OK, I’ve just come down with my second cold/sinus infection in four weeks. Throughout my life, I’ve gotten them whever the seasons change (and living in Michigan, with its fucked-up weather paterns, doesn’t help much). I almost never get them in the middle of summer or winter.
Why is this? Is there something in the atmosphere during seasonal changes that would make me sick, like a change in atmospheric pressure or humidity? Could it be caused by some undetected allergy I have (for the record, the only things I know I’m a tiny bit allergic to are dust and dust mites)? Should I just say “fuck Michigan” and move to the Bahamas when I have a bit more money???
tsarina, FWIW, I used to get KILLER sinus infections ALL THE FREAKIN’ time…until I figured out that I was allergic to milk and milk products.
Mind you, I was a woman that lived on cereal (Sugar Corn Pops, Lucky Charms, yummmmy!). I had them about 3 times a week or more for about 5 years until one week I ran out of milk and didn’t have any for a week or two. Surprise! The headaches stopped.
Now, I am very careful on limiting myself on my milk consumption and haven’t had one in a very long time.
It may be a food allergy. Can you get tested?
Also, dry air in the winter can irritate your sinuses so maybe you could sleep with one of those cool mist vaporizors or humidifiers in your room.
In Yoga, there’s a cleansing technique to keep the sinuses and the rest of the Upper Respiratory Tract clear and healthy: the** Neti Pot**.
It’s a small ceramic vessel that holds maybe 100-200 ml, with a handle and a long thin spout. You fill it with lukewarm salted water and (leaning over the sink) pour it in one nostril while breathing through the mouth. The water flows clear through your sinuses and out the other nostril. Then I fill it again and pour it in the other side. Lastly I make several short, sharp exhalations through the nose to clear out the remaining water drops. It thoroughly flushes out your sinuses and makes breathing a whole lot easier and pleasurable.
It is said to prevent sinus infections. All I can tell you is, I’ve been using it for two years and haven’t gotten a single sinus infection in all this time. It washes out snot and deprives microbes of a breeding ground
If you Google the phrase “neti pot” you will find lots of sites that sell it and explain its use.
I posted a while back about my root canal. I just had a second root canal done on the other side and both teeth had long roots that, in both cases, reached my sinuses. The infection in my upper jaw had been leaking into my sinuses and gave me sinus infections and attacks of killer bad breath. I really didn’t have much trouble with my teeth and didn’t know I had raging infections in my upper jaw until one abcess burst a swelled my cheek up. I had a red spot the size of a quarter on my cheek for years which I thought was from shaving. The dentist said tooth problems can cause all kinds of health problems elsewhere.
This may not be your problem but certainly I found out how important it is to TAKE CARE OF YOUR CHOPPERS.
I used to have a chronic (24/7-365) sinus problem until I started serious allergy treatments (8 shots a week) recently. After 3 months of treatment I feel 100% better and haven’t had a single sinus headache.
Talk to your doctor about getting tested, or at least Claritin.
Definitely take care of your teeth
You might have taken anti-biotics, and probably several times, but you really need to pursue the teeth and/or allergy options because the antibiotics are just leaving behind the strongest germs, resulting in very strong follow-up infections, which still have the conditions to thrive.
Preventative techniques are the key: Don’t give those super germs a breeding ground. Allergies and troubled teeth can contribute to these conditions.
Only very likely if you haven’t taken the entire course of antibiotics.
Tip 1: always take the entire course of antibiotics.
I vote for allergies. I’m in the media and we received a presentation from Joan Lunden last year on this very subject (she’s a bit of a shill for the drug companies, true, but what ya gonna do). She has chronic allergies (esp. to tree pollen) and it led to chronic sinus infections, eventually requiring surgery. She now takes some of those new drugs (Claritin et al.) and doesn’t suffer.
I’m prone to sinus infections and ear infections myself, and my doctor once suggested that the interior structure of my head may be the cause–specifically, that my adenoids are slightly larger than usual and are obstructing the drainage path. So infections tend to stay put once they get in there.
One thing that has helped me is using a decongestant when I have a cold, or my sinuses start bothering me. My doctor explained that there are 4 commercially availiable families of decongestants and only one of them will work for you, you have to keep trying them until you find one that works and then use the generic brands. The other problem is determining if it is your teeth or sinuses acting up. When your sinuses get infected they press on the nerves to the teeth, which can mimic toothache. I always thought I had bad teeth and it turned out to be my sinuses. My doctor also said if I continue to have them then he would recommend an operation to repair my deviated septum. At least in Canada it’s covered under medicare.
Well, people in southern Ca have this problem a lot too. Whenever the Santana winds occur in the fall, a bunch of people will simultaneous get "colds." Most of them are actually just having a reaction to the lack of humidity.
You should monitor the humidity somehow. When it gets below 30% relative humidity, you should run a VAPORIZER (I know when the humidity gets below 30% because that's right where my lips begin to chap). Don't get a humidifier. Get the cheapest VAPORIZER that you can find that puts out 1 Gal. of water every 12 hours (this is the minimum rate, don't get one that puts out anything less such as a 1 Gal. / 24 Hrs.'s---don't get that). Go to Rite Aid / Thrifty / Sav-On or whatever you have in your area. The vaporizer probably costs around $10. Close off your bedroom at night and run this vaporizer. In the day, maybe you should keep your bedroom closed off with the vaporizer running and then you should spend a lot of time in your bedroom. This vaporizer is good for keeping an area the size of a bedroom humidified.
From what I understand, when you run a heater in a closed off house, it's very easy to remove enough humidity to create Sahara like conditions. I wouldn't know because I never have to run a heater living in Southern Ca. I have no idea why you guys are living anywhere else, BTW. Move out here fast would be my suggestion. No more cold winters. Just think of it!!!! It was 69 degress today, I believe.
I used this! (well, a modified homemade variety). Before I figured out what was causing the HA’s, I had read in my Natural Living magazine about this and was desperate enough to try pouring water through my sinuses just to get rid of the HAs. Actually, it works amazingly well and its really not that bad. The salt water burns just a little at first but you can REALLY tell the difference. Give this a shot until you can figure out if its an allergy or what.
Also, I know I can get these at my local health food store. I can check the price for you and I could pick one up for you if that would work. Email me if your interested.
I think you’ll be able to find one on the net though, too. Check out http://www.mothernature.com - they should carry them.
I feel your pain! I also have a history of frequent sinus infections…mostly originating from complications caused by my allergies.
DEFINITELY look into irrigating your sinuses as has been mentioned. Talk to your doctor for advice, here is the solution that I use.
16 oz distilled water
1-2 tsp salt (not iodized) depending on your tolerance (I use 2 tsp)
1 tsp Baking soda (makes it less likely to burn or be uncomfortable since it balances the pH)
Definitley look into allergies