Tips From A Dental Hygienist
Metallic taste and sinus infections can negatively affect your overall quality of life. As a Registered Dental Hygienist, I would like to share some tips with you! As always, if you have any health concerns or questions, consult with your healthcare professionals.
Do not regularly drink sugary beverages. Sipping on high sugar beverages will significantly increase your risk for cavities as well as other oral health infections.
Moreover, make sure you are visiting your dentist regularly for routine check-ups and cleanings to stay on top of your oral health. Poor oral health not only effects your mouth but it may also affect your overall systemic health.
It is crucial to be aware of your metallic taste symptoms, especially if you have chronic sinus infections.
What To Do With Smelly Mucus In Nose
To diagnose sinus infection, your doctor will conduct a medical history and perform a physical examination. He or she may also take an X-ray or CT scan of your head if you are not responding to the initial medication.
- Drugs are usually the first treatment choice for sinusitis. Decongestants will allow the smelly nasal discharge to clear and will ease the swelling in the sinuses.
- Your doctor may also recommend steam treatment or inhaling the vapor from a hot shower to loosen the mucus.
- If the symptoms continue for more than 10 days, you could be prescribed antibiotics. In rare cases, surgery may be performed to allow for adequate drainage from the nose.
Home Remedies for Relief
Try A Homemade Saltwater Rinse
Using a saltwater rinse can help temporarily reduce the intensity of a bad smell in the nose.
To make a saltwater rinse at home:
People can also use a soft rubber ear bulb syringe or a commercial nasal saline rinse product from a drug store.
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Signs Of A Sinus Infection
A sinus infection is something you want to deal with right away to prevent it from escalating. However, its not easy to discern between the different symptoms and what they mean. After all, an infection manifests itself in a similar way to the flu or a cold, so you cant always act decisively.
With that in mind, here are some signs you have a sinus infection and should see an ear, nose and throat doctor.
Anosmia Stinks: When You Lose Your Sense Of Smell
About 30 million of us will suffer from a cold or sinus infection this year. In the midst of the aches, burning throat, lethargy, stuffy head, fever and general yuckiness, many of us will also notice that things dont taste as good. Or that flavors seem dulled, or faint.
Thats usually due to inflamed sinus passages. Your ability to taste and smell will usually rally and return once the inflammation is gone. While a temporarily dulled sense of taste is a nuisance, for 99 percent of cold sufferers, thats all it is: a few days of annoyance.
However, for thousands of cold sufferers each year, this loss of smell and a diminished ability to taste become persistent. Even with a full recovery from the acute nasal stuffiness that accompanies a cold or sinus infection, for some, a change in taste can last months. For an unfortunate few it can last years or even for the rest of their lives. Its called anosmia.
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What Causes Bad Smell In The Nose
Encountering unpleasant smells is a part of life. But some medical issues can cause lingering smell in the nose with no apparent source. While most are not serious, the sensation can be unpleasant and affect quality of life. Treatment in most cases can provide relief. Below are some of the most common causes of bad smell in the nose.
- Medical Author: Carol DerSarkissian, MD
Reviewed on 6/15/2020
Do you have a stuffy nose? Do you have fullness or pain over your cheeks and forehead? Its possible that your symptoms could be due to the common cold or a sinus infection caused by either a virus or bacteria. Pay attention to your symptoms. If they get worse or dont get better after a few days, check in with your doctor to come into the office.
While the list below can be considered as a guide to educate yourself about these conditions, this is not a substitute for a diagnosis from a health care provider. There are many other medical conditions that also can be associated with your symptoms and signs. Here are a number of those from MedicineNet:
Why Does My Husband Smell Different
Changes to body odor may be due to puberty, excessive sweating, or poor hygiene. Sudden changes are typically caused by the environment, medications, or foods that you eat. However, body odor, especially sudden and persistent changes to your normal odor, can sometimes be a sign of an underlying condition.
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What Are Sinus Infections
Sinusitis or sinus infection is a medical condition in which the cavities around the nasal passages become inflamed. Cold or allergies can trigger sinusitis, and in most cases, it gets resolved on its own. Chronic sinusitis, on the other hand, can be caused by some infection and last up to eight weeks.
Here are some of the common symptoms to look out for headache, nasal congestion, facial pain, runny nose, and bad breath . You may also experience pressure behind your eyes and cheeks and occasionally have a stuffy nose as well. In acute cases, one can also experience fever, fatigue, cough, and postnasal drip.
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How Does Sinus Infection Cause Bad Breath
Sinusitis clogs up the nose and causes dryness in the mouth. Plus, the mucus in the infected sinuses smells bad, so it leaves an unpleasant odour when the air you exhale comes in contact with it, leading to bad breath. While a good oral care routine is important to not make the condition worse, halitosis that occurs due to an inflamed nasal tract does not go away on its own. Bad breath due to sinus can only go away when the sinus is treated.
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Symptoms And Diagnosis Of Fungal Sinusitis
The symptoms of fungal sinusitis are consistent with other forms of sinusitis and can include the following:
- Pain or the feeling of pressure in or around the face
- Loss of smell
If you have a known immunodeficiency, fungal sinusitis may also produce the following symptoms:
- Swelling in or around the face or cheeks
- Facial numbness
- Changes in the color of your skin, either towards a more pale or darker complexion
Diagnosis of fungal sinusitis will involve your ENT specialist performing a physical exam, analyzing your symptoms, and considering other conditions that may affect fungal sinusitis.
Check If You Have Sinusitis
Sinusitis is common after a cold or flu.
Symptoms of sinusitis include:
- pain, swelling and tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead
- a blocked nose
- a reduced sense of smell
- green or yellow mucus from your nose
- a sinus headache
- toothache
- bad breath
Signs of sinusitis in young children may also include irritability, difficulty feeding, and breathing through their mouth.
The sinuses are small, empty spaces behind your cheekbones and forehead that connect to the inside of the nose.
Sinusitis causes the lining of the sinuses to swell up.
This stops mucus draining into your nose and throat properly, making you feel blocked up.
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An Introduction To Your Sinuses
You have four pairs of sinuses located around your nose and eyes. These air-filled chambers vibrate, adding tonality to your speech, and the mucous membranes that line them filter the air you breathe.
The membranes, or mucosa, can produce up to a quart of mucus per day. As the mucus continually drains away down the back of your throat, it traps bacteria, germs, and viruses. The mucus also keeps your throat and nasal cavities from feeling dried out and scratchy. When you have a sinus infection, your sinus cavities swell and stop draining. The trapped mucus can become infected, causing even more congestion and inflammation, which causes further swelling and blockage. Its a vicious cycle. When this happens over and over, or happens and doesnt go away for weeks or months, you have sinusitis.
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Tell Sinus Infection Odors Smell Ya Later With Balloon Sinuplasty
Dr. Kaplan of Kaplan Sinus Relief is a pioneer of the balloon sinuplasty procedure in Houston. His practice is currently the only private practice in the nation using TGS navigation, the state-of-the-art technology that uses augmented reality to make procedures including balloon sinuplasty safer and more accurate.
Kaplan Sinus Relief also offers patients with anxiety around procedures the option to have balloon sinuplasty with IV sedation.
Dont let your sinus infection and sinus infection odors fester and become an untreated sinus infection. Join the thousands of patients that Dr. Kaplan and the staff at Kaplan Sinus Relief have helped to breathe easier again.
To learn more about what to expect after balloon sinuplasty, call our offices at 713-766-1818 or request an appointment online today.
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How Can I Prevent Loss Of Taste In The Future
Preventing sinus infections from developing in the first place is the best way to ensure you keep enjoying your meals.
If youre prone to seasonal allergies, make regular sinus irrigation a habit during the seasons that affect you the most.
You may also want to talk to an ENT doctor about treating your allergies more aggressively with prescription allergy medications to prevent the swelling that blocks the sinuses.
Other Remedies For Symptom Relief
Staying hydrated can help thin mucus to ease congestion.
Drinking hot liquids such as tea and broth may help relieve your symptoms. Breathing in moist air may also help relieve the discomfort that comes with nasal congestion. Try breathing in steam from the shower, a bowl of hot water, or a mug of tea.
If your voice is hoarse, rest it by avoiding yelling, whispering, and singing.
Placing a warm compress over the inflamed area can help reduce pressure and provide relief.
damages the natural protective elements of your nose, mouth, throat, and respiratory system.
If you smoke, consider quitting. Ask a doctor if you need help or are interested in quitting. Quitting may help prevent future episodes of both acute and chronic sinusitis.
Wash your hands frequently, especially during cold and flu seasons, to keep your sinuses from becoming irritated or infected by viruses or bacteria on your hands.
Using a humidifier during the cooler, dryer months may also help prevent sinus infections.
Talk with a doctor to see if allergies are causing your sinusitis. If youre allergic to something that causes persistent sinus symptoms, you will likely need to treat your allergies to relieve your sinus infection.
You may need to seek an allergy specialist to determine the cause of the allergy. The specialist may suggest:
- avoiding the allergen
- doing allergic immunotherapy
Keeping your allergies under control can help prevent repeated episodes of sinusitis.
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Can Sinus Infection Cause Bad Odor
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It Smells Like Ammonia
Sneezes that give off an ammonia aroma or a hint of urine should give you pause.
This is likely linked to kidney problems, Dr. Del Signore says. When you have a kidney issue, ammonia is not excreted efficiently, and thus there is a buildup of exhaled ammonia, he explains.
Consider an ammonia-smelling sneeze to be a red flag, and see your doctor as soon as possible.
Related Reading
Fungal sinusitis can be quite severe in anyone with a compromised immune system, and can cause:
- Changes of the skin
- Facial swelling of cheeks or eyelids
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What Does Halitosis Smell Like
Sometimes, halitosis can be easily attributed to something you ate. It is understandable that your breath will smell like garlic for the hours after you eat garlic, for example. Sometimes, however, bad breath can indicate a medical condition, which may be serious. The type of bad breath you have can help your doctor determine any underlying medical issues, so, if you have any of the types of halitosis outlined below, see your dentist and your medical practitioner to address the bad breath and the underlying issue.
Breath that smells sulfuric, resembling the smell of rotten eggs, may indicate a problem with the digestive tracts. When healthy gut microbes break down sulfur, this releases sulfur-smelling gas. This may be caused by GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, which is caused by stomach acids seeping back up from the stomach into the esophagus, or it may indicate other concerns with the digestive system.
If your breath smells sweet or fruity, this may indicate ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is a serious complication of diabetes, usually type 1 diabetes. When the body produces insufficient insulin, as with diabetes, the burning of fats produces ketones. The smell of ketones may resemble acetone, with a sharply fruity aroma. This sharply fruity, acetone aroma may also be caused by chronic kidney failure, which may also be a symptom of diabetes.
Should I Go To The Doctor To Make Sure My Symptoms Are *not* Covid
Both experts agree that if you have any of the symptoms above, you should check in with your health care provider. However, this doesnt mean you need to actually go see your doctor just yet.
A lot of doctors office are offering telemedicine, which may be a good way to reduce your exposure, along with the health care providers exposure, says Dr. Shanker-Patel. Most have protocols in place to try to discern these types of infections from one another, so your best bet is to discuss any and all symptoms with them, and they can provide you with the best guidance.
A few things to think about before doing a telemedicine check-in that can also help you gauge whether you could have COVID: Have you been exposed to someone that was sick? Have you done any recent travel? says Dr. Del Signore. Considering those that you have been around and plan to be around if youre not feeling well are also important screening factors.
The bottom line: The symptoms of a sinus infection and COVID-19 may appear similarly in some cases, so check in with your doctor if you are concerned youve been exposed to the novel coronavirus.
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Loss Of Smell And Taste
A side effect of nasal congestion is that you will find it challenging to smell or taste. Again, the swelling is to blame since the scents and aromas you are used to cant reach the top of the nose.
Sometimes, the inflammation presses down on the nervous system, impacting the signal that triggers taste and smell. Allergies and a cold can also cause these symptoms, which is why its vital to speak to a professional ENT doctor if youre concerned.
Pink Mucus Or Mucus With Red Flecks
Cold, dry air can irritate your nasal lining and have you reaching for the tissue box more. Sometimes all that nose-blowing can leave traces of pink, red or light brown mucus in your tissue. Usually this is nothing to worry about its just a sign youre a little dried out. Saline spray and a humidifier can usually help relieve symptoms.
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How Your Sense Of Smell Works
Taste and smell disorders are the cause of many thousands of individuals in the U.S. to see a doctor every year. Fortunately, for most individuals, anosmia is only a temporary problem caused by a seriously stuffy nose from a cold. After the cold goes away, their sense of smell comes back.
However, for some individuals, including many seniors, anosmia is persistent and it could indicate a more serious health condition.
Like your sense of taste, your sense of smell is a part of your chemical senses . You have the ability to smell due to olfactory sensory neurons . Each olfactory neuron has an odor receptor. Substances around you release microscopic molecules whether the substances are pine trees or coffee brewing. These microscopic molecules stimulate the odor receptors.
Once the molecules are detected by the neurons, the neurons send messages to your brain, identifying the smell. The environment has more smells in it than you have receptors, and one molecule can stimulate a group of receptors which creates a unique representation in your brain. Your brain registers these representations as a specific smell.
There are two pathways in which smells reach your olfactory sensory neurons.