Sinus problems

[Ben Prusinski]

Any recommendations on how to improve sinus health and get rid of chronic sinus issues? I never had any problems until moving to the bay area from San Diego. Now I am plagued by them! I am taking antiobiotics at the advice of my ENT doctor even though the initial tests did not return bacteria infection. Next round are sinus x-rays and allergy tests. It sucks because I cannot dive until I overcome these sinus problems. My ENT doc told me I have a deviated septum would surgery help to fix this?

[Mark Derail]

Similar story to you Ben, multiple allergies & asthma to boot. I've been a dozen times to San Diego w/o allergies. Perhaps the Bay Area has more particulates in the air / pollution?

Anyhow, my post is not really advice, there's some great medical trained / doctors that are scuba divers, and read these posts & reply.

- - -

I've had the surgery done when I was 25; I'm 43 now. I really needed the op - you, w/o a chronic history? Not so sure.
Have you tried saline flushing?
(think snorting lukewarm saline water - highly unpleasant - but great for clearing up)

- - -

For me, consider chronic bi-yearly or more often infections requiring eventually antibiotics, for between the ages of 12-25.
Since the op - I've been w/o antibiotics. Years since I've taken antihistamines (seasonal allergies tend to lessen with age).
I swear it even helped with my asthma, about a year after the operation I no longer required the pumps, even with a cold.

I honestly doubt I could have passed Scuba OW w/o being all cleared up in the sinuses.

[flots am]

Any recommendations on how to improve sinus health and get rid of chronic sinus issues? I never had any problems until moving to the bay area from San Diego. Now I am plagued by them! I am taking antiobiotics at the advice of my ENT doctor even though the initial tests did not return bacteria infection.

(bold mine)

The first thing you need is a new doctor.

Prescribing antibiotics when no bacterial infection is present is one of the horrors of the 20th and 21st centuries. Because of this, we're building bigger and better bugs that the drugs no longer kill.

Next round are sinus x-rays and allergy tests. It sucks because I cannot dive until I overcome these sinus problems. My ENT doc told me I have a deviated septum would surgery help to fix this?

Before you go off the deep end with xrays and powerful drugs, try this a couple of times/day. You can buy it almost anywhere and it works wonders.

I've been seeing an allergist and ENT for a number of years, and the two things that helped the most were the sinus rinse (above) and allergy shots.

I'd try everything else before surgery. Surgery doesn't always go well and if they screw it up, it can't always be fixed.

flots.

[mahjong]

Chronic sinus what? Infection? Swelling? Yellow discharge? Runny nose? Clogged nose? Wasn't your septum already deviated in SD, where your sinuses were fine?

You have pets?

You exercise?

Ignorance is bliss, and that's why I can offer advice: Exercise daily (sweat!). NO junk food. NO sugar beverages. NO antibiotics. NeilMed Sinus Rinse nightly, before bed. Try this regime for one month before you allow your ENT doc anywhere near your nose with a scalpel.

BTW, if allergies are involved, sure, the Bay Area will be worse than San Diego. But the Bay Area isn't even in the ballpark of what you might experience in, say, New England. But everything is relative.

[Ben Prusinski]

Thanks folks- well the nasal congestion and discharge has been thick yellow mucus. Its weird congestion almost like a dry type congestion. I am trying the nasal saline rinses with a machine that I bought before bed. It helps a lot more than just taking OTC meds and antibiotics. I will look for a new ENT- maybe call DAN for a recommendation? As for surgery, I really want to avoid this if possible. I had the deviated septum in San Diego and never had issues. I will have some allergy tests done to rule this factor out. I am scheduled for xrays in a couple weeks to find out what could be causing the frequent sinus congestion issues. I agree with antibiotics- need to holistic way to stop the sinus congestion and long term health. It is hard to exercise when you have congestion and feel like crap. I exercise when I am not sick. I will revisit my diet plan as well. I do not have pets and avoid junk food and do not drink sugar beverages. Just plain tea, water and coffee without sugar a little milk. Dairy and coffee tend to make the mucus production worse so I have reduced this and replaced with herbal teas which do not cause excess mucus.

[andrewy]

Where in bay area are you?

[Ben Prusinski]

@Andrewy- I live in Sunnyvale/Mountain View in the bay area.

[Mark Derail]

Have you tried the sinus rinse, that Flots was nice enough to find a link to?

While unpleasant, it won't hurt you if you follow the directions.

[Ben Prusinski]

@Mark, yes, I perform daily sinus irrigation with a saline solution using a SinuPulse machine. It works great and does help a lot. Hopefully I will be cleared up in a week. I feel better today than last week with less congestion and at least now the mucus is clear not nasty thick yellow. I plan to get sinus xrays find out what allergies I could have and pinpoint the root cause of this condition so that I can dive more.

[dvankirk]

I had polyp surgery a few years ago (also fixing a deviated septum) and fixed problems that went undiagnosed or years. My DAN recommended ENT worked wonders and my allergies are barely noticeable now.