Sinus Infections

[FreshTressa]

Anyone have a homemade cure?? I have had this for a month now and it isn't getting any better. I don't want to take antibiotics, but I think it is actually getting worse.

 

[HauntedMansionGeek]

Lots and lots of water...but I DO think you might have to take antibiotics at some point.

Can I ask why you don't want to take them?

 

[FreshTressa]

I just want to give my body a chance to fight it. I took a lot of antibiotics when I was young, and I think now I have kind of a weak immune system. I don't want to be culturing any antibiotic resistant strains in my body.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

The way to tell if you truly have a sinus infection is thru a CT scan. If you have an ENT or GP that will prescibe you one you will find out for sure & then you will not take antibiotics needlessly.

If you have a sinus infection and you let it go it can spread and cause you serious complications. It happened to my SIL.

 

[Mermaid02]

"I have had this for a month now "

Plenty of time for your body to heal itself if it can. If I were you and this was getting worse instead of better, I'd go see a doctor pronto.

 

[momof2OH]

My DS kept getting sinus infections. He would take an antibiotic get better than get it back again. This went on for about 3-4 months. Our allergist finally had his immune system checked and we found out he has an immune disorder and is why he never got over them. He now has to go into the hospital every 4 weeks for IV treatment. He's been doing this now for over 2 years.

I wold say go to your Dr. and have it checked! Good Luck!

 

[Tony-NJ]

dangerous if not treated. I do have a way to make you feel a bit better. It's kind of gross but here goes. You must do a nasal wash. You will need a siringe (sp). A baby one is best. You will also need uniodized salt and baking soda.

Warm water and mix the salt and baking soda in a glass And hold your head over the sing and just shoot the solution up each nostril. This may burs a bit at first but it should help clear / clean your sinus passages. I have to do this every morning

Advil Cold and Sinus works well too!

 

[swanmom]

An addition to TonyNJ's thread. You can purchase a 'nasal douche' at the drug store. It's a small plastic container with two holes (it kind of looks like a flute). You add the solution and cover one hole with your thumb (this holds the liquid in.) You put it to your nose and let go of the hole. Solution pours in and infuses the sinus cavity. (They're not really expensive.) Also, you can buy some sterile 'mentholated' solution to put in the douce. It really tends to open up your lower sinuses and that lets the upper ones drain better. Hope this helps. Coming from a fellow sufferer I know how uncomfortable this can be.

 

[stevenpensacola]

I used to be plagued by sinus infections during the winter months
until I had sinus surgery. I still had a little trouble after the surgery, so my doctor got me try FloNase. My infections have been reduced to about 1 a year. The last one I had occurred after I was slow in getting my Flonase refilled.

Flonase does not work immediately, so the temptation to quit using it is there...but stick with it, it works. I believe that it is just
a nasal steroid which reduces any swelling/inflamation in your sinuses, which helps everything to drain better.

 

[aunties]

FreshTressa - please don't make the same mistake I did! I ignored what I thought was a cold for over a month. When I finally went to the DR, it took 4 months of antibiotics to finally cure it. I would do a ten day dose and within a week, the infection would be back. The DR also thinks it is what triggered sever allergies that I did not have until then.

So please take care of yourself!

Feel better soon!

 

[Jenzebelle]

I am plagued by sinus infections and sinusitis for about half the year.
You really need to go to the DR and get it checked out. My Dr doesn't always prescribe antibiotics because I have a tendency to develop a resistence to them, but I still always make an appt to see her just to make sure she can monitor the infection to make sure it goes away. I take flonase and that helps quite a bit.

In the meantime, take a nasal decongestant and gargle with salt water, but make an appt right away with your Dr. It's with your Dr that you should be discussing concerns about anti biotics- not the people here. After a month, if the symptoms are worse, then you have problems.

 

[jipsy]

Sinusitis can be acute — a one-time infection related to a cold or the flu — or it can become chronic, with persisting symptoms. Patients with acute sinusitis frequently complain of facial pain, nasal obstruction and discolored nasal discharge. However, the symptoms of chronic sinusitis may be more subtle, often consisting primarily of post-nasal drip, cough, and lethargy.

Many patients with chronic sinusitis also suffer from polyps which are benign growths within the nasal passage. Polyps can be difficult to treat successfully, and often recur unless adequate therapy is started.

Sinusitis is sometimes associated with other medical conditions. Bronchial asthma is frequently worsened by sinusitis. Persons with chronic sinusitis may also develop problems with recurrent bronchitis.

Although very unusual, untreated sinusitis may also result in serious problems such as brain abscesses, meningitis, mucoceles (mucus cysts), or even vision impairment.