Sinus Infection Control

[sickboy]

So I've got a sinus infection right now, and because of classes and scheduling reasons I can't get to the doctor until next week. I've been using a saline nasal spray like I have in the past, but it doesn't seem to be helping this time. It's actually getting worse, I can't even valsalva on the one side. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to control it until I can get to the doctor?

 

[feddoc]

How about an ER visit?

 

[Rocketman]

So I've got a sinus infection right now, and because of classes and scheduling reasons I can't get to the doctor until next week. I've been using a saline nasal spray like I have in the past, but it doesn't seem to be helping this time. It's actually getting worse, I can't even valsalva on the one side. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to control it until I can get to the doctor?

Douche with warm saline solution once or twice a day. Blow your nose after each time. Be sure you douche you nose and not your ass.

I could tell you to google "netty pot" but I don't want to say netty pot on Airwarriors and anyway that's not how I do it.

Rinsing/soaking your sinuses with saline will help prevent sinus infection. It works for me.

 

[sickboy]

How about an ER visit?

I'm not flying, so I don't think it's an emergancy. It's just a pain in the ass.

 

[Rocketman]

All joking aside I've had great luck with sinus irrigation. I used to have infections all the time but they stopped when I started the irrigation. Went from 2 or 3 a year to never. It's a bit of a pain until it become routine but then again a sinus infection is a bigger pain.

Not sure how much help it would be short term though. By the time my sinus infections got bad enough to warrant a doctor visit it took antibiotics to knock it out.

 

[scoolbubba]

Go to a doc. If green shit is coming out of your head, you have an infection, and they can spread rapidly through your noodle. There's some pretty important shit near your sinuses (eyes, ears, your fucking brain). Go get this taken care of...the "i'm not flying, it can wait" drill doesn't cut it when it comes to infections of any kind.

 

[picklesuit]

If FEDDOC says go to the doc...go to the doc. Sinusses are no fucking joke in aviation...quick way to grounding. I've irrigated, that shit works great. Don't get into using the nasal spray too much, you get rebound stuffiness that is almost harder to get rid of than the infection (as per my last two flight surgeons). Lots of orange juice, and some sleep.

 

[feddoc]

Go to a doc. If green shit is coming out of your head, you have an infection, and they can spread rapidly through your noodle. There's some pretty important shit near your sinuses (eyes, ears, your fucking brain). Go get this taken care of...the "i'm not flying, it can wait" drill doesn't cut it when it comes to infections of any kind.

Yea, what he said. Don't goof around and let this develop into a chronic issue.

 

[mwardakpsi]

Yea, what he said. Don't goof around and let this develop into a chronic issue.

This couldn't be stressed enough. Irrigation should clear it up if there is not something else behind it. If you keep getting infections, it should not be ignored. Otherwise, you will end up like me and be grounded for something that could have been easily been preventable.

 

[sickboy]

Yea, what he said. Don't goof around and let this develop into a chronic issue.

Will do. I tried that netty pot sinus irregation thing and it was like eating a jar of wasabi. I'm definitly going to keep using it in the future. I've made an appointment with my primary care doc. (no flight doc yet, still a mid). Thanks everyone.

 

[Rocketman]

Will do. I tried that netty pot sinus irregation thing and it was like eating a jar of wasabi. I'm definitly going to keep using it in the future. I've made an appointment with my primary care doc. (no flight doc yet, still a mid). Thanks everyone.

If it was burning really bad you could maybe cut back on the saline content. I just use sea salt and warm water but YMMV.

I've never used a netty pot but the little thing below works just fine for me. Just stick it up your nose and squeeze the saline in. Easy just to throw it in your shaving kit and be done with it. You can buy them in any drugstore. It's how I used to suck all the goop out of my kids heads when they were infants.

http://www.albeebaby.com/safety-1st-newborn-nasal-aspirator.html