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gcsjr · 05-08-2012, 09:09 AM

Hard to know where to start. First of all, regular X-rays are completely useless in diagnosing any kind of sinus disease so you shouldn't put too much credence in what you were told based on that. Diagnosing any type of sinus condition requires an endoscopic exam of your sinuses (by an ENT) and possibly a CT scan, so your next step should probably be to see an ENT.

In the meantime, the best regimen using over-the-counter medications would be:

1. Daily saline irrigation 2-3 times a day using a SinusRinse bottle (available at any drug store chain).

2. A daily non-drowsy antihistamine (generic Allegra, Claritin or Zyrtec). If you problem is allergy related this should help reduce the inflammation but you'll need to take it every day for a couple of weeks to really assess whether it's helping.

3. OTC oral decongestants (pseudoepedrine) as needed to help with congestion. Be sure you're using pseudoephedrine - which you generally have to get from the pharmacist even though you won't need a prescription - and not one of the other less effective decongestants that you can get without asking the pharmacist. It comes in 6,12 and 24 hour formulations but makes some people feel a little wired so it may be best to try the 6 hour formulation first so it doesn't impact your sleep.

As I said, you really should see an ENT to get an actual diagnosis (and a prescription for a steroid nasal spray). There is one other thing to consider: you mention that your chest hurts which makes me wonder if it's possible that your symptoms are acid reflux related. There is a form of acid reflux called LPR (Laryngopharyngeal reflux) that can cause sinus inflammation and post-nasal drip without the normal heartburn associated with reflux, so you may want to ask the ENT about that possibility as well.

05-08-2012, 09:09 AM	#5
gcsjr Senior Veteran (male) Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cleveland Posts: 1,230	Re: sinus infection hard to breath Hard to know where to start. First of all, regular X-rays are completely useless in diagnosing any kind of sinus disease so you shouldn't put too much credence in what you were told based on that. Diagnosing any type of sinus condition requires an endoscopic exam of your sinuses (by an ENT) and possibly a CT scan, so your next step should probably be to see an ENT. In the meantime, the best regimen using over-the-counter medications would be: 1. Daily saline irrigation 2-3 times a day using a SinusRinse bottle (available at any drug store chain). 2. A daily non-drowsy antihistamine (generic Allegra, Claritin or Zyrtec). If you problem is allergy related this should help reduce the inflammation but you'll need to take it every day for a couple of weeks to really assess whether it's helping. 3. OTC oral decongestants (pseudoepedrine) as needed to help with congestion. Be sure you're using pseudoephedrine - which you generally have to get from the pharmacist even though you won't need a prescription - and not one of the other less effective decongestants that you can get without asking the pharmacist. It comes in 6,12 and 24 hour formulations but makes some people feel a little wired so it may be best to try the 6 hour formulation first so it doesn't impact your sleep. As I said, you really should see an ENT to get an actual diagnosis (and a prescription for a steroid nasal spray). There is one other thing to consider: you mention that your chest hurts which makes me wonder if it's possible that your symptoms are acid reflux related. There is a form of acid reflux called LPR (Laryngopharyngeal reflux) that can cause sinus inflammation and post-nasal drip without the normal heartburn associated with reflux, so you may want to ask the ENT about that possibility as well.