days, there is a probability of 80 to 90% that the diagnosis of bacterial
rhinosinusitis is correct. For this condition antibiotic therapy is reasonable.
However, as mentioned above, this would only be for about 2% of the total cold
population (about 13 to 15% of the population seen by the physician). If in
doubt at 7 days into the cold, a nasal swab could be taken to see if pathogenic
bacteria can be isolated in the laboratory.

Treatment:

The vast majority of patients who do not fulfil the criteria above would simply
inhale with hot steam as described under sinusitis to moisturize the airways and
facilitate a spontaneous recovery from the illness.

Otrivin nasal solution is also a useful measure to keep the nasal passages open.
The other 2 to 3% of the total cold population would need amoxicillin, or if the
bactrium is resistant in the region where the patient lives (or based on proven
culture and sensitivity testing) another antibiotic would be prescribed by the
physician. Placebo studies have shown that those who do not get antibiotics have
a recovery rate of about 56%, whereas those on amoxicillin for 10 days had a
response rate of about 89%, only a 35% advantage. This is due to a dilution
factor, because a large portion of the study was likely still viral in origin
(Ref.3), hence the good response in the placebo group.

Disclaimer:

This outline is only a teaching aid to patients and should stimulate you to ask
the right questions when seeing your doctor. However, the responsibility of
treatment stays in the hands of your doctor and you.

References:

1. James Chin et al., Editors: Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, 17th
edition, 2000, American Public Health Association.
2. Behrman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 16th ed., 2000, W. B. Saunders
Company
3. J M Hickner et al. Ann Emerg Med 37(6): 703-710. June 2001.
4. Noble: Textbook of Primary Care Medicine, 3rd ed.,2001 Mosby, Inc.
5. Abeloff: Clinical Oncology, 2nd ed.,2000,Churchill Livingstone, Inc.
6. Ferri: Ferri's Clinical Advisor: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment, 2004 ed.,
Copyright © 2004 Mosby, Inc.
7. Rakel: Conn's Current Therapy 2004, 56th ed., Copyright © 2004 Elsevier

This area of Virginia is one of the highest allergy/pollen/mold/mildew areas
in North America. It's a terrible place for asthmatics to live.

I think our damp winters are not cold enough to kill the germs. We've had
weird weather this year but it's also been cloudy most of the time so no one
can actually enjoy the warmer temps. Today was sunny with a high of 44F/10+C
and with a warm top I didn't need a jacket until the wind blew and then I
froze. I had to run an errand so I kept my coat in the car (just in case)
but most of the time I didn't need it. What I wanted was my warm fur trapper
hat on my head to protect my ears - then I would have looked like a freak!

Dec was more like Jan around here and Jan is acting more like late Feb.
Wonder if Feb will be warm or will we go back to freezing our butts off
again? At least it has been cool enough to keep the trees from budding. I do
have some dandelions blooming. I know they are weeds but how do you kill
something that smiles so brightly when everything else looks so blah?
Bev

ah yes, the allergy, I'd forgotten about that. What's things doing down there?
Z said lots of people having allergy problems due to weird mild winter weather.
Things are sprouting long before they're supposed to.

He'll learn if there's no dishes. Hide some clean ones for u ;
( ( ( Bev ) ) ) Hope you feel better soon.
J

In the fall I am plagued with an allergy that seems to be linked to
harvesting the peanuts around here. I wind up with terrible sinus infections
if I'm not careful.

I rarely ever catch a cold unless a 2 year old sneezes right into my face
and since I'm not working my chances for that has decreased tremendously. (I
am such a compulsive hand washer.) But flu? I think it has been about 8
years since I had the flu.

But if I get sick - I seem to get sicker than anyone around here. And then
it takes me forever to get better.

Today I actually feel like a human being again instead of the zombie I was.
I'm not 100% better and I do feel compromised, as if I could pick up some
other germ very easily. So as you say, hiding out from the world and still
taking care of myself is my only priority for right now. My energy level is
low and my house is ......OMG! Today my only attempt is going to be dishes.
I don't think there is a single, clean fork, cup or plate in the house.
Thank goodness I have a dishwasher! Hubby should have switched to paper
plates and plastic forks but didn't. (And of course he never seems to know
how to use any appliance in this house!)
Bev

in theory, someone who has lupus (or autoimmune) has a ramped up immune system
and gets less infections and colds (if not on immune suppressing medications).

You've been getting these several times/year and the story is always similar.
Maybe your doctor's right about layering others' colds on you.
Most colds run their course in a week or 10 days, no need for antibiotics, but
you seem to get hit especially hard. maybe there's been sinus damage?

A friend of mine's similar to you, she gets sick, she doesn't stop, colds go
'round and 'round in her family and friends and neighbors. It's been that way
for them for many years.

When I've gotten a cold (not for many years now), I'd lock the world out (keep
other potentially sick people away) and take care of me. And keep my hands away
from my eyes, nose and mouth.
It's worked for me for years now and just the way I like it, because colds and
cough medicines and sinus medicines made me feel sicker, so I got fed up and
dealt with things differently.

PS I used to take Vit C orange flaboured and zinc lozenges when I did get
colds.
.
Hope you feel better soon and you can put a stop to this.
Hugs
J- knock wood I don't get any colds this year.

LOL

Sex = Energy  I don't have any energy.

I just don't understand why I'm not getting better faster. How long am I
going to stay so darn dragged down? Is the lupus behind this in some way? I
know that is a rhetorical question.
Bev

I'm sorry you're feeling so lousy Bev.
Chicken soup?
sex sometimes clears out the sinuses. :p
gargle warm water and salt for sore throat.
Yes, a person can do severe damage drinking too much water.

Sorry you'll have to go to court.
Hope you feel better soon.
J

Hello Everyone.

I've been sick as a dog since about the 3rd of the month. It started with
the old "I don't feel so great" routine and by that night I had a 103F temp
and my ears hurt. The next few days were a blur except that my daughter kept
stopping in to check on me. I went to the doctor on the 9th and he gave me
an antibiotic and some other stuff. Throat was dry and raw but
didn't/doesn't really hurt except when swallowing and I had an itchy rash
across my chest (maybe from the Motrin my daughter kept giving me to keep
the fever down to a reasonable 101?) and a nasty cough. Then I had the
granddaughter here Sunday - Monday (15th- 16th) and I took her to her doctor
as she had a sore throat, stuffy nose and a cough. (Mom had to work,
step-father away on a business trip and the kids were off from school.) The
17th my husband had a routine colonoscopy. So I had to be well enough to
drive him home and that was on the other side of the metropolis where we
live, about an hour's drive. So here I was still dog sick with him in a
germy hospital. I'm not saying the hospital is not clean but I think that
doctor's offices and hospitals are about the germiest places I know. They
could not complete the colonoscopy on my husband as they could not get the
scope in very far. So now he has to return next week for a barium test. They
did say they saw nothing just couldn't make the turn in the intestine with
the scope.  Wed. (18th) I'm back at the doctor's office for me. Fever
dropped to low grade but still feeling like I'd been dragged through the
dirt for a few miles. Throat was no better, glands swollen and I could
barely walk as my ligament/tendons/muscles in groin and legs were killing
me. You would have thought I'd just done a 100 deep knee bends. If a chair
didn't have arms I couldn't stand up. Think about that - potties don't come
with arms. LOL And cold symptoms along with a nasty case of diarrhea (maybe
from the antibiotic?). Okay, now I had the doctor stumped. He swore he was
trying very hard to wave his magic wand over me and fix my problems but it
wasn't working. He gave me a low dose Sudafed - dangerous Rx for me with BP
problems. So it is take BP and then take Sudafed. So far so good. He called
me late Fri night to make sure I was going to survive this weekend. His
thought is that I layered my granddaughter's cold on top of my already
compromised physical condition. So rather than taking more antibiotics he
just wants me to stay on the Sudafed and Musinex , cough med, Pedialyte plus
take steamy showers and stay in bed and if I have to I can use a saline
solution for my nasal passages. He wants me back in there either Mon or
Tues. I have no energy. The Sudafed is drying my mouth and throat and I
think that is keeping my throat raw. I'm drinking so much water he thinks I
got my electrolytes out of balance thus the leg pains. The good news is I've
lost 10 pounds the last time I checked.

Life does go on so in the wee hours of Sat (21st) morning  I am awake and I
hear this strange noise. I'm thinking "what the heck are our neighbors
doing?" (Doesn't everyone have at least one neighbor like that?) So I looked
out the window but then realized that it wasn't them it was on the street
and it was a drunk driver hitting cars. I grabbed the phone and dialed 911
and told them. I hollered to my sleeping husband that our car was about to
be hit - as if his being awake was going to prevent it? Was my superhero
going to leap from our second story window and stop the on-coming vehicle
and save out poor little Ford Escort? LOL With the phone still in my hand I
went down the stairs with adrenalin speed and out onto the porch just in
time to see our neighbor's car being shoved within a few feet of our Escort
before coming to a stop. The drunk then backed up and drove away but I got
his license plate and told the cops where he went. Yep, they got him but he
managed to wipe out 4 cars on our street - just not ours this time. Since
I'm the only one in the neighborhood who actually saw the cars being hit
guess who will be subpoenaed to court?

Oh, and my clothes dryer has to be replaced - it's in bad shape. Washing
machine is not far behind it. They are both old. That's okay as I'm too sick
to do laundry anyway.
((Hugs to everyone!))
Bev