Sinus infection vs. Cold? (sinuses, allergy, surgery, congestion)

[Skatergirl]

or Allergies? I had sinus surgery about 15 years ago (FESS) and it helped to curb the number of infections I got dramatically. I've had maybe 1 sinus infection a year, but still struggle with seasonal allergies.

Yesterday I felt allergy like symptoms (sneezing, itchy throat, congestion) It was a very windy east coast day and I figured allergies. Today, it's totally in my sinuses and it hurts, I'm stuffy and so tired.

Wondering if you can asses my home remediies and offer any suggestions or additions? I irrigate with a saline solution and take sudaphed. I use the ice pack at night on my face as it feels so good. I think I'm going to go get some Guifinisen (sp?) to help with thinning mucus. I haven't found anything that really helps with my headaches--motrin doesn't help. Not sure what to help relieve the head pain. So, would you be dong anything different? I'm not keen on running to the doctor for this as I don't like to take an antibiotic as the first course of action.

[Ellise]

You are treating the symptoms. It would be better to find out what's causing your symptoms and avoid being sick in the first place, if possible.

I was miserable with symptoms like those that you describe for years. Then I discovered this book: Food Allergies: The Complete Guide to Understanding and Relieving Your Food Allergies Moderator cut: can't hot-link to your benefit
(
Changing my diet dramatically cleared up the allergy symptoms. Unfortunately, I was on an extremely restricted diet for a few years. Then I moved to a house that didn't have a musty, mildewey basement and that also helped. By removing some of the allergens that were triggering my immune system, I increased my tolerance to a lot of the foods that I'd had to avoid before moving.

Before I discovered how to alleviate my allergy symptoms, I was irrigating my sinuses with saline like you describe. I also used hot pepper as a decongestant. If you chew on a bit of jalapeno pepper of put a few hot pepper flakes on your tongue it will clear out your sinuses for some temporary relief.

Good luck.

[myrc60]

Get yourself some Mucinex D (it has guaifenesin in it) and drink more water. Generally if your face hurts and you have a headache you will be told you have an infection but I've worked those out on my own using the above. Depending on your level of congestion you might want to consider taking the max dose of Mucinex (2 every 12 hours, but I spread them out to 1 every 6 hours. That way I always have a decongestant thats working in me.)