The first time I remember sinus symptoms is 1981-2. That's 26 plus years of sinus trouble.
Current symptoms: Yellow-green mucus secretions that dry in the sinus and nasal passages, blocking breathing. Productively blow my nose every 5-10 minutes during the day and every 1-2 hours at night. No sense of smell. Low-grade fever. Always tired. 2-4 times per year, the muccus slides into my lungs and causes asthma-like breathing problems cured only by a course of Biaxin, Albuteral, Flovent, etc..
Many on this message board can relate. Blowing your nose every 5-10 minutes means that a meal can’t be eaten without grossing everyone out. Try having sex while you hold a Kleenex to your nose. Try selling your product or idea to a client or boss while you blow your nose every few minutes. This disease doesn’t kill you, it just ruins your life.
Recent treatments: Primary sinus management is irrigation. Tried most of the posted additives, but found that water temperature is the primary factor for relief. Water must be warm or very warm. Cold water plugs the sinus. I use a water pik at home (with or without additives) and cupped hands from a sink away from home (every hour). Since I use a wide variety of water, I've found there seems to be a difference. Is hardness a factor or is it something else? Additives: Occasionally use three drops of pulmicort (nebulizer) liquid in the water pik reservoir.
Have tried virtually every additive posted in this message board. Have also tried upside-down. All to no effect.
In the early years of the disease, I had severe headaches and white nodules excreting from my tonsils. Eventually, I had my tonsils removed. Is there a correlation? Could sufferers please state their tonsil presence?
I'm not a believer in new-age medicine, but my headaches were completely cured after visiting a chiropractor (for an unrelated herniated L4-5 disk). The chiropractor manipulated my upper neck and the headaches disappeared. He claimed that one of the top vertebrae in everyone’s neck has less support and often becomes misaligned. I am interested in a scientific connection between the sinuses and the neck.
Now the surgeon recommends surgery. From message board comments, it doesn’t seem likely that surgery will cure the problem. Do I have a choice?
Is it possible that there is a cure? Has someone been cured, but not posted their experience? If so, we all sure could use the help.