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Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
tight throat and difficult breathing with chills
Answered by
This forum is for questions and support regarding lung and respiratory issues such as: Allergies, Asthma, Bronchitis, Colds - Flu, Chronic Cough, COPD, Cystic Fibrosis, Emphysema, Fibrosis, Lung Abscess, Nasal Polyps, Pleurisy, Pneumonia, Sarcoidosis, Sinusitis, Tuberculosis.
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish, Jun 09, 2003 12:00AM
, Jun 09, 2003 12:00AM
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 a headache or pressure in the area of the sinuses, a stuffy nose, achy teeth, postnasal drip, cough, tightness in your throat, trouble getting your breath, fever, chills, and thick, yellow to green nasal drainage.
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 2 weeks or longer. This should stop the chills. However, inflammation of the sinuses could also be due to an allergy or ongoing exposure to an irritant, such as pollution or smoke. Please read our Sinusitis MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/sinus.html for further information.
Drainage from the nose and sinuses that drips down the back of the throat is known as postnasal drip. This can fester sinusitis. 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.
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. This may stop the tightness in your throat and the trouble getting your breath. To get the most out of a nasal steroid spray use it after doing a nasal wash. A nasal steroid spray does not provide immediate relief of symptoms. It may require several weeks of routine use to become effective.
If your symptoms continue, you will need to see your doctor to learn the cause and the treatment that would be best for you. It is possible that the sinusitis is triggering an abnormal reaction in your vocal cords, causing tightness in your throat and the trouble getting your breath. Please read our Vocal Cord Dysfunction MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/vocal.html for more information. An ENT would be the type of specialist to identify if sinusitis is causing your symptoms to continue and the best treatment.
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 2 weeks or longer. This should stop the chills. However, inflammation of the sinuses could also be due to an allergy or ongoing exposure to an irritant, such as pollution or smoke. Please read our Sinusitis MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/sinus.html for further information.
Drainage from the nose and sinuses that drips down the back of the throat is known as postnasal drip. This can fester sinusitis. 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.
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. This may stop the tightness in your throat and the trouble getting your breath. To get the most out of a nasal steroid spray use it after doing a nasal wash. A nasal steroid spray does not provide immediate relief of symptoms. It may require several weeks of routine use to become effective.
If your symptoms continue, you will need to see your doctor to learn the cause and the treatment that would be best for you. It is possible that the sinusitis is triggering an abnormal reaction in your vocal cords, causing tightness in your throat and the trouble getting your breath. Please read our Vocal Cord Dysfunction MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/vocal.html for more information. An ENT would be the type of specialist to identify if sinusitis is causing your symptoms to continue and the best treatment.
