Sinusitis FAQ

What next?

Question:

I was diagnosed with a major sinus infection and deviated septum by an ENT a couple of months ago. My only symptoms have been mucus draining down the throat and resultant dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).  I took six weeks (!) of amoxicillin, which helped but didn’t get rid of it.  I’m now on a month of Biaxin, which doesn’t seem to be doing anything except making my mouth taste like scrap metal.  I am using a neti pot daily, which seems to provide some short-term relief. Assuming the Biaxin doesn’t work, what is the doctor likely to recommend next?  Surgery?  What are the possible side effects of surgery for sinusitis, how likely are they, and how often does surgery work?  Are there other things that should be tried first?  I’m sick of antibiotics. My main concern is that I’m a singer and I won’t consent to any procedure that might leave my voice permanently damaged.  Of course, the sinusitis hasn’t been doing wonders for it either:  having mucus in the throat adversely affects the clarity of the high notes. Thanks, Matthew

Response:

Matthew I too am — or maybe I sshould start saying WAS — a professional singer when this stuff hit me.  The infections and inflammation have done permanent-feeling damage to my entire voice, from the way I breath and relax to the way I tense my vocal cords to the control of air passage through the sinus cavities.  Although I was told by  my ENT that surgery almost certainly would change my voice I no longer cared about my voice because I hadn’t been able to sing more than 20 minutes in a smokey bar in over a year and had gone on to the smokeless climes of academe.  But the surgery actually has been a major part of a terribly gradual restoration of my voice.  I still have pain and tension in my larynx and sinuses, but I can sing for an hour or more now.  I did a set back with an old band in texas in December, 3 months after my surgery, in a terribly smokey bar, and have felt slightly set back again since then.  And I am leaning strongly toward a revision surgery now.  My voice has actually changed significantly from before I got sick, but in ways I can stand — a little reedier, and oddly less raspy, and my lows have become weaker and highs a little less easy to pitch correctly.  At least I can sing.  And by now that seems a blessing. There are several ENTs around the country who specialize in singers’ voices.  Lots are around Nashville.  Several big country stars who have to sing through their sinuses have problems  – I recall that Patty Loveless had surgery on either sinuses or laynx 3 or 4 yrs ago.  And I know of a voice specialist here in Seattle who specializes in exercises to restore damaged voices, acc. to my own ENT, who thinks I have damaged the mechanics of my larynx by keeping my head and neck tense from the sinus pain. I haven’t called him yet, as it seems a bit extravagant, but I am tempted (it’s that or the Gibson J300, which would probably improve my music more than voice docs ever could!) My acupuncturist is also optimistic she can help my voice, which is  exciting because she sure has helped my pain. Good luck Best af – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -On Mon, 24 Feb 1997, Matthew Amster-Burton wrote: > I was diagnosed with a major sinus infection and deviated septum by an ENT > a couple of months ago. My only symptoms have been mucus draining down the > throat and resultant dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).  I took six weeks > (!) of amoxicillin, which helped but didn’t get rid of it.  I’m now on a > month of Biaxin, which doesn’t seem to be doing anything except making my > mouth taste like scrap metal.  I am using a neti pot daily, which seems to > provide some short-term relief. > Assuming the Biaxin doesn’t work, what is the doctor likely to recommend > next?  Surgery?  What are the possible side effects of surgery for > sinusitis, how likely are they, and how often does surgery work?  Are > there other things that should be tried first?  I’m sick of antibiotics. > My main concern is that I’m a singer and I won’t consent to any procedure > that might leave my voice permanently damaged.  Of course, the sinusitis > hasn’t been doing wonders for it either:  having mucus in the throat > adversely affects the clarity of the high notes. > Thanks, > Matthew

______________________________________________________________________ Aaron A. Fox                             Assistant Professor of Anthropology Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music The University of Washington  Box 353100, Seattle WA 98195-3100 FAX: 206-543-3285, TEL: 206-685-1811 EMAIL: a…@u.washington.edu    WWW: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~aaf/ ________________________________________________________________________ "A language consists of myriad tropes that have passed into its structure and content; but they are only playing possum and can be brought back to life at any time."           Paul Friedrich, "Polytropy" "Well the racoon up that ’simmon tree, And the possum down on that ground. Well the possum says to racoon, ‘I want you to shake me some ’simmons down.’ Aw me, aw aw my, Do Lawd, remember me."         Mance Lipscomb,  "Willie Poor Boy" (trad)

Response:

Filed under: Sinusitis Symptoms

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