Recurring Ear Infections & Sinus Infections

[Absinthe d'Accalia]

I've been battling these quite frequently for the past few years or so - at first just the sinus infections, but now my body has thrown in the ear infections for variety. :irked:

I'm allergic to a lot of different antibiotics, so my Doc and I aren't too keen on the fact that she has to keep prescribing the ones I can take, but she also doesn't want the sinus infection/ear infections to go unabated. Last time, she also prescribed Medrol - a prednisone pack - it helped clear up the inflammation and clear things up, but it made the very, very evil side of me come out. It was not good. :evil: She had blood taken when I went in yesterday, to do allergy tests, so I have to wait about a week for the results on that. I am wondering if a mold allergy (or something like that, wheat or yeast maybe?) can be the cause of this problem. Until we find out the results of that, she has me on Zyrtec D (which doesn't seem to be doing it's decongestanty part) & Nasocort.

Has anyone else had to deal with this, and if so, what brought resolution to stop them from re-occurring?

[shadow]

Absinthe

Have you tried natural remedys maybe a full house cleaning. I know most docotrs see "folk remedy's" as bullpoo but alot of times they do alot of good. Just be careful dont go to nightravens home for wiccan herbal remedies or some such nonsense.


As far as your allergies it COULD be mold related hence the house cleaning. I used to suffer from HORRIBLE summer allergies and i took everything out of my room and dusted cleaned aired out and basically went postal on the dirt behind the tv so to speak. It didnt kill the alergies but it made the severity alot moe bearable. Now this is something i do at least once every 2-3 months. I havent had a serious attack since i started doing this.

[Mairi the Herbwench]

More and more studies are coming out showing that recurrent sinus infections are related to fungal infections - your MD should know this if she reads current literature, and if she doesn't - find one that does...

[Psyche]

Unfortunately for us, we live in the worst place in the US for allergy sufferers. Bleck! I am having constant sinus infections and ear infections to. I was told it was due to the pollen and such. I am going to start experimenting with Tea Tree oil and see how well that helps. I make a tincture for my ears that helps. I will see if I can find the recipe... Head stuffy and can't remember my own name at the moment.

[Absinthe d'Accalia]

Mairi - I think you're on the right track. This could be totally coincidental, but I've noticed that when I've had to take diflucan (antifungal) in the past, it seems as though my sinus symptoms ease up. I'll have to pursue this thought with her when she calls with the allergy test results. I've been quite slack as of late, and not taking my acidophilus, B-vites, etc. Probably not helping the situation.

Psyche - if you can find that recipe, I would love to have it. Tea trea oil has anti-fungal properties, you know, so that might be why it's effective. Lovely to think we have our own versions of mushrooms & assorted fungi possibly growing amongst our ears, sinuses & schnozzes... :roll: My sympathies on the noggin' stuffiness. I joke that's why hubby & I get along so well - I can't hear most of what he's saying. :wink:

Shadow - 'tis time I went 'postal' on the dust & debris in the house I suppose. With two big dogs (one of the short labrador hair variety & the other of the double coated keeshund variety both shooting hair all over the place) and a kitty contributing to the dust oliphants, I'm usually a vacuuming dervish, but I just may have to step it up a notch in the vacuuming & dusting departments. Maybe time to replace the filter upstairs in the attic, too. I wish we had hardwood/laminate through the whole house. We have it downstairs, and it helps tremendously keeping the dust down, but we still have carpet upstairs.

Thank you muchly for your suggestions!

[Jeannie Fitzgerald]

I've had chronic sinus infections most of my life. Various MDs and an occasional allergist were unable to give me much relief until about 20 years ago a friend recommended a DO who did surgery on my sinuses to open up the passages. Recovery took a while because of the horrible infection I had at the time (plus I had to work afterwards to keep from losing my job because my dear sweet boss thought I had been malingering) but the surgery did reduce the frequency and severity of the infections dramatically.

Since then, I've received even more relief from the infections (which do not respond well to antibiotics, btw) from taking allergy drops. Allergy drops work the same way allergy shots do but are adminstered sublingually (by placing under the tongue for absorbtion, much like nitroglycerine) instead of injected. They are much better than allergy shots because they are safer so can be selfadministered instead of needing frequent visits to the doctor's office and because they cover a wider spectrum of allergens than shots can. Most insurance companies love them because they are less expensive than shots.

Another thing that helps is ocasional rinsing of the sinuses using a saline solution, especially during a frequent infection. Spraying the nasal passages with saline frequently helps to keep them moist and can also help reduce infections and their severity. Drinking plenty of water (enough to keep your urine clear) helps to keep the nasal secretions from becoming too thick to properly drain. Avoid caffeine and alcohol since they contribute to dehydration.

The associated ear infections can be caused by blowing the nose too hard. Snuffing sounds (and is) gross but is much safer. I have to avoid blowing mine whenever possible to avoid possibly driving infection into my ears and even my eyes. When blowing the nose is necessary, do not pinch off the nostrils and blow gently. Spraying with saline before blowing helps to loosen up the secretions.

Shadow's suggestion is excellent. Also, wear a dust mask when cleaning or doing anything that raises dust.

I hope this will help. I know how miserable siuns infections can be and how hard they can be to treat, so my heart goes out to you.

[lavender r dragon]

my mom had/has bad sinuses...i think i have some sinus problems (could never breathe through my nose)..at one point a dr did suggest that i try to keep as little stuff in my bedroom as possible to keep the dust down. last june the dr put me on flonase and it works wonders for my nose (i can breathe with my mouth closed :shock: ). my aunt was having problems like that and the allergist said hers was caused by mold and to keep her house clean to cut down on the mold

[Absinthe d'Accalia]

Jeannie ~ I've broken my poor nose probably 4 times in my life - (starting with my sister and the infamous baseball bat incident when I was 7 and she still claims it was an accident :roll:) ~ and when I was still living in San Diego, my boss recommended his ENT (who happened to be a great reconstructive surgeon). I went to him, he confirmed that I was about 98% blocked on the left side of my face, he did the surgery to remedy that situation and that has helped. I'm just wondering if maybe the geometry inside isn't what it should be (even though it is better than it was) and stuff isn't draining out the way it should. Do you just use saline spray or have you got one of those somewhat-scary WaterPik deallies for your sinuses? I'll make sure to ask the doc (and/or the allergist if the results come back with something that I'm allergic to) about the drops versus the shots. Thank you for the empathy. :)

Lavender ~ it is wild to finally be able to breathe with a closed mouth, isn't it? I remember after I had my nose/sinuses worked on and finally could breathe fully, it just about made me dizzy. I just wondered how much smarter I could have been if I had been getting twice as much oxygen as I had been. :wink: I'm taking stock of our bedroom and am going to eliminate what we don't need (bookshelf clutter, maybe the dust ruffle thingy around the bed, etc.) and make more of an effort to keep it spiffy clean.

Psyche ~ how's your noggin feeling today? A little less stuffy?

I just wish my ear would quit hurting - makes me feel like a little kid again and it isn't any fun. :unamused: Time for more ibuprofen I suppose. ...:::off to dig through the medicine cabinet:::.. and a hot cup of decaf tea!

[Jeannie Fitzgerald]

Jeannie Do you just use saline spray or have you got one of those somewhat-scary WaterPik deallies for your sinuses? !

I use the premix spray you can buy at drug stores to keep my nasal passages moist (I keep a large bottle at home and a small on in my purse and in a pouch when I'm at Festival). When I have an infection going or my nasal passages are otherwise backed up, I mix up a small cup or glass of salt water (about the consistancy of sea water; I judge the salinity by taste) and actually snort the stuff. I hold the cup or glass to my nose, tip it and my head back and inhale. It makes me gag but the stuff that it flushes out is amazing. How often I do it depends on how much gunk my nose is producing. It sounds gross (maybe because it is?) but is quite effective.

[lavender r dragon]

you can buy a saline spray at cvs or where ever (my aunt got me one but i didn't use it cause my medicine was working)

[Absinthe d'Accalia]

Jeannie writes:

When I have an infection going or my nasal passages are otherwise backed up, I mix up a small cup or glass of salt water (about the consistancy of sea water; I judge the salinity by taste) and actually snort the stuff.

Oh yeah, this is going to be interesting to try to do. Maybe in the shower might be best in case of salt water spewage, which is highly likely I have a feeling. I'm game to try just about anything, so I'll let you know how it goes.

Lavender ~ I have to go to Walgreens today, so I'll pick some up to try. Glad the Flonase stuff is working for you. :)

The doc's office actually called with the allergy test results, and the nurse said they came up negative. Not sure what they tested for specifically, but she's putting together a file that I'll have to pick up to take to the ENT my doc is recommending and we'll go from there.

[Jeannie Fitzgerald]

Jeannie writes:

When I have an infection going or my nasal passages are otherwise backed up, I mix up a small cup or glass of salt water (about the consistancy of sea water; I judge the salinity by taste) and actually snort the stuff.

Oh yeah, this is going to be interesting to try to do. Maybe in the shower might be best in case of salt water spewage, which is highly likely I have a feeling. I'm game to try just about anything, so I'll let you know how it goes.

Lavender ~ I have to go to Walgreens today, so I'll pick some up to try. Glad the Flonase stuff is working for you. :)

The doc's office actually called with the allergy test results, and the nurse said they came up negative. Not sure what they tested for specifically, but she's putting together a file that I'll have to pick up to take to the ENT my doc is recommending and we'll go from there.

I've done the flushing in the shower but it's really was not all that messy once I did it a few times (the exception being after the sinus surgery).

When I did allergy testing at my GP's prior to being placed on the allergy drops, the test came back so mild they almost didn't place me on the drops. Thank God they did! Don't place too much faith in the tests. Blood tests aren't as reliable as the old skin scratch tests. Antihistamine use can cause negative results as well, even if you have been off of them for a while. Sometimes the best diagnosis can be from trying a medication to see how how you respond to it. That's how my hypothyroidism was diagnosed; testing was always yielding negative results.

[Holly]

OOWWW....
doesnt the saline solution hurt?


<she of chronic sinus shit>

[Jeannie Fitzgerald]

OOWWW....
doesnt the saline solution hurt?
<she of chronic sinus shit>

Actually a mild saline is soothing. The salinity of seawater is aproximately the same as water within our bodies. Anything less or more saline can be irritating, especially with high salinities.

[Holly]

I just rememeber the time my mom made me gargle with salt water. When i would inevitably get it up my nose it would make me cry.


:)

have to check thsi stuff out.


anyone heard of sinu-fresh? something like that that is anti-fungal and helps all that creeping crud.

[Absinthe d'Accalia]

I've not heard of sinu-fresh. Is it something you can buy at the drugstore?

[Holly]

supposidly.

One of my teachers was telling me all about it. She got it at a drug stor or something.