Did you know a sinus infection could kill or blind you?

[prolesunited]

Okay, so now I'm freaked out. That's what I get for reading the medical sites on the Internet.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Improperly cared for teeth can kill ya too.

[Deja Q]

2. You'll go blind if you masturbate too.

Especially if you have gonorrhea and then rub your eyes afterward.

:hide:

[MonkeyFunk]

3. There's not a single topic

you can't fuck up with a childish sex reference, eh?

[Deja Q]

5. No, but the point is - why be freaked out over something that cannot be controlled?

If a virus zaps us, it zaps us.

[prolesunited]

10. Umm, yes, it can be controlled

by going to the doctor and getting treatment. A round of antibiotics will do because most sinus infections are caused by bacteria, not a virus. Just like with a toothache that kills you, you're likely to have a fever and be quite sick before you die.

(BTW, I would appreciate it if you don't post sexual references in my threads.)

[Deja Q]

11. I had no idea your OP was serious in intent

1. Most people say not to read them because they are not a substitute for a real doctor or a real doctor's advice. That's what people tell me; "do not self-diagnose". (never mind the rules about posting medical advice threads, some which aren't get locked anyway...)

2. It can be controlled, but getting the infection sometimes cannot be.

3. I shall comply with your request. Thank you for telling me in a concise, responsible manner.

[prolesunited]

15. Thank you

I wasn't asking for medical advice. I was posting a fact about a medical condition that I did not know.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

19. It can drain into your lungs and turn into bronchitis/pneumonia, too.

And that can kill you.

And if you have a sinus infection, and you are barfing because your body is rejecting the drainage, you can die of dehydration if you do not get to an ER and get stabilized and treated.


I know. I've been there.

[prolesunited]

24. Yikes!

It doesn't seem to be draining, just sitting there clogged.

Glad you're OK. Was there a reason you didn't go in sooner?

I had pneumonia when we got back from our honeymoon. But I went to the doctor right away and treated it aggressively so no hospitals or anything.

[Tektonik]

9. his post could've been worse

it could have been:

'hey I almost went blind because my penis is so big it nearly poked my eye out heheheh :hide: '

[Deja Q]

12. Oh, a directly crude comment instead of adding another possible medical cause to his malaise?

:shrug:

[TK421]

32. Shit...I may be in trouble

:o

[Coyote_Bandit]

4. I had

sudden hearing loss believed to have come from a fairly mild sinus infection. Apparently, the virus travelled up my eustachian tube and attacked my auditory nerve. Viral labyrinthitis (sp?) was the official diagnosis.

[Lars39]

6. Yes.

I had a sinus infection this past winter that I thought had gone into my cheekbone. Scary.

[lightningandsnow]

7. Really? Because...

I was walking down the street a while ago, when I heard this conversation:

Man talking loudly on cellphone: "You know, I've heard of people dying of pneumonia, but I don't think I've ever heard of anyone dying of sinusitis."

[Taverner]

8. Well this would be after months of no treatment...

And it would have to have a proper breeding ground to persist. But yeah, lots of virii and bacteria can kill you given the right conditions.

[Scooter24]

13. Sinusitis is very common

but only deadly in rare cases. Your symptoms will have to be severe over a long period of time before it gets to that stage, it's not something that just hits you overnight.

Still, take some OTC meds and see how you feel in a few days. If a fever or pain persists, then seek doc help. :)

A prescription for Amoxicillin and Certuss will do the trick :)

[prolesunited]

14. I know

I get it several times a year, usually when the seasons change. I've just been putting off going to the doctor because I was just there a couple of weeks ago. I got my flu shot and a shot of depomedrol for my allergies.

I blame the insurance company. I was doing great taking the Allegra-D12, and by keeping my sinuses fairly clear, I hadn't had an infection in almost two years. But, the Allegra went generic and that's what my insurance will cover. I don't mind generics, but this doesn't have the decongestant, thus I had a breeding ground for bacteria in my sinuses.

I'm allergic to a lot of antibiotics and usually take Cipro. Since it's stronger, I end up with more side effects, which also explains my avoidance. They gave me mega doses when I had pneumonia and I got so sick and dizzy, I had to stay in bed, which I guess was the right place to be anyway.

It's not that bad now. Just fatigue and annoying headaches.

Sounds like you have some experience in this area yourself.

[Scooter24]

22. My allergies have been horrible this year

and on many occasions it has developed into a sinus infection. My doc is cool about it. He looks over my vitals, looks down my throat, listens to my lungs, then writes a prescription out. 10 minutes and $106 later, I'm out the door on my way to the pharmacy. :)

I'm hoping the allergies get better over the winter because my nose needs the relief.

[prolesunited]

25. I read an article about global warming

and it said things like allergies and poison ivy were going to become more widespread and worse because they like the conditions.

Up in Chicago, we usually have our first frost by now and it kills things out. Today, I was out picking some of the last remaining tomatoes and spotted a few surprise new green beans.

Luckily, my copay is only $25. Thank goodness for insurance (as much as it pisses me off). I've already spent nearly $1,000 out of pocket on drugs this year and they've picked a much bigger chunk.

[Scooter24]

29. Yeah insurance is such a pain

but it's nice to have just in case. I've only been to the doc a few times this year, and I'm only about half-way to my $1000 deductible.

The prescription plan really helps me out though :)

I read that this is supposed to be a warmer than average winter. Not good for us down here in Texas. It's mid to high 70's here right now and we won't look at really cold temps for another few months. Then again, if we had Chicago-type weather, our schools would never be open from November-February lol

[electron_blue]

16. I learned how nasty bacteria can be after my brother-in-law died from strep

Just 5 days from when his throat first felt sore to death. It was untreated bcs it went undiagnosed until day 4 and by then it was too late. Scary crap, man. I know we hear a lot about abusing antibiotics, but when they're appropriate they can be life-saving.

[prolesunited]

17. Wow, that's horrible

I'm sorry for your family's loss.

[electron_blue]

23. Thank you. I was so blase about bacterial infections before that.

He was only 32 and left 2 kids under 3, plus my sister of course. This was almost 10 yrs ago. I know I over-reacted at first - it took me years to see strep as just another disease again. But I still respect it, if you kwim. Your post reminded me of this bcs I think of sinus and strep infections as very similar in that they are fairly common and usually mild.

[prolesunited]

26. That's truly tragic

Thanks for sharing. Maybe others will see how serious they can be a get treated ASAP because of your tale.

[SPKrazy]

18. Recently had a guy in the hospital

who had almost died of a sinus infection

mind you he was very elderly and had dementia and couldn't take care of the medical instructions of taking antibiotics apparently.

Yes, you are correct, rare as it is, they can and do kill.

I have chronic sinus infections, they are able to see them on the xray and CT scan, but they can't or won't go in and scrape them out and instead I've taken up to 6 weeks of antibiotics for it before.

Now, I just figure it is going to be there at certain times of the year and I usually end up with antibiotics having to be taken.

:shrug:

[prolesunited]

20. Do you want the surgery?

If it was that bad, I know I certainly would. I've never had to have scans or anything, just a round of antibiotics and I'm fine.

Like I said, the change in meds (because of those bastards at the insurance company) is what triggered this. I'll talk to him about a decongestant so I stay more clear.

[SPKrazy]

21. I've been told now by 2 different surgeons

no surgery

so, I dunno

the surgery is not foolproof either

[prolesunited]

27. Well, you got two opinions

Not sure, but I would think they would do it if it would help in your case.

Not that I've ever used one, but I've read that some people get relief from using a neti pot. Have you tried that?

[SPKrazy]

33. No, never tried it

I've used some kind of sinus rinse that may be similar, comes in a box

given by the ENT

it helped some

controlling my allergies helps

one factor that aggravates is the CPAP machine that I use keeps the membranes swollen which makes them more vulnerable to infection too.

[prolesunited]

34. Wow

You've really got it bad. Sorry. :hug:

[SPKrazy]

35. If I use steroid sprays

decongestants

stay away from anti histamines

get my allergy shots

i fare a lot better

i will still likely take 2 or maybe 3 rounds of antibiotics a year.

sort of resigned myself to that.

it's better than 6 or more rounds which at one time i had happen.

:pals:

thanks

[datasuspect]

28. so can taking a shower in the morning

or crossing the street for that matter.

[lligrd]

39. Exactly Why I Take Mine At Night nt

[Marrah_G]

30. Any infection can

I've had 2 kidney infections spread to my blood stream and one tiny little cut on a finger was so infected in less then 2 hours that I had to have major hand surgery to save my hand. That's just in the last 2 years.

Anti-biotics saved my life, but not after one called Cipro left me with severe peripheral neuropathy(I couldn't move or feel my arms or legs). Fortunately I've almost fully recovered with just some numbness and panic attacks (even that is fading as the nerves heal)

[prolesunited]

36. You got that from Cipro

I'm allergic to the cillins and the myocins so they always prescribe that for me.

Was it an allergic reaction or just the way your body reacted to it? Is there a reason why you get such severe and quick infections?

[Marrah_G]

37. It was one of the rare side effects of Cipro

There is also the "spontaneously rupturing tendons" side effect. Thank god I didn't get that. Any quinilone based drugs can have NASTY side effects, fortunately most people have no side effects so it is still a great benefit to most of the population. This was so rare it took the hospital a week to figure out why I was suddenly paralized.

No reason besides bad luck. The cut was in just the right place to nick a tendon letting in dirty dish water. The first kidney infection was due to a stone blocking the kindey/bladder connection (that one alsmost killed me) the last kidney infection was wierd. No pain, just a very, very high fever.

Other then these incidents I am generally a healthy person who rarely needs the doctor. Not even any allergies.

[Marrah_G]

38. self delete- dupe....second one, very odd.

[Marrah_G]

31. double post (self-delete)

[davsand]

40. They can hurt bad enough you almost WANT to die.

Oh man, I am sorry to hear you are dealing with a sinus infection. Literally, I had one a few years ago that had stuff leaking out of my eyes. It was nasty and hurt terribly. After a few days of antibiotics it cleared up, but it was icky while it lasted.

Something my ENT suggested to me was to sleep with a vaporizer if you are dealing with a sinus infection. If you are using a CPAP, that may not help as much, but it can't hurt, I suppose. Isn't there a way to add water mist to your air flow in one of those CPAP machines, anyway? I'd think that with proper cleaning (to avoid bacterial growth) that added humidity would help you a great deal...

Failing added humidity in your environ, I'd suggest that you may benefit from using saline nose spray and taking as many long showers as you can stand (or as many as your water heater will allow!)

I hope you feel better soon!


Laura