Sinus, Ear, and Throat Issues (BLEEDING IN THROAT)

[emichael1]

I first got what my doctor would later diagnose as Tonsillitis and Sinusitis over 3 months ago. I had the worst sore throat of my life, along with terrible headaches, congested ears, and dark red spots on the back of my throat. I dealt with it for a while without going to the doctor before finally deciding to go to an ENT. He told me I had the two things I mentioned above and prescribed antibiotics and some other things for the cough. At this point I had no more sore throats or headaches, but there were still spots on my throat as well as inflamed tonsils and my ears were still congested causing me to feel off-balance pretty much all the time.

So, I took the antibiotics and by the time I had finished, my ears were still congested and my tonsils still looked inflamed. At this point I also began noticing that my tongue would progressively develop a yellow coating, more thick at the back. Not to mention those spots on my throat. I was concerned about the spots because there was one particularly large one right at the back of my throat, directly behind the uvula that didn't look like the others. I'm an admitted hypochondriac, but it still scared me.

So, another co-payment and back to the ENT. He said the infection was gone, but that I still had postnasal drip and that this explained the spots on my throat as well as the congested ears. So he prescribed Fexofenadine and some ear drops and sent me back on my way.

That brings us to the present. I haven't taken the meds very well as they keep me from sleeping well and just make me feel weird. So, admittedly, the fact that the symptoms are persisting could very well be my own fault. That being said, here is what I'm still dealing with:

My ears are congested and I still feel off balance. I have headaches on and off. Some days I feel very, very malaise. My tongue still gets that yellow coating and I have noticed that my breath gets very bad, even shortly after brushing, flossing, AND using mouthwash. But here is the thing that has started to worry me the most. Since I've been dealing with this, every now and then after I brush my teeth I notice small traces of blood in my saliva. But only when I pull mucous from the back of my throat. It's not from bleeding gums. Today, I was brushing and noticed a bit more than usual. So I looked in the back of my throat with a flashlight and noticed that the one big lump that has been back there since this whole thing began was actually bleeding. That must have been where the blood had been coming from. Looking at it now, it is very red and almost looks like a big blood blister. Like I said, I am a hypochondriac, but when I look up "bleeding in the throat", all the top results talk about throat cancer! So, that is why I am here. I wanted to get some advice before I fork out more money at the ENT and more prescriptions.

Please advise...

[NicoleW09]

I think you need to see a different doctor, to be honest. It never hurts to get a second opinion when the first didn't render any results. It sounds like a severe case of sinusitis or tonsillitis. Your throat probably bled because its very inflamed and irritated.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Understand your concern. The symptoms could be due to sinusitis, as it is accompanied by nasal stuffiness and sometimes a post nasal drip. Sinus infections can cause stuffiness of the nose with nasal blockage, which can make breathing through the nose difficult. It can also cause post nasal drip and lead to an irritation in the throat. Have a culture and sensitivity test done to find out the correct antibiotic that the infecting organism is sensitive to and taking this medication for the required amount of days may help to clear the infection. In the meantime practice good breathing exercises, humidify your room and do steam inhalations.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[emichael1]

Thank you both for your responses.

NicoleW09 - Yes, I thought about trying out a different doctor. The one I went to doesn't seem to be very thorough.

Paderla Anitha - It isn't so much that my nose is stuffy as it is blockage in my ears. Do you know of any home remedies or medicine I could take to relieve ear congestion? I've been trying Sudafed, but so far all it is doing is making me feel weird and tired. I may end up going back and requesting a culture, like you said. Last time he said he didn't think it was necessary, but I think this time I will insist.

Here is something else that may or may not be related. About a week ago I developed a grinding/crackling sound at the base of my skull when I move my head left and right. Along with that has come a pretty persistent, dull headache. There is no pain at the place where the sound is, however. Could prolonged sinus issues like what I have been dealing with cause any sort of complication like that? I've been considering going to a chiropractor, but if it's possibly related to the sinus issues then maybe I should just take another trip to the ENT...? I look forward to your response as I am pretty anxious to get all of this over with! Thanks again.

[emichael1]

Sorry for posting this again, but I'm not sure how the notifications work on this site and I wanted to make sure you see it.


Paderla Anitha - It isn't so much that my nose is stuffy as it is blockage in my ears. Do you know of any home remedies or medicine I could take to relieve ear congestion? I've been trying Sudafed, but so far all it is doing is making me feel weird and tired. I may end up going back and requesting a culture, like you said. Last time he said he didn't think it was necessary, but I think this time I will insist.

Here is something else that may or may not be related. About a week ago I developed a grinding/crackling sound at the base of my skull when I move my head left and right. Along with that has come a pretty persistent, dull headache. There is no pain at the place where the sound is, however. Could prolonged sinus issues like what I have been dealing with cause any sort of complication like that? I've been considering going to a chiropractor, but if it's possibly related to the sinus issues then maybe I should just take another trip to the ENT...? I look forward to your response as I am pretty anxious to get all of this over with! Thanks again.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Sorry for the delay in replying. Looks like the sinus infection has  progressed to a throat infection as well. Sinus infections cause headaches. There are tubes called 'Eustachian  tubes' which connect the middle ear to the throat, this balances the air pressure in the ears. This tube can get  blocked due to infections of the throat, which can give lead to a feeling of fullness in the ears and the resultant sounds. This can also result in infection of the ears. Consult your primary care physician who will do blood tests and take a throat swab to determine the cause and prescribe appropriate medications. The blocked ears can be opened up by the valsalva maneuver, where air is blown into the cheeks against a closed nostrils, this sometimes helps to open up the tubes. Steam inhalations and salt water gargles can help. Take (OTC) tylenol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen for pain.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.