Sinus Infection Moved To Chest

Sinus Infection Turned Into Chest Congestion Started Having Productive Cough Suggestions On Speedy Recovery

Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!

Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!

HealthTap doctors are based in the U.S., board certified, and available by text or video.

Color Of Nasal Discharge With Colds

• The nasal discharge changes color during different stages of a cold. This is normal.
• It starts as a clear discharge and later becomes cloudy.
• Sometimes it becomes yellow or green colored for a few days. This is still normal.
• Colored discharge is common after sleep, with allergy medicines or with low humidity. Reason: all of these events decrease the amount of normal nasal secretions.

The Following 10 Tips Can Help Keep Your Nose Sinuses And Lungs Healthy This Fall And Winter

1. Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water to keep the mucous produced by your nasal, sinus and respiratory passages thin and flowing. This will prevent stagnant mucous from building up in your sinuses and lungs. When thick mucous is retained for long periods of time in the sinuses and lungs bacteria may flourish in that environment leading to sinus infection, bronchitis or pneumonia. Adequate hydration by drinking water helps to prevent thick mucous.

2. Rinse the nasal passages with saline solution. Washing the nasal mucous membranes with saline solution eliminates irritating particles, allergens and thick mucous from the nose and sinus drainage passage ways. Saline solution also stimulates the lining of the nose and sinuses to clean themselves better. Little microscopic hairs called cilia move more frequently when exposed to saline resulting in egress of mucous from the nose and sinuses. Many products are available over-the-counter to rinse the nose with saline including Neil Med® Sinus Rinse, Simply Saline® and Neti Pot. Remember to use distilled water to mix the saline rather than tap water or bottled drinking water. 1, 2

3. Keep doors and windows closed on poor air quality days. As the temperatures drop in the Valley it is tempting to open our homes to the more temperate desert air. This can allow dust, air pollution and allergens to enter the home and our nose and lungs causing inflammation, swelling and increased mucous production.

Ryan M. Rehl, M.D.

Also Check: Does Keflex Treat Sinus Infection

How Is Sinus Infection Diagnosed

Diagnosis depends on symptoms and requires an examination of the throat, nose and sinuses. Your allergist will look for:

• Redness
• Discolored nasal discharge
• Bad Breath

If your sinus infection lasts longer than eight weeks, or if standard antibiotic treatment is not working, a sinus CT scan may help your allergist diagnose the problem. Your allergist may examine your nose or sinus openings. The exam uses a long, thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera and a light at one end that is inserted through the nose. It is not painful. Your allergist may give you a light anesthetic nasal spray to make you more comfortable.

Mucus cultures: If your sinus infection is chronic or has not improved after several rounds of antibiotics, a mucus culture may help to determine what is causing the infection. Most mucus samples are taken from the nose. However, it is sometimes necessary to get mucus directly from the sinuses.

Knowing what kind of bacteria is causing the infection can lead to more effective antibiotic therapy. A fungus could also cause your sinus infection. Confirming the presence of fungus is important. Fungal sinus infection needs to be treated with antifungal agents, rather than antibiotics. In addition, some forms of fungal sinus infection allergic fungal sinus infection, for example do not respond to antifungal agents and often require the use of oral steroids.

Sinusitis Wont Go Away Consider Balloon Sinuplasty

Whether this is your first bout with sinusitis that wont go away or you experience sinus infections on a regular basis, you should know that getting rid of sinusitis is well within reach.

At Sinus Solutions of South Florida, Dr. Napoleon G. Bequer has provided hundreds of patients with relief from chronic sinusitis using the balloon sinuplasty procedure. So if you have sinusitis that wont go away, contact us online, call us at 561-790-7744, or take our sinus quiz today to see if youre a viable candidate for balloon sinuplasty.

Related Resources:

You May Like: Is Mucinex Good For A Sinus Infection

Treatment For Chronic Bronchitis

There is no cure for chronic bronchitis. Treatments to relieve symptoms and prevent complications include:

• Inhaled medications that dilate the airways and decrease inflammation may help reduce symptoms such as wheezing.

• Antibiotics to fight infections

• Corticosteroids may occasionally be used during flare-ups of wheezing or in people with severe bronchitis that does not respond to other treatments.

• Oxygen therapy may be needed in severe cases.

Treatment will help symptoms, but chronic bronchitis is a long-term condition that keeps coming back or never goes away completely.

What Causes Sinus Infections

Sinus infections are caused by allergies, air pollution, and nose structure. Its important to take note of what triggers your sinuses. Are you more likely to get a sinus infection from mold, for example? Is dust the culprit? Or are your sinus infections brought on by less common causes, such as diabetes, autoimmune disorder, or a fungal infection?

Once you know what causes your sinus infections, reduce your risk of getting sinusitis by washing your hands frequently, avoiding touching your face, drying your hair after showering, receiving immunization shots, making your environment more sinus friendly by cleaning your house and replacing your air filter regularly, and avoiding smoking, people who smoke, sudden temperature changes , and caffeine or alcohol.

If your sinus infections are caused by allergies, try taking antihistamines. Sinusitis caused by fungal infections can be avoided with antifungal medicine. Finally, if you have immune deficiencies, immunoglobulin can help fight the irritants that cause sinus infections. Frequent or serious sinus infections and ear infections may indicate that you have acute or chronic sinusitis. Fortunately, there are treatment options for receiving lasting relief, even from acute or chronic sinusitis.

Also Check: What To Use For Sinus Infection

Types Of Sinus Medicines

The combination of sinus infection medicine is used for the temporary treatment for the symptoms of sinus like flu, cold, allergies, and other breathing problems.

The Decongestants medicines are helping you to relieve a stuffy nose. Stuffy nose is the most irritating problem triggered by the inflammation in the blood vessels of the sinus. Due to the acute upper respiratory infection, the blood vessels can be disturbed because of cold and sinus infection. Decongestants medicine is helping to relieve this problem.

Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen medicines are the most commonly used sinus medicine it is a non-aspirin pain reliever and the fever reducer, which helps to reduce the pain.

Antihistamines

The Antihistamines medicines are designed for resisting the action of histamine this is one of the chemicals that is generated in the body for allergic reactions like itches in eyes, nose, throat, and watery eye and running nose problem. Also, these medicines help to reduce nasal stuffiness and mucus production. If you have any allergies due to the sinus, your healthcare provider refers to add this medicine for your treatment.

Antibiotic

Sometimes your healthcare provider will collect the mucus from the nose and send it to the laboratory to check the bacteria infection. This test will also help to choose the antibiotic for bacteria infections. Using antibiotics leads to bacterial resistance and side effects, so you have to use the antibiotics carefully and thoughtfully.

Risk Factors For Sinus Drainage

There are a variety of risk factors for sinus drainage. People that are more likely to experience sinus drainage are people with a medical condition, such as cystic fibrosis or human immunodeficiency virus / acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a deviated septum, or an allergic condition. Sinus drainage is one of the main symptoms that is related to allergies.

Read Also: Dr Atkins San Antonio Sinus

Neilmed Sinus Rinse Starter Kit

For effective removal of accumulated mucus, NeilMed Sinus Rinse Starter Kit can be an ideal product. This formulation allows users to achieve a deep rinse, cleaning out most of the accumulation to free out the airways. Whats more, the rinse also incorporates safe ingredients, making it a safe solution for users as young as 2 years of age.

The rinse is highly effective, providing relief from congestion for up to 6 hours after use. The only concern that some users have with the product is that it can be a hassle to use, especially when you are out or away from home.

Symptoms Of A Sinus Infection

The primary symptoms of a sinus infection could be initially mistaken for the common cold, including a stuffed up nose and a decrease in your senses of taste and smell. However, other symptoms such as pain or pressure around the sinuses, achy teeth, and thick yellow or green mucus indicate that your cold has progressed into a sinus infection. Additionally, cold symptoms that last longer than a week may be a sign you have sinusitis. Other symptoms associated with a sinus infection include:

• Headache
• Phlegm-producing cough or a cough that gets worse at night

Don’t Miss: How To Clean Your Nose Sinus

Think You Have A Sinus Infection

Sinus infections can be viral or bacterial in nature. If your symptoms arent improving after 10 days or are getting worse, your infection could be bacterial. A healthcare provider can prescribe antibiotics to clear up the infection.

How do you know if you have a sinus infection and not just a bad head cold? It can be tricky to tell. In general, if youve had a cold for more than a week that wont go away or seems like its getting worse, you could be dealing with a sinus infection.

Common sinus infection symptoms

When To See A Doctor

In some cases, at-home remedies might not do the trick. If you arenât feeling better after a few days, have a fever that isnât going away, are wheezing, or canât seem to shake the infection, make an appointment with your doctor. Chest congestion may indicate a condition more serious than the common cold or bronchitis.

Recommended Reading: How Do I Know Of I Have A Sinus Infection

Which Medications Open The Sinuses Will Antibiotics Cure Sinus Infections

Medications that Cure Sinus Infections

The goal in treating sinus infections is to eliminate bacteria from the sinus cavities with antibiotics. This helps prevent complications, relieve symptoms, and reduce the risk of chronic sinusitis.

• In acute, uncomplicated sinus infections, a synthetic penicillin, for example, amoxicillin , which is prescribed to most people to cure acute sinus infections. Amoxicilin is effective against the ususal causes of sinus infections, and is inexpensive. The most common side effects of amoxicillin include allergic reactions and an upset stomach.
• People allergic to penicillin can take a sulfur-containing antibiotic called trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole or TMP/SMX . Sulfa drugs are not recommended for people who are allergic to sulfur.
• People who have several episodes, or partially treated acute sinusitis or those who have chronic sinusitis may become resistant to amoxicillin and TMP/SMX. Synthetic penicillins and cephalosporins such as amoxicillin/clavulanate , cefuroxime , and loracarbef can cure most sinus infections.
• Eventually, overuse of these “broad-spectrum” antibiotics may lead to organisms evolving that can resist even the most potent antibiotics available. Simpler antibiotics, for example, amoxicillin, should be used first and taken for the entire duration .

Medications to Keep the Sinuses Open

OTC Steroid Nasal Sprays

• ciclesonide

Nasal Sprays

Steroids are potent inhibitors of inflammation.

Treatment For Sinus Drainage

If your sinus drainage is the result of allergies and your physician is able to pinpoint which allergen causes it, then your physician may recommend immunotherapy for treatment. This will increase your exposure to the allergen, with the goal of getting your body used to the allergen and overtime, will decrease the reaction. There are also many medications that your physician may recommend, such as: pain killers, decongestants, saline spray, antibiotics, or corticosteroids.

Recommended Reading: Remedies For Severe Sinus Congestion

How Do I Know If I Have A Sinus Infection

Symptoms of a sinus infection often include headaches caused by the pressure and swelling of the sinuses or sinus cavities. Serious sinus pressure may mean your ears wont pop. Other symptoms include pain in your ears, pain below your eyes, and sinus discharge, which will appear as a green-yellow color. Sinus discharge, which may inflame your sinuses, can result in congestion.

Which Medications Help Drain The Sinuses

Home remedies that open and hydrate the sinuses may promote drainage. Please refer to home remedies for information about how to:

• Increase daily fluids
• Take expectorants and pain relievers
• Irrigate the sinuses with saline

If environmental allergies cause sinusitis, antihistamines may help reduce swelling of the mucous membranes. Allergens stimulate white blood cells in the blood and tissues to release histamine into the circulation, which causes nasal congestion.

• Some of the older sedating OTC antihistamines are no longer recommended because they tend to dry out and thicken the mucus, making drainage more difficult.
• Non-sedating antihistamines such as fexofenadine , cetirizine , levocetirizine , loratadine , or desloratadine do not seem to dry out the mucosa. If nasal congestion is severe, a decongestant can be added .

Don’t Miss: What Can Be Taken For Sinus Infection

Untreated Sinus Infection Risks

Sinus infections often start to improve on their own after about 10 days. If your symptoms last longer without improving or if they worsen, a doctor may need to treat the underlying cause of the infection.

If a sinus infection affects a sinus cavity close to the brain, it can spread to the brain if left untreated. Though rare, an infection can also pass into the eye socket and cause vision changes or blindness. These types of infections are more common in kids.

While uncommon, a serious fungal sinus infection left untreated may pass into the bones.

Make an appointment with a doctor if you have severe symptoms, or if the following symptoms last longer than 10 days or keep coming back:

• fever
• congestion
• facial pain

Because the cause of your sinus infection can affect your treatment options, its important to see a doctor for a diagnosis. The Healthline FindCare tool can provide options in your area if youre looking for a doctor.

If you believe you have chronic or recurring sinusitis, consider asking for a referral to an otolaryngologist, also known as an ear, nose, and throat specialist. You may need imaging and other tests to determine the cause of your symptoms.

An ENT specialist can take a culture of nose drainage to better understand the cause of an infection. The ENT specialist can also examine the sinuses more closely and look for any problem in the structure of the nasal passages that could lead to chronic sinus problems.

• earaches

Cold Symptoms Vs Sinus Infection Symptoms

Colds and sinus infections share many of the same symptoms, including a stuffy and runny nose, sinus pressure, headache and feeling tired. But there are a few symptoms to watch for that may mean youre suffering from a sinus infection and not just a cold. They are:

• Severe pressure and pain in your upper jaw or cheekbones
• A high or persistent fever
• Thick yellow or green mucus draining from your nose or down the back of your throat
• Bad breath

The length of time youve been suffering with symptoms can also be an important clue. Cold symptoms will generally begin to improve in three to five days. If you find youre still suffering after 10 days or longer, its likely that youve developed a sinus infection. If your symptoms improve and then suddenly get worse again, thats another clue. This pattern suggests that what began as a cold or viral sinusitis has now developed into a bacterial sinus infection.

Also Check: Remedy For Swollen Sinus Passages

Eat Or Inhale The Steam From Some Garlic Cloves

Before you throw that garlic into tonights dinner recipe, you may want to consider saving a few cloves for yourself garlic is believed to have both anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that make it useful in treating a host of problems, including congestion related to colds. Research has shown that people who were given garlic supplements for 12 weeks during the cold season had significantly fewer colds than those who didnt take the garlic supplement.

For those who arent fond of the pungent taste and smell of raw garlic, try garlic sautéed with vegetables or pasta. You can also breathe in some garlic steam: Slice up a few cloves of garlic and put them in a small pot along with a cup of water, heat until steaming, and then carefully inhale the garlic steam at arms length.

Also Check: Why Do Sinus Infections Happen

Diagnosing The Cause Of Wheezing

Your doctor will ask you questions like:

• How long have you been wheezing?
• Does it happen when you exercise?
• Do you wheeze all the time?
• Do you wheeze more during the day, or at night?
• Does rest help control it?
• Do you wheeze when you breathe in, or out, or both in and out?
• Do you smoke?
• Do certain foods seem to cause your wheezing?

Theyâll listen to your breathing and the sounds your lungs make. They might do tests like:

• X-rays to get a picture of your lungs
• Lung function tests to see how well theyâre working
• Blood test to check your oxygen levels.

If your child is wheezing, their doctor might check to see if theyâve swallowed or inhaled something small.

Recommended Reading: Foods To Avoid With Sinus Congestion

You May Like: What Antibiotics Can Treat A Sinus Infection