Mucus thickening, snoring, bad breath and what not!
Sinusitis is an inflammation of the mucous membranes that line the sinus cavities. Inflammation of the sinuses could be due to an allergy, an infection, or ongoing exposure to an irritant, such as pollution or smoke. Symptoms can include a headache or pressure in the area of the sinuses, a stuffy nose, achy teeth, an odor coming from the nose, cough, laryngitis, lightheadedness, constant low fever, and thick, yellow to green nasal drainage.
The best way to identify a sinus infection is with a sinus CT scan, although sinus x-rays are a decent alternative. A sinus CT scan will also identify if any of the openings that drain your sinuses are blocked. If your symptoms are due to sinusitis, they will last as long as the inflammation continues. Here are some ways to clear up the inflammation. Please check with your doctor to see which of these would work best for you. Usually sinus surgery is considered when these techniques have not been helpful. Please read our Sinusitis MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/sin.html for more information.
This inflammation can block sinus drainage and cause increased mucus production. The mucus may sit there and really smell bad, especially when it is thick. It may not move easily. As the sinus infection clears, this mucus drains from the nose and sinuses down the back of the throat causing a constant or intermittent postnasal drip that may be increasing your snoring from the back of your nose. Typically this is worse at night when you lay down to sleep. Generally this irritation feels the worst when you wake up and gets better as the day goes on. This mucus can fester sinusitis.
The fat content in dairy products can thicken mucus. Generally eating dairy products with less fat content is helpful. Drinking plenty of water will help to thin the mucus so that it moves more easily. As long as you are not on a fluid restriction you should be drinking 6 to 8 8-ounce glasses of non-caffeine non-alcoholic fluid daily.
An antihistamine, like Benadryl (diphenhydramine), can dry up the postnasal drip. However, it may make the mucus thicker and more difficult to move. Also drowsiness can be a side effect. A decongestant like Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) can thin the postnasal drip and relieve your blocked sinuses by decreasing the swelling so they drain better. A combination antihistamine-decongestant will do both. Generally prescription antihistamines do not cause drowsiness. Often a prescription antihistamine and decongestant are taken only when the postnasal drip gets bad. It may be more helpful to take the antihistamine and decongestant on a regular basis. Check with your doctor to see which of these would help you more.
Your sinuses may well be the source of your terrible bad breath. I would recommend that you have a good evaluation of your sinuses by an ENT and that you try nasal washes. A nasal wash helps remove mucus and germs from the nose and sinuses. This can temporarily decrease the postnasal drip and help your sinuses to drain better. You may have short-term clearing of your bad breath, but you may lose it again because the blockage is not completely cleared. Please read our Nasal Wash MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/nasal.html for more information about this technique. Share this information with your doctor to see if you would benefit from this daily treatment.
If your symptoms continue, your doctor may recommend a prescription nasal steroid spray, like Nasacort AQ Nasal Spray (triamcinolone acetonide). This can decrease mucus production and improve sinus drainage by decreasing the inflammation in the nose and openings that drain the sinuses. This generally provides a more lasting decrease in sinus pressure and improves sinus drainage. This may lead to a clearing of your terrible bad breath. To get the most help from a nasal steroid spray use it after doing a nasal wash. A nasal steroid spray does not provide immediate relief of symptoms. It may take several weeks of routine use to become effective. Sometimes it takes the antihistamine, the decongestant, and the nasal wash followed by the nasal steroid spray ALL used routinely to keep the postnasal drip and bad breath from bothering you. Check with your doctor to see if trying a different nasal steroid spray will clear your terrible bad breath.
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