Chronic Sinus Infection and Sufferers...

Xlear nasal spray!!! I used to always get sinus infections. I use the spray nightly and several times a day when I have a cold. I haven't had a sinus infection since! The spray is essentially saline with xylitol and GSE and I just make my own solution now and refill my spray bottle.

Azelastine and immunotherapy have helped me a great deal. It's not 100% better, but I'm able to sleep now. Nasal irrigation is also helpful. My allergist thinks I should do it every day, but I do find it a bit drying so I don't do it that often.

Surgery, my nasal passageways weren't connected in 2 places so there was no where for them to drain. Have you tried a Neti pot?

This allergy season, my Dr. added singular. It has really helped. I don't know why or how, but it has. Also, I irrigate my sinus daily. That helps a ton.

I am also allergic to bananas. Oral Allergy Syndrome... takes a lot of the good stuff away from me. I miss peaches and bananas the most. I just avoid them. Because it is just a "syndrome" and not a "real" allergy there isn't a lot my last immunologist would do for me. The peaches presents like it is going to go anaphylactic and it scares me so I just don't go there.

Saline spray like Ocean helps me. I also use Flonase and take an oral antihistamine, but I like that I can use the saline any time I feel stuffy or dry or just icky. It doesn't aggravate my nasal tissues, either - which did happen *for me* with a neti pot or similar. (I know a lot of people swear by them.)

Flonase makes a product now called Sensimist that is the same medicine with a gentler spray, no fragrance, etc. If Flonase otherwise works for you, it might be worth checking this out.

Maybe try the Sensimist that RosieKat mentioned?  It's the same as Flonase, but in a finer spray.  Even if some rolls out, some should be absorbed by your nasal tissues.   It's a balancing game, for sure!

Basket1lady : Thanks SO much!!!

RosieKat: Thanks for that valuable info!! Our season (FL) began a few weeks ago and was deemed the worst in the country, EVER. It's supposed to last until JULY!! Even DH and DS27 have pain and sneezing & they've never suffered with allergies in their lives! It's so weird! My car is full of pollen every morning and we honestly only have palm trees!! It's claimed to be an oak tree issue, but we don't even have oak trees here. Very strange for sure, and it's a setback for me, medically. I just went thru major surgery to finally get rid of chronic pain and I'm waiting to feel my "new normal" but I'm taken aback with this sinus and allergy pain now......... I'll figure it out and get what you suggested. Thanks so much!

I've never been diagnosed with allergies, but did have problems with chronic sinus infections until I started using a Neti Pot about 8 or so years ago. I also eliminated almost all dairy from my diet. I still have an occasional yogurt or ice cream (2-3 times a year) and small amounts of cheese (1-4 oz a month), but no milk anymore.

I’ve had the best luck with Nasacort. I only use it when I need it, mostly in the spring and summer, when there is a lot of road construction nearby or when it’s really windy and a lot of junk is being kicked up into the air.

The only thing that worked for me was moving 1500 miles away.

My doctor and ENT were somewhat loathe to do surgery as they felt that the location's issues would mean that the effects of it would last only a short time. They both advocated that I move (also I had Vitamin D deficiency that was not alleviated by supplements).

My husband only fully understood what kind of pain I was in and the difference the location made when we came down here for vacation and he heard my sinus bones CRACK open shortly after we got off the plane.

Neilmed sinus rinse bottle changed my life. I went from chronic infections and antibiotics to virtually nothing. That was about 9 years ago I think. I think I’ve had one infection that has needed treatment since then.

I really promote the NeilMed sinus rinse as a first thing to try when fighting allergies.  It's simple and it's just saline water.  And it literally saved me from sinus surgery.

A few years ago, I had a massive sphenoid sinus infection go undiagnosed due to a CT that was read incorrectly.  The infection went unchecked for 5 months and ate into my right inner ear, causing a 30% hearing loss and nystagmus.  My entire immune system was on lockdown and I spent the next year sick all the time, along with 9 courses of antibiotics over that year to try to get rid of the infection.  Because of the risks of loss of eyesight and/or hearing, we were trying to avoid surgery, but my ENT finally said it was time.  She ordered a landmark CT and told me to be sure to keep up the sinus rinse.  What?  No one had told me to use a sinus rinse.  Because the sphenoids don't really cause congestion, it hadn't occurred to me on my own to use one.  But it was just enough to loosen all that crud and clear me out.  That landmark CT came back as 90% clear and I didn't have the surgery.  I still have a lot of problems, but I still have my eyesight and most of my hearing.  All from a simple sinus rinse.

Years ago I went from constant sinus infections to none and they have stayed away ever since.

I saw a local chiropractor who is well respected (my gyno consults with him for example and a local Fortune 200 company refered a friend of mine to him when she fell at work - this after ER and an orthopedist couldn't help her).

He had me get off sugar, tropical fruit, dairy, wheat and all processed foods. He told me I'd have flu like symptoms the first week and I did. I had one sinus infection since (it was over 10 years ago) and I was eating badly when that one occurred. I pretty much eat lean protein (free range organic chicken, grass fed beef and free range eggs) and vegetables. In the beginning it was just green vegetables but after a few months, we started introducing veggies like sweet potatoes. I try to eat an organic apple every day and sometimes I throw a few blueberries into my green smoothies.

I'm thankful that I love veggies - they have saved me!!  It's been worth it. Other positive changes - I move easily now. When I started this, I limped around in the mornings until my muscles warmed up. I thought it was my age. A few weeks after changing my diet, I bounded out of bed. It was kind of shocking but in a good way. My skin cleared up and I lost about 30 pounds. I never get sick (I realize this could change and these changes haven't guaranteed that I'll never get cancer for example - still I enjoy going about a normal life and not worrying about catching a cold or coming down with the flu. Not saying it couldn't happen - it just doesn't since I changed my diet.) I'm 62 and am super active (not exercise active but active in that I garden, push mow our lawn, ride my bike for hours at the beach, etc. I NEED to be exercise active but I'm lazy and pretty much don't enjoy the gym. If we had bike paths near by like we do at the beach, I'd be all over that.)

I have an appointment with him early April as my annual showed my Vitamin D levels are too low. I should ask him when I started seeing him. I know it was at least 10 years ago.

eta: My fall respiratory allergies have lessened to the point that I don't even have to take anything like Zyrtec. Ragweed used to bother me a great deal in the fall. Now I can out and do whatever I want - again without meds. My chiropractor predicted that would happen. I guess your immune system just builds up and that helps with other allergies (I'm allergic to dairy and didn't know it an MD had me get tested before all the chiropractor visits started.)