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Is sinusitis a thing with us?

Nord Wolf

The Northman
Messages
564
Location
New England
My entire respiratory system has been compromised since developing ME. I do have lung damage, but the bronchial and sinuses also get inflamed to varying degrees. For me I have had skin and blood allergy testing done a few times. I have some digestive food allergies, but avoid them all. I have no environmental allergies, except to pollution, but luckily where I live the air is very clean. Anyway, I do notice that when I push it, prior to PEM, my sinuses, lungs and bronchial inflame. My sinuses tend to be dry, as do my mouth and throat.
If there is heavy pollen in the air, say during mid spring, I can get the sinus inflammation strongly, but it isn't from a histamine allergy reaction, but rather a simple irritant. My mucous membranes in general have gotten far more sensitive with the development of ME years ago.
Of course during PEM my respiratory system always inflames, many times to the point where I need to use my O2 concentrators.
I'm not sure why, what the mechanics are, but PEM or prior to, the inflammation in the respiratory system always flares. And again when there are lots of irritants in the air. But there are times when I am not in PEM, and the air is very clean that the respiratory inflammation happens. It is frustrating and very difficult to figure out.
Olive Leaf spray seems to help, as does saline nasal rinses. But rinsing too much, even once per day at times can strip the sinuses and cause more swelling in my case.
 

Emmarose47

Senior Member
Messages
2,115
Location
UK
Ah yes the sinuses they are such a delicate part of the body.. Tiny chambers.
I haven't had infection this past year which is good news.
Dust and heat create mine to block and I can get v stuffy.
Since moving I've been having the heating on more which is electric. It's such a drying heat and my sinus got blocked and created a lot of headache. Sometimes I get confused as clenching my jaw can create the headache too.
So I have committed to keep the heat low / off and having window open over nite. Also getting more fresh air even if that means just sticking my head out of the window.
Today I didn't have headache yippee! Cause I've had one for 2 wks...
Also been doing some nasal steaming and special nasal salt wash.. The effort is paying off 😊 gee it's hard work this being human malarkey
 
Messages
184
I had had horrible dry (non snot producing) sinuses for a decade. Numerous sinus infections. I also have horrible pollen and mold allergies my whole life. I realize this is a longshot for most, but my sinuses totally turned around when I was diagnosed with (non-pancreatitus) exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI).

As I recall, within two days of starting the Rx pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) my sinuses started to drain and become productive. It was like a long drought suddenly ended. I did not have the classic symptoms of EPI, yet my fecal elastase measured around 70. Severe insufficiency. My only symptoms were decades of loose stool. Hardly ever any diarrhea, just "loose." None of the other classic symptoms
 

linusbert

Senior Member
Messages
1,117
i am frequently congested, but i feel i am reacting to cloth.. means my bed, there is not much else around.

when mid march comes, exactly like these days, i always feel worse, a bit sick... like a slow crash. could be pollen season starting and my immune system adapting. also weather changed from winter to spring. it gets better after a few weeks.

i am starting a new theory. i am thinking about the body constantly being infected with all kinds of things. so basically sinusitis and everything else is lurking all the time for everyone. healthy people do have it, they just dont care.
its like a big stone wall were stupid zombies are attacking and defenders are just shooting arrows down.. rather relaxed.
for us chronic sick i think its more like zombies are attacking, the wall is more like a bad fence with wholes... defenders are out of ammo and need to engage in melee combat.
so infections are always there and always fought out. we are just to weak to handle that low load of microbial stress and are in a constant state of sickness.
that can also explain how people get infected with the flu or cold if they live completely distant in the woods in deepest canada. they were already infected... but when the immune system broke down due to further stressors , the sickness got a hold.

in that case the idea of fighting off the infection and finally get remission when its fought off never will come to reality. the remission might come when the immune system is strong enough to handle the constant low frequency zombie attacks.
 

Emmarose47

Senior Member
Messages
2,115
Location
UK
@linusbert agree .
I am following medical medium Anthony Williams and doing many things to help.
His stance is that our bodies are inhibited by pathogens and viruses.. Western society is getting sicker as time goes on ....
 

lenora

Senior Member
Messages
4,913
I live in TX and even before we moved here (45 yrs. ago), my husband suffered from severe allergies. Really bad and he had to have allergy injections just to control his symptoms...which are the opposite of mine.

There seems to be an allergist's office on each corner....TX is one of the worst places in the country for allergies. I was never bothered in the heat of the summer, but now anything goes. Year round and I put everything off to allergies. No, unless you have something like a sinus infection (feel it around one or both eyes, the eyebrow(s) and under the eye...the cheek feels like it's going to blow off. Antibiotics won't help unless there is an infection...bronchitis is a problem and then, of course, pneumonia. Antibiotics will work for the latter.

Allergies are no joke and we can have mold, mildew, food and other allergies in addition to the outside ones. It's constant vigilance as to what's important and what's OK to overlook. The nasal sprays help a lot of people, one is now OTC (my husband uses it) while the same thing does nothing for me. (Used to be by prescription...a cortisone of some sort.)

I don't want to add one more doctor to my rather extensive list, so haven't gone to an allergist but I will say that Rod's life is now a whole lot easier. To think that I used to wonder what sinus headaches were at one time! Scented anything will set them off and those candles!

Most people have deviated symptoms, so surgery won't help you get rid of your allergies. Good luck with them....better luck than I've had. P.S. Most people from elsewhere have them. Also, you have them when you return to your home territory. As we get older our immune systems get weaker and they occur. At least I don't have asthma. Yours, Lenora
 

2Cor.12:19

Senior Member
Messages
280
I have suffered sinusitis / congestion for years .. at first it would get infected now it's just congestion / pain .
It's my whole left side lymph node , ear and sinuses ...
Any experience / knowledge ?
Yep. From the get-go when I got sick 36 years ago. Been to umpteen ENT’s for post nasal drip. Mine is worse on the right sinus and only plugs up enough to bother me at night when I lay down . I use one little squirt of Afrin on the right side so I can sleep. I knew you’re not supposed to use that for more than 3 days and I take breaks from it. But if I don’t I don’t sleep.
 

GreenEdge

Senior Member
Messages
563
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Is sinusitis a thing with us?

Every auto-immune condition is a thing with us. You get one, you're more susceptible to getting more.

ME/CFS is an auto-immune condition
The fact that ME/CFS affects more females than male is proof. The female immune system is much more complicated because it needs to accept and nurture another person (foreign cells) within her.
 
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Emmarose47

Senior Member
Messages
2,115
Location
UK
Mine happens over nite and during weather season changes...
A friend who suffers said she raised the bed head ( by putting books under the bed) and she found it helped...
Not sure it would be good for my back ache but could be worth a try
 

Emmarose47

Senior Member
Messages
2,115
Location
UK
Yep. From the get-go when I got sick 36 years ago. Been to umpteen ENT’s for post nasal drip. Mine is worse on the right sinus and only plugs up enough to bother me at night when I lay down . I use one little squirt of Afrin on the right side so I can sleep. I knew you’re not supposed to use that for more than 3 days and I take breaks from it. But if I don’t I don’t sleep.
I hear you yep I use a nasal spray sometimes..
Steaming helps and also salt rinse helps the passages stay moist and freer