Sinus pain and pressure with off balance feeling

[nikita33]

I am a 33 year old female and for the past year i have been having major sinus problems. I am constantly getting sisusitus. I get put on antibiotics and am ok for awhile. But i constatantly seem to have alot of sinus pain all over my face, like around my eyes, in cheek bones and jaw. there is also alot of pressure there to that makes me constantly feel like i am off balance, and makes me feel like i cant see right. Especially when i am outside in the daytime. I also get alot of post nasal drip. The problem seems to be worse when the weather is damp or really humid. And it was extremely bad when i got on an airplane. I felt like i was gonna pass out. I've been to an ear nose and throat specialist. They did a cat scan of my sinuses and said there was some congestion in there. The next step was allergy testing. Came up that i have mild allergies. Tried tried clarinex, rhinocourt, astelin and over the counter drugs. Nothing seems to help. Do you think this could be something else that the doc is missing? I am at my wits end and need some relief cause this problem is ruining my life. So please help if you can. I also just found out my gall bladder is not working properly and i have to have it removed. Could this have anything to do with the sinus problem?

[National Jewish]

Sinusitis is an inflammation, or swelling, of the mucous membranes that line the sinus cavities.  This can block sinus drainage and cause increased mucus production.  Symptoms can include postnasal drip, pressure and a lot of constant pain in the area of the sinuses, around your eyes, behind your cheekbones and around your jaw.  This pressure may effect your sense of balance, your vision, and can become worse when you go up in altitude, such as flying in an airplane.  When the weather changes there can be a change in the barometric pressure.  This can make sinus pressure worse and may be the reason that your sinus pressure gets worse when the weather is damp or really humid.

The most common cause of sinusitis is an infection, especially when the mucus is green.  Sinus infections can be difficult to treat since they respond slowly.  When a bacterial infection is the cause you may need to take an antibiotic for at least 3 weeks.  Bacteria can become resistant to a particular antibiotic, especially when that antibiotic is used repeatedly.  When this happens you will need to be treated with a different antibiotic to clear the bacteria.  Even after the antibiotic clears the infection, it is possible for the inflammation to linger.  However, inflammation of the sinuses could also be due to an allergy or ongoing exposure to an irritant, such as pollution or smoke.

Drainage from the nose and sinuses that drips down the back of the throat is known as postnasal drip.  This can fester sinusitis.  An antihistamine like Clarinex® (loratadine) and Astelin® (azelastine) can dry up the postnasal drip.  However, it may make the mucus thicker and more difficult to drain.  A decongestant like Sudafed® (pseudoephedrine) can relieve your blocked sinuses and thin the postnasal drip so it drains better.  Check with your doctor to see if a combination antihistamine-decongestant would help you more.

If your symptoms continue, your doctor may recommend a prescription nasal steroid spray.  This can decrease nasal and sinus inflammation and mucus production.  This generally provides a more lasting decrease in sinus pressure and improves sinus drainage.  A nasal steroid spray does not provide immediate relief of symptoms.  It may require several weeks of routine use to become effective.  Rhinocort® (budesonide) is often helpful, but it may not be the most helpful for you.  Check with your doctor to see if trying a different nasal steroid spray will give you more relief from your symptoms.

To get the most out of a nasal steroid spray use it after doing a nasal wash.  A nasal wash helps remove mucus and bacteria from the nose and sinuses.  This can temporarily reduce the postnasal drip and help your sinuses to drain better.  Please read our Nasal Wash MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/nasal.html for more information about this technique.  Share this information with your doctor to see if you would benefit from this daily treatment.

[SinusP_nomore_plz]

I suggest try the non-medidicated relievers before pursuing medicines that always have side effects (like the guys stomack problems above).

I am in exactly the same situation. For my sinuses, no allergy doctor could help (tried Allegra, Zytric, Claritin and many more). Nothing seems to work except their side effects.

What help me is just menthol tea and non-medicated menthol sprays, as well as, Halls.

Also, I changes the shower head to one that provides a better massaging for my face (and sinisus). I direct the water stream from the shower head into my nasal passages and this helped me a little. Make sure it is a gentle stream.

I do not claim this resolved the problem; it just made it more bearable. I keep having a shower in the middle of the night. It is bothering me to use this but it helps. I hope this helps but I am also still suffering from sinus pressures and not able to sleep more than 2 hours continuous sleep time...

[nikita33]

Thanks for the info. That is something i will have to try. What i got to lose right! Here is a suggestion for you. If you are having problems at night try a vaporizer with eucalyptus oil in it. I found that helps me get thru the night anyhow. I also bath my sinuses with water, salt and baking soda before i go to bed that seems to help somewhat. If ya wanna try it you take 2 cups warm water, 1tsp. salt and a pinch of baking soda and mix it together. Put it in a shot glass and snort it. i usually do that twice up each nostril. just make sure you blow you nose when you are done to get all the **** out of there. Good luck and if ya come across anymore good advice keep me posted.

[pab006]

Hi all, Im feeling unbalanced, my head feels really muggy, and when i speak or hum, it sounds strange in my ears, like if you hum under water. Is this a problem with my sinese and if so, how can i elleviate it?

Cheers

[azcsoul]

The best thing I ever discovered for cleaning out the sinuses is a neti pot. It looks like a little genie vase thing. You just put a little salt and hot water and run it through one nostril and the liquid (and junk!) comes out the other nostril. I swear by it. It's absolutely disgusting (and amazing) what comes out, especially when you've got sinusitis. Anyway, you can get one at any health food store or just do a google search on one and order on-line. Good luck!