Sinusitis FAQ

Beginner asks sinusitis / blocked nostril / dry nose questions

Question:

Hello, First of all, let me thank the frequent newsgroup posters and FAQ contributors for excellent work done. I’m just sorry I didn’t find this place years ago… I’ve read the FAQ, some usenet archives and this is my first post. Please be gentle Some background and description of my conditions: I have had "dry nose and congested nose" as far as I can remember. I’ve seen numerous ENTs about it and they say it’s "normal" and the only thing I can do is use "saline/salt sprays". Nobody sees anything abnormal in my condition, they think my nose/cavities looks ok. This dry nose means that I have constantly blocked nostrils, especially on the left one. They slowly build up of dry mucus which I can’t even get out by blowing my nose. I try not to blow too hard these days, but not even hard blowing helps. Often I dig it out, although I know it’s not good. It’s a very tough habit to control when I’m lost in though (or sleeping). I’ve been tested for allergies and have none (normal ‘prick test’). We clean our flat regularly and use linen/materials meant for allergic people. I have no polyps, my mucous membranes are "normal" according to ENTS, perhaps sometimes "slightly irritated" according to them. According to one of the ENTs I’ve seen, I have slightly enlarged left nostril cavity which likely contributes to the left nostril getting so dried up with mucus so quickly. There is a treatment for this: surgical implantation of metallic/ceramic (I forget which) rods into the cartillage to support the area better. You can guess I’m not very interested in that. I have had acute (not chronic) sinusitis perhaps 4-6 times in my adult life many years ago. I’ve never been punctured (i.e. cavities pumped dry through surgery), but have been on a couple of antibiotics for the duration of my sinusitis. I don’t use decongestants or antihistamines. I like spicy food and it tends to help my dry nose, by making my nose drip with clear runny mucus. However, my intestinal tract (I’m diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome) doesn’t like the spicy food that much. I also have another thing blocking my breathing through my nose. When I go to sleep I usually end up picking my nose (digging out the dry stuff that completely blocks airflow) in my sleep. First I though this was helpful, but not anymore. It often results in bleeding membranes and even more clogged nose. Also, when I lie on my side, it’s as if there is a blockage that moves from my one nostril to another, depending on which side I lie on. This blockage is different from the dry mucus that also blocks my nostrils. Or so it feels. I don’t often get colds and I haven’t had sinusitis in a long time (10 years or so). Three days ago the symptoms started and I’m now in the middle of headache/eyeache/constant clear mucus with yellow spots/throat ache/etc phase. I can’t be 100% sure, but boy does this feel like sinusitis again. I feel totally drained out. I usually don’t get sinusitis anymore and I attribute it to my mostly vegetarian (+fish) diet, regular sport regimen and regular intake of fish oil, zinc, vitamin c, garlic, some echinae and asetylic acid (when I get symptoms of a cold). However, if I lapse from my orderly regimen for longer periods and get really stressed, then I’m in the danger zone. At least this is how I explain my situation to me. Now, my questions are: – Is there anything I can do about my constant dry nose and inability to   breath freely at night? Nose sprays don’t seem to help me a lot,   except perhaps pure sesame oil spray, but I find even that causes   me to pick my nose during sleep. – The air where I live is very dry esp. during wintertime. Is it   safe to use humidifiers to help with my condition. How about   sleeping in much colder temperature (currently 20-21C)? Every time   I go into the wild and sleep outdoors, I breath more freely and   my nose is less congested. Unfortunately I can’t sleep in the   wild all the time – Are there any tricks to help me stop picking my nose (I’m willing to   try almost anything, like hypnotism or whatever)? I’ve tried forcing   myself out of it with sheer will-power and wearing gloves during   night, but they don’t help that much. I also cut my fingernails really   short to discourage picking, but it doesn’t help, it just makes me   dig more it seems (although I do get less bleeding with short   nails). – Is this blockage that moves from one nostril to another "normal"?   Is there anything I can do about it (sans surgery)? Somehow sleeping   on my back doesn’t feel comfortable for me (I can breath better, but   it doesn’t "feel" right). – I think I’m probably in "higher risk group" for sinusitis due to my   constantly blocked nose, difficulties in breathing, sometimes blowing   my nose too hard and habitually picking my nose. Is this true, or are   these two symptoms (dry nose/picking and sinusitis) unrelated in their   epidemology? – I loathe surgery (last option for me) and dislike antibiotics. Is   irrigation something I can do while I have acute sinusitis? What   treatments should I avoid when I have an acute infection going on? – What else should I be aware of? I tried to write down most things that   I already know, so anything else is very welcome information for me. I know this is a lot of information to digest, but I couldn’t find the answers clearly in the FAQ or using Google (or maybe I just didn’t understand it). So please, any advice is very much welcomed by me. Thank you. Best regards,  Pasi K. — Pasi Kein

Filed under: Acute sinusitis

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