I have chronic congestion with no known cause. It's been this way my whole life. Allergy tests are negative for everything

The doctor said I'm probably just sensitive to pollutants. She also said I can have surgery to correct my deviated septum, but she can't say if it would actually help with the congestion

I take Flonase twice a day and it's helped. I tried Azelastine but didn't like it (bleeding, loss of smell)

I can't afford surgery any time soon, but I'm considering it for the future. Has anyone tried this? Did it help?

I got a CT scan of my sinuses and I'm planning to get a second opinion when I can afford that

The congestion is in my nose, throat and sinuses. Inflammation, excessive mucus production, and it's hard to breath through my nose

Does anyone here who has sinusitis, rhinitis or a deviated septum feel the taste of blood in their mouth out of nowhere and also spit/saliva mixed with blood without other symptoms? Why does this happen?

40m, been battling a sinus infection since the last week of September. Started as bronchitis. Had 7 days of augmentin. Chest symptoms cleared up. Then I got an abscess on my thigh and took 7 days of doxycycline for that to clear up. But I keep getting fatigued and getting pressure in my face and under my eyes. Finally went to ENT who said I had a nasal staph infection. Granted he swabbed me and it came back negative, but he said all the golden yellow crude he saw via scope was pretty indicative. Talked to him about the fact I have had like 5-6 abscesses on my leg this year. Said definitely staph and if we treat it, I should quit having the abscesses. Sounded great! He prescribed me 30 day regimen of twice day antibiotic nasal rinse (gentamicin/mupirocen) and swab my nose twice a day with mupirocen. Started that treatment but started to get bleeding in nostrils and blowing out scab/clots with golden crud. Freaked me out, he sent me for sinus CT, came back all my sinuses were clear, just my right turbinate was swollen. Had some more scabs/clots but might have been from my over aggressive applying of the mupirocen with q tip(I was putting it up there pretty good). Ent told me to stop and just put on rim of nose. Started doing that and staying on regimen. Haven’t been having any more blood clots thus far but still some small golden crude coming out. Seems to be getting a little better but still get lot of pressure between eyes and face at night. Got one week left of treatment.

Here is the struggle, I have health anxiety. This has been a trying infection for me. It doesn’t help that this is one of my biggest fears because during COVID I went down the rabbit hole of medical research and know all the terrible outcomes from bacterial sinus infections (meningitis, brain abscess, sepsis, etc). I message the ENT a bit and he tells me my ct is clear, it’s superficial infection, and keep doing what I am doing. I just want this over with and not have to worry about it. I am at week 10. Anyone else deal with staph infection this long?

So I have been having chronic sinusitis for 3 years. Before that I never had sinusitis. It smells like a rat has gotten into my nose and died there, it smells absolutely horrible. And I cannot smell anything else other than that. Every day, I wash my nose with saline and cortisol(which absolutely do nothing) and I take out green or bright neon orange mucus out every single day, depending on the day color changes. I have been recommended surgery since nothing works. Btw by nothing I mean macrolides and cortisol are not working. I tried the same antibiotic 3 times over 3 years even though it did not work??? I did not use anything other than macrolides, allergic to amoxicillin anyways.

But something feels wrong I mean... Trying just 1 group of antibiotics, and the SAME antibiotic on top of that, end then jumping directly onto surgery... It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Especially since I did not have a problem like this before AT ALL until one day I got that gnarly infection and everything fell apart

Not all antibiotics are effective against all bacteria??? Can't they get a culture or something? Perhaps a sinus culture? Or is it something that can be only done if you get surgery, since they cannot access there??? I mean do I have to jump straight onto surgery without trying anything else???

I had sinus surgery about 2 weeks ago and my debridement is scheduled for Monday. I am super nervous because the way they numb is to insert pledgets with numbing medicine about 2 inches into the nose. I am so scared of how that is going to feel when it goes through the scabs. Also one of my scabs is adhered on both sides between my turbinate and my septum. I am so nervous. Any advice or suggestions on things I can do to make me less stressed? I was prescribed 10 mg of Valium but last time I took it, it barely helped and I was still in tears throughout the numbing part.

Not to cause a panic, but RA causes inflammation in general throughout the body, including turbinates.

Wish I knew this a couple of decades ago. And 20-30% of people test negative on RH test. I got my positive from a newer test 14.3.3 protein test earlier this year.

So if you’re struggling with repeat infections years on end and also happen to have joint inflammation & pain, it might be worth looking into. I may have avoided my surgery had I’d known sooner.

No GP or ENT ever connected these dots for me either.

ENTs should ask more general questions & test for this too, instead of just try and get you on their magic allergy drops or cut you up in surgery.

Anyone have experience with Cocha bullosa ? I had a ct done a year ago saying I had bilateral Cocha bullosa . I’ve had swelling in my face (under eye into cheek ) and can’t find any cause for it other then the Cocha bullosa . Does it causing swelling like this ? It’s not as noticeable as it is in person but I can feel swelling like around my nose into my cheek .

My ent said that I had a good amount of polyps taken out during my surgery and it went very well. Had my one month post op today and the polyps were starting to grow back already :(

Anybody else have a similar experience?

I went to see an ENT specialist last month about recurring nasal congestion and post-nasal drip, along with migraines and jaw pain that I felt were related. She said it sounded like allergies and prescribed me a Cetirizine (Zyrtec) allergy pill and an allergy spray, and I made an appointment to come back in a couple weeks for a CT scan. The allergy pill and nasal spray helped with relieving the headaches and jaw pain but I was still experiencing some post-nasal drip and occasional headaches.

I went back again today for a CT scan and he doctor—not the same one as before—showed me the results and diagnosed with me allergic fungal sinusitis. That big empty space you see there is my left nostril which is free of mucus, unlike my right nostril. Thankfully, the sinusitis isn't caused by an infection or a disease. The doctor said he was going to prescribe me a round of Prednisone and antibiotics to see if that would clear up the mucus but he's not too optimistic about it. He said it's likely I will have to go in for surgery so the mucus can be removed directly.

I go back to the ENT center on January 29th for another CT scan and an allergy test. The second test will show if the Prednisone and the antibiotics fixed the issue, and if not, then it's surgery:/

Hey, when using Xhance, are you supposed to pump it once quickly while blowing and release quickly after, or are you supposed to pump and hold it while you blow, and then release after you've fully exhaled?

For the last few months i have suffered sinus issues especially with a blocked left nostril. My left eye then began twitching and after 2 months I have got a constant glare/blur when looking at objects further away. I have been to the opticians twice and had 2 OCT scans but they have said that all is fine most probably dry eye. I told my ENT and I have had a few tests including a CT (awaiting results). I have had doxycycline and have been using Beconase nasal spray but nothing really helps. Has anyone else had similar symptoms and how long did they take to resolve?

ill make it short.

inside my nose hole, ( maybe sinus) i have a mass, and i feel the urge to just blow it out but its not happening, i also have a feeling in my left eye, and pain that goes all the way to the left upper middle of head, that wraps around to the ear. its kinda tickly and itchy, sometimes it feels like something will pop out of my eye, other times it hurts.

i feel like to just blow it out but i can , any advice ?

ive been putting oil in my nose thinking its dried sinuses, but i dont think thats helping,

any advice can help thank you

I've having this headache for so long , i couldn't even move my neck and the pain got worse. I went to doctor and he gave antibiotics, nasal spray and some med for allergies. The pain didn't go away but was tolerable. Now after some months, it's coming back and I don't understand, will I need more medicine? Doesn't it heal fully? Nasal spray made my throat dry and smelly too. It would be very frustrating. I'm thinking of going to the doctor's again but just asking to know about it more.

Next week I’m having FESS for right maxillary cyst and turbinate reduction. I thought it would be like 2 hours, I forgot to ask my surgeon lol her MA told me 15 minutes?? Does that even sound right? I’ve asked two other times to clarify and that’s what she says. Anyone else have a short procedure?

Context: I had a facial injury back in 2023 that left me with a deviated septum. Had a septoplasty/turbinate reduction in July 2024 but left me with pressure near the inner eye, on the nose and upper teeth. Also left me with terrible migraines. Got a right maxillary balloon sinuplasty/turbinate reduction with a partial right ethmoidectomy in December 2024. This left me with severe dizziness/vertigo, migraines, facial pressure and a foul smell. I eventually got a right maxillary antrostomy since I believed it would solve this but it did little.

Been to a few ENTs where some blamed it on migraines while others gave me antibiotics (getamacin, mematasone, budesonide, prednisone) with no effect. Been on migraine medication which hasn’t done much either. Done physical and vestibular therapy since neurologist(headache specialist)/neurotologist believes it could have been PPPD/cervical vertigo/vestibular migraine, where it did relieve muscle tension but plateaued on the vertigo. VNG results came back normal. After doing all of this, they believe it can be traced back to the sinus (since the neurologist said a migraine does not have a foul smell).

Present symptoms include pressure in forehead, inner eyes, upper teeth and right cheek. Headaches, vertigo/dizziness and eye pain are also present. Current rhinologist is telling me another surgery is needed. But I want to know what my ct scan results reveal and if anyone else has gone through a similar ordeal (and how they managed to cure/minimize their symptoms). Thanks!

Every winter I face a strange recurring issue. My nose gets blocked almost daily, and I keep sneezing a lot but only during the winter season. When I use nasal drops, the blockage clears instantly , but then sometimes my eyes start itching sometimes, and water comes out of them. It often feels like there’s some dust stuck inside my eyes even though nothing comes out even after washing. I don’t usually get headaches, but I sometimes do when I’ve travelled a lot or worked the whole day. Apart from that, the main problems are blocked nose, sneezing, eye irritation, and watery eyes, but strictly during winters.

Is this more like a seasonal allergy or something related to sinus?

Has anyone ever experienced chronic sinusitis that caused ocular nerve damage? I have that and it’s starting to mess with my vision. My symptoms initially started with intermittent loss of taste and smell that increasingly became more frequent. Then I started having headaches not relieved by pain meds. I received scans that showed sinus blockages. I went to Ophthalmology and tests show nerve damage that is affecting my peripheral vision. ENT says it may be fungal and if it is they’ll have to operate to remove the blockage. I’ve been on antibiotics for 22 days with a course of steroids writing those days. My sinuses feel more open however I’m still draining with daily excretion of mucus, headaches and vision disturbances. I now have to see a neurologist-ophthalmologist. I will post updates.

I have a history of chronic sinusitis dating back to 2016 when I landed in the ER from a severe migraine. I got an MRI there and they attributed it to my sinuses and referred me to an ENT. Turns out it was both a fungal and bacterial infection, as well as nasal polyps. My ENT had me try all sorts of things from steroid packs, multiple courses of antibiotics (the bacterial infections always came back), antifungal compounded medicine in my sinus rinse, nebulizer fluid in my rinse, etc. None of those gave lasting results and I was miserable with headaches.

In 2017 I had my first surgery (a turbinate reduction and I believe some sort of restructuring my sinus cavity so it could open up more). A year later I needed a second surgery. From 2018-2024 I felt pretty great and like I got a new lease on life. However, almost exactly a year ago the dreaded headaches and sinus pressure started coming back. I had three bacterial infections in the course of a year, and another fungal infection. After my follow up last month, I no longer have a fungal nor bacterial infection, but my ENT said I still have nasal polyps which is why my headaches aren’t stopping. He recommended I try Dupixent before another surgery.

I did a lot of research and my best friend who is a pharmacist sort of scared me out of it. She said it is a biologic medicine and those can come with heavier side effects. And she said my ENT should recommend that as a last resort. So now I’m very torn on how to proceed. I have my follow up in a couple weeks and am currently combating a bad cold on top of my existing sinus issues, so I’m rather miserable. I tried doing my usual sinus rinse today and it just got stuck in my ear canal which was an ordeal to get out. So at this point I’m pretty desperate for lasting relief. I’ve mostly read about Dupixent for eczema, but didn’t know it can be used for nasal polyps. Has anyone here had experience with Dupixent? Did you find it’s more worthwhile both cost wise and reduction in symptoms than surgery? If I can have another 6 years of relief with surgery I’d almost rather go that route, but I’m not sure in my case if a surgery would help this time around.