wasn’t sure where else to put this, since, while chronic, this definitely doesn’t qualify for /c/chronicillness LOL (idk how to link communities sorry)
(post tone: lightly frustrated, somewhat comedic description of problems and viewpoints; i swear a lot in my normal speech, but i’m not pissed or anything)
i’ve been dealing with nasal/sinus issues for over a decade: i’ve had a couple surgeries for it, i’m currently doing braces, which is fixing the underbite situation and helps with nasal drainage, and i’m on a good amount of allergy meds to mitigate the situation
the doc i had ten years ago and the doc i just saw today told me the same thing: rinse my nose with saline twice a day
now, if i was willing to do that, i wouldn’t be seeing a doctor. i know that i can simply waterboard myself persistently enough and the problem will go away
my issue is that i need to flush my sinuses at all to be a functional person (thankfully, on the current routine, it’s maybe a few times a week, vs twice a day)
i should have talked about this in more detail with the doc, and i’ll see him again after some allergy testing and talk about it more then (i needed a minute to compose myself 💀); but i mostly wanted to get a survey of other folks with these issues: do y’all just fuckin live with rinsing your nose out twice a day?? i been doing it for a decade, i know how to do it correctly, i just HATE DOING IT, i cannot imagine doing it 2x a day willingly
(if you’re wondering what part of the process i hate, it’s all of it; having to bank distilled water, dealing with either cold water in your congested nose (shitty) or having to heat up the water to the right temp to be warm but also not burn the shit out of your nasal passages (pain in the ass), and then having to clean a shitload of salt water out of your face because why the fuck would it drain out cleanly)
the only way i get sick, like cold/flu sick, is a sinus infection. I’ve improved my anticipation of this over the years. or so I imagine. I also have a habit of getting antibiotics prescribed once I’m in the depths of hell, and never taking them. that antibiotic shit is so bad shouldn’t even be in the toilet.
I was given budenoside to add to my nasal rinse. Later found they sell an otc budenoside nasal spray which is soooo much easier.
Have you gotten tested for asthma? Like the one where they attempt to cause an asthma attack via a nebulized medication?
I suffered from chronic rhinitis for years, and was also told to do the nasal irrigation twice a day. I’ve never actually had an asthma “attack” I just had constant low level irritation and swelling in my mucus membrane. I never knew I had asthma until I had an ENT doc do the actual test, and now that I’m on the proper medication I rarely have issues.
this is really interesting. i’ve only done the test where they make you breathe real hard into the tube; is there another one that tests for this?
also, can i ask what the medication is? the doc wrote me a new one (apparently just a different one for hayfever…), so i’m just curious and like to learn about new medications… but if you’re uncomfortable sharing, it’s fine, ofc
The methacholine asthma test is the best asthma test imo, it can detect it in people who may be having mucus membrane irritation which hasn’t affected their lung capacity.
It’s budesonide formoterol inhaler, and it’s been a big game changer for me.
I had a chronic sinus infection for basically all of my life until about a year ago when I started taking Adderall. It was like a miracle drug for me. When I first started it I got a crazy amount of nasal drainage and a burning in my nose and throat, but after about a week it completely stopped and I haven’t had an issue with my sinuses since. I’m still not used to breathing through my nose or actually being able to smell things.
TLDR amphetamines permanently cured my 15 year long sinus infection in a week.
Stimulants may, in fact, stimulate the sinuses
After sinus surgery not helping and no ENT being able to help in any way, I finally decided to just live with constant sinus problems because I hate shooting stuff up my nose.
Honestly I’ve had sinus issues all my life from allergies that I’ve just grown accustomed to it. I just blow my nose all day when I need to and I use paper towels.
Probably kinda gross I suppose but I am used to it. I have noticed when I vacation to costal cities my sinuses aren’t nearly as bad….
y’know, i really can’t blow my nose that well. i just end up popping my eardrums or w/e, and stuff doesn’t really come out. rinsing my sinuses is way more effective for me, i wonder why that is
Crazy enough treating my sleep apnea made mine a ton more manageable! This allergy season has been rough, but still nothing like I used to have.
I don’t know if it’s the filter on the cpap, not snoring all night, or both.
Two things helped me with this: allergen control (in my case this was moving to a different region and getting better about cleaning) and a septoplasty. I used to get sinus infections three times a year, and now I don’t even really think about it. I might even get a humidifier this winter, which is wild to me considering I had chronic congestion practically all my life.
i’m much better about cleaning than i used to be, but this is a good reminder that i’m behind on it 😅
i have had the septoplasty, i got it 10 years ago. it helped for a few years, but ultimately returned
I got my nasal polyp removed 2 years ago, but I still feel blockage in the other nostril. With the hay fever season I need to rinse my nose almost daily.
Yeah I might have sleep apnea as well.
What physical action does the saline water even do? Like, does it dissolve the mucus to allow it to drain out? If so, why doesn’t a hot shower or steam bath do the same shit? Is it the pressure of water that does the work? If so, why can’t you simply blast a balloon filled with air clear you out? It’s almost as if they don’t truly know how to help you, and you should seek a more specialized doctor?
LMAO this is the more specialized doctor, i saw an ENT
the saline actually uses a mechanism which i… cannot recall the name of, where, by virtue of the saline having salt in it, the water/mucus of your nasal walls is pulled out, helping with decongestion (and, as an additional example, one can make or acquire extra salty saline, for a larger effect, although this is commonly associated with a mild burning sensation due to the… salt)
which is why a shower or steam bath doesn’t do the same thing, altho it certainly does help to have the saline be warm, or for your nasal passages to be warmed by one of those things before using the saline (i commonly use prepackaged saline (cold) in the shower (warm))
