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Sinus infection healing time?

 
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JustinLee
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Joined: 18 Oct 2003
Posts: 95
Location: Downtown Houston

PostPosted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 12:50 pm GMT +0000    Post subject: Sinus infection healing time? Reply with quote

Hey Doc!

Thanks for doing this for us - it's a true service!

My wife was diagnosed with a sinus infection and was perscribed an antibiotic for the infection and some flonase for the allergy.

The issue is this: it's been 6 days on the meds and she still feels crappy -- headache, stuffed up, nauseous, tired, and generally feeling sick. Shouldn't she be feeling better by now? Are there some signs she should be looking for to signal that maybe she was misdiagnosed or the perscription just isn't working for her?
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The Bike Doc
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Joined: 08 May 2003
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Location: Corpus Christi and Warda, Texas

PostPosted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 1:07 pm GMT +0000    Post subject: Reply with quote

Justin:

Have your wife contact her doctor. There should be some improvement by this point in time if the antibiotics were effective against the organisms.

Thanks,
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Paul K. Nolan, MD
AKA: The Bike Doc
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Anonymous
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:26 pm GMT +0000    Post subject: Reply with quote

Based on this post, I have an oddball twist for you. Many years ago, I got my divers "C" card. During the class, my instructor relayed a story about one of his other students who was in a class or two before us. The class had just completed their deep dive (in this case, about 45 feet or about 2.5 atmospheres) and one of the students who had smoked a lot for many years came up with a stuffy nose. He could tell something was in his nose but could'nt blow his nose to clear it. He was finally able to actually get ahold of some dark green/brown goo in his nostral. My dive master said it looked almost like rope as he pulled about 20 feet of this stuff from his nose. The dive master refused to allow him to go down again until he was checked. A doctor was located in another dive certification class and he checked the guy with the sinus problem. The smoker said he felt better than he had in a decade. He could breath better and had less pressure in his head. The doctor said it was similar to a medical cleaning of the sinus cavities and he should be good to dive.

Question is, how common is it for someone to be so stuffed up like this diver that the problem would not be affected by an antibiotic or other drug treatment?
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primeke
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Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 141
Location: Rivet

PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:57 pm GMT +0000    Post subject: Reply with quote

that's revolting. there's no place for that sort of thing on this message board. think of the children! Wink
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The Bike Doc
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Joined: 08 May 2003
Posts: 1398
Location: Corpus Christi and Warda, Texas

PostPosted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 5:33 am GMT +0000    Post subject: Nasal Irrigation Reply with quote

Saline nasal irrigation is often recommended in managing chronic sinusitis. It is likely that the diver in question got some "pressurized" irrigation from the water when he was down at depth and dislodged some chronic accumulation of mucous.

I often prescribe saline sinus irrigation with the following recipe:

1/2 tsp plain table salt (non-iodized) to 2 cups warm water and irrigate each nostril with 1 cup each using a large bulb syringe or a water bottle with a fold down spout. The individual should lean over the sink take a big breath of air then slowly exhale through open mouth while irrigating the nasal passages. This should be done twice daily when there is an infection or cold symptoms and once daily routinely to reduce the recurrence of infection.

It sounds nasty but is works wonders and the salt concentration with the warm water makes the solution not burn or irritate. The key is using warm (around body temperature) not hot water.

Thanks,
_________________
Paul K. Nolan, MD
AKA: The Bike Doc
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Anonymous
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:40 pm GMT +0000    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry, primeke. Guss I should have posted a notice not to read that right before dinner.

Doc, a friend of mine has a device which looks like a slinder glass funnel that delivers a solution like you mentioned to each nostril and while it is possible for someone to do this themselves, it's best to have help. She said that once you get used to allowing warm water to pass through your sinus cavities, it really works. The salt also helps dry the cavities after the treatment and seems to help prevent reinfection.

Let me reword my question though. Would it be possible to become so impacted (perhaps the diver was that stuffy) that a medicine would have a difficult time or not be able to treat a sinus infection or would it just take longer to cure?
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The Bike Doc
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Joined: 08 May 2003
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Location: Corpus Christi and Warda, Texas

PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:54 am GMT +0000    Post subject: Reply with quote

DC:

Yes. For such a situation sinus surgery sometimes is inorder if irrigation cannot dislodge the impaction.

Thanks,
_________________
Paul K. Nolan, MD
AKA: The Bike Doc
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