Chronic halitosis and sinus problems

[Joseph12]

Hello,

I have chronic bad breath and the closest related issue I can pinpoint it to are my sinus problems. My front nostrils are always clear because I can clean those, but deep in the back it feels as if it is perpetually blocked. The only times I can breath clearly are the 5-10 seconds after I sneeze, after which I can breath in through my nose and it feels like the air goes straight to my brain. It's a nice and normal feeling. But shortly after my sinuses always flood back and I have the familiar blocked sensation. I have to breath through my mouth often. It's been like this for as long as I can recall, maybe 15 years. I'm in my upper 20s now.  I also think it's been about that long that the wax in my ears changed from dry to a sludgy puss that is now much harder to remove.  My sinuses cause dizziness sometimes too.  I've tried every mouthwash on the net for my bad breath, and they reduce it from between 20-60%, but none last longer than 30 mins, and absolutely none live up to their claim.  

Doctors and my dentist only suggest things I already know and were not of much help.  It is evident that halitosis isn't their expertise nor is it something they wanted to brook, and I have the impression medical practitioners downplay this problem because halitosis itself isn't life-threatening.  And in truth, it is not. But it's taken a large toll on my life, affecting everything socially to economically.  I've lost my job and all of my friends due to it.  It is difficult to even hold a conversation with anyone without them backing away.

Please help.

[National Jewish]

If this is a sinus problem, it is a fairly easy diagnosis to make.  I would suggest talking to your doctor about getting a CT scan of the sinuses.  The results of this test will tell you a lot.  If this test is normal, then it might be due to a problem with your tonsils and/or allergies.  If the CT shows a clear infection, such as fluid levels and blockage on 1 side only, then appropriate and sufficient antibiotic therapy is often the answer.  Sometimes sinus surgery is indicated.  If the sinuses show chronic inflammation, such as swelling without an air fluid level, this could also be the cause of the problem.  However, this could be due to infection, allergy, or a nonspecific inflammation.  Nevertheless, a sinus CT scan should be your first step.

[Diver Ray]

I have something similar but the doctors can't tell me what it is.
My teeth & gums are in excellent health and I have never had problems with bad breath as I brush and floss regularly. (mornings may be the exception)
For over the past month I can smell some kind of infection or something in my sinuses. It smells as though it is some kind of rotten halitosis when I breath through my nose. If I breath from my mouth with my nose plugged into a paper back it smells just fine, however, when I breath in and out through only my nose the smell in the bag is terrible. I can breath fine through my mouth and sinuses . There is no sign of any infection per the Dr. My MD put me on 500 mg Amoxicillon for 10 days and it didn't help. I have tried sinus rinses, nose sprays and the like. I was referred to a E.N.T. and he had xrays and a CT scan done along with a culture from my sinuses and everything was negative. I did find out that I have no sinuses in my forehead since birth. I Abalone free dive and have for 25 years  and the sinuses don't bother me at all. This is so frustrating because my salad smells like halitosis, as does my beer and anything else I eat. It is real bad when I travel in confined cars for hours. I have to sleep with the fan on to dispurse the smell!
Please help if you have any ideas..   Thank you!