i've been an allergy sufferer, at varying degrees, for most of my life -- such fun. i can always tell the difference between a cold and an allergy. when i get a cold i feel much weaker and foggier. my allergies are annoying, but don't sap my strength or scramble my thought processes the way a cold does.
Osso, what you referring to before about childhood exposure is called, I believe, the Hygeine Theory (Hypothosis?) It was recently bolstered by a study that showed that kids who'd had ___ fevers by age ___ (I should look this up), had a much lower incidence of allergies.
Isn't it also true infants increase their immunity to disease from drinking their mother's milk?
Theory also says that kids should be exposed to colds to bolster their immunities. BUT, still, keep the little pathogen-filled tots at home when they feel like absolute shite. I swear this couple I will soon not be working for are so dang selfish!
Anyway, it sounds like I have colds with a low-grade, persistent sinus infection. Should I fill my GP in on my diagnosis?
Try not to take any more decongestants til you're sure it's NOT a sinus infection, l'k. Because if it is a sinus infection, you're makin' it worse and worse and worse. I really can't begin to tell ya the lectures Alana and I got at the clinic for taking decongestants.
ehBeth, can you get me any information on that? It's something I have been saying for a while, from observing sozlet. Sozlet had a cold, E.G. urged decongestants, I didn't like the idea, couldn't say why, we did. Turned into sinus infection. Called the doc's office, told us that as long as sozlet didn't have a fever, we should give her decongestant and use saline solution to get stuff out of her nose. Did. Didn't work. Went to doc, got antibiotic, and rx decongestant. WHILE she was on antibiotics, sozlet started complaining her ear hurt. Took her to doc again on last day of 10-day run of antibiotics. Ear infection. ARGHHHH...
Now on decongestant and ANOTHER run of antibiotics. I'm very unhappy, not least because we're supposed to be boarding a plane on Sunday...
soz - I'll see what I can find out, short of dragging one of the clinic docs here. I can tell ya that it seems to be pretty much accepted here that decongestants are a bad (bad patient, get your hands slapped) bad way to go. Alana was specifically told that the rebound (?) from the decongestant was what led to her sinus infection becoming chronic.
Oy! Flying with a sinus infection? That's horrible. I've done it twice, and vow never again. I think that was the worst ear pain I've ever had since I was a kid with chronic ear infections.
While I'm off searching - here's a good site that relates specifically to littlek's original question -
Insight into sinus problems in adults and children
Quote: Have you ever had a cold or allergy attack that wouldn't go away? If so, there's a good chance you actually had sinusitis.
Quote:Therapy for bacterial sinusitis should include an appropriate antibiotic. If you have three or more symptoms of sinusitis (see chart), be sure to see your doctor for diagnosis. In addition to an antibiotic, an oral or nasal spray or drop decongestant may be recommended to relieve congestion, although you should avoid prolonged use of nonprescription nasal sprays or drops. Inhaling steam or using saline nasal sprays or drops can help relieve sinus discomfort.
^^^ that reminds me that what Alana got busted (whack, whack, whack) for was using an OTC decongestant. We were both prescribed decongestant nasal sprays to go with our antibiotics.
ehBeth, There's a cures for ear pain on airplanes. One is to take a couple of aspirins about thirty minutes before landing. The other is to chew gum and pop your ears.
Re: Cold vs allergies vs sinus infection
littlek wrote:How does one distinguish between a cold and allergies (I've never had allergies, I don't know what they feel like)? What distinguishes a sinus infection? Are there tell-tale signs to tell one apart from the others?
I've had 2 friends who suffer allergies tell me that it sounds like I have allergies. To me, it feels like I have serial colds. I work with children of an age where things are pretty sloppy. They're in school, so they get sick often. And then they wipe, pick, cough and sneeze their bodily fluids all over everything.
So, is it possible that I have actually had 5-6 colds since halloween or am I allergic to something(s)? And if they're colds, what the h--- is wrong with me?
Cold: viral infection - should be fairly brief (about 1 - 7 days) and alleviated by over the counter medicine. Usually makes your throat sore/you tired but not as bad as flu. Sometimes it comes with a very slight fever.
Allergies: persistent sneezing itching (often accompanied by irritated eyes) usually there is a clear and constant mucus finding some exit from your sinuses. Can irritate your throat if it is dripping down it for a long time. Should be temporarily relieved by anti-histamines.
sinus infection: Congestion, continually green/yellow snot. Persistent infection will require anti-biotic treatment (take them all, even when you feel better.)
Those remedies work nicely if you don't have a sinus or ear infection, c.i. I can tell you, without any equivocation, that they don't help at all if you have an upper respiratory tract infection.
Thanks, ehBeth.
Flying with an EAR infection, though -- even worse. If it turns out that it hasn't cleared up, I think we're looking at driving. (Next to impossible to cancel the whole trip.)
ahhhhhh
here's a decent site
http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/946414028.html
remember littlek's gums?
Quote: Infection in the maxillary sinuses can cause the upper jaw and teeth to ache and the cheeks to become tender to the touch.
Quote:Most patients with sinusitis that is caused by bacteria can be treated successfully with antibiotics used along with a nasal or oral decongestant.
Over-the-counter and prescription decongestant nose drops and sprays, however, should not be used for more than a few days. When used for longer periods, these drugs can lead to even more congestion and swelling of the nasal passages.
Quote:Air travel, too, poses a problem for the individual suffering from acute or chronic sinusitis. A bubble of air trapped within the body expands as air pressure in a plane is reduced. This expansion causes pressure on surrounding tissues and can result in a blockage of the sinuses or the eustachian tubes in the ears. The result may be discomfort in the sinus or middle ear during the plane's ascent or descent. Doctors recommend using decongestant nose drops or inhalers before the flight to avoid this difficulty.
(i haven't had much success with either of those recommendations)
ehBeth wrote:Oy! Flying with a sinus infection? That's horrible. I've done it twice, and vow never again. I think that was the worst ear pain I've ever had since I was a kid with chronic ear infections.
soz - i'll never recommend flying with an ear infection to anyone. i think it's the closest i've ever come to screaming in public as an adult.
Right. The ear infection was "minor" and "easily cleared up" at the doctor's on Wednesday, antibiotics since. Checking things tomorrow... if it's not cleared up, we're not flying. Period.
Margo, yes, my boss with all the colds was an infectious disease specialist, different reasons for their colds.
On ear infections, I know I've read somewhere that infections/antibios revolving add up to hearing loss, have no personal savvy on this.
One of the things I read about early allergen exposure was re pet allergens around the house, said not to be so bad after all. (Don't trust me, I read in swathes.)
But back in '02 of the previous century when I paid more attention, I heard that the thymus didn't kick in until about six months with the infant's own immune system starting to attune and prior to that he, she, was dependent on mom's milk or. or... or what.
A while ago, that was, things may be better understood now.
Osso, the antibiotics/ hearing loss thing was probably from me. (I've mentioned it a few times, anyway.)
and I don't know (that is, not personally) about the antibiotic bit, but I know (personally, and from immediate family) that the scar tissue from serial ear infections can lead to hearing loss. soooo, we want to stay ahead of sinus infections, cuz ear infections can follow along, and then we've got that infection/antibiotic spiral going - which isn't good anyway you look at it.
Yeah.
Was looking for airplane/ ear infection info and found a paragraph on WebMD that made the whole decongestant/ antihistamine thing clearer to me:
Quote:Decongestants, antihistamines, expectorants, and other nonprescription cold remedies usually are not effective in treating or preventing otitis media. Sedating antihistamines may thicken secretions and may actually make your child's condition worse.
http://my.webmd.com/content/healthwise/143/35704
Gotta trust my intuition -- nice to have it backed by solid info, though. (And what's with our pediatrician? Geez.)
