Twice a year, like clockwork I would expect a sinus infection. My sinus infections were so consistent, that I could call my doctor’s office for antibiotics without an appointment. However, I learned how to cure my sinus infections and have not had an infection in over 15 years.
I am afflicted with a common ailment called seasonal rhinitis, or seasonal allergies. At 5 years old I was diagnosed with multiple allergies. My laundry list of allergies includes pollen, ragweed, dust, and mold. Every spring when the pollen coated cars and decks with a fine coat of yellow dust, my allergies flared. I would feel a tickle in my nose that signaled a sinus infection was on its way. This same process occurred in the fall with the roadside appearance of ragweed.
After years of doctors prescribing the same routine of medicines, I thought I had the sinus infection process down pat. I had tried the allergy shot route and that helped, but I had to take shots every week. As I got older, I moved to a pill based allergy solution. Since my sinus infections were triggered by allergies, I was always told to use an antihistamine/decongestant combination pill. I would usually start with a 4-6 hour pill to get the drugs in my system faster. Then I would move to a 12-hour pill. However, more times than not, my allergy flair up would turn into a full-fledged sinus infection.
My sinus infections were painful, made me lose sleep, and impacted my ability to work and study. I once had to go through 3 rounds of antibiotics over a month’s time to rid myself of a nasty sinus infection.
One Christmas break when I was home from college, I had an unusual wintertime sinus infection. Since my doctor’s office was closed, I went to an emergency care facility. A doctor at this facility took a good look at my medical history and then gave me advice that has changed my sinus infection history.
This doctor told me that for many people prone to sinus infections, antihistimines are too drying. The antihistamines were causing the sinus buildup to stay inside my sinus cavities and were causing the sinus infections. He advised me to take a 12-hour decongestant-only drug like Sudafed.
Based on the doctor’s advice I immediately stopped using an antihistamine/decongestant formula. I noticed an immediate improvement. My sinus infection symptoms quickly subsided and the pressure and pain in my head went away. From that moment on, I have never had another sinus infection.
The main drawback to this method of avoiding sinus infections is a runny nose. A decongestant only pill tends to make my nose run constantly. I now see a runny nose as a good sign, because it means that sinus buildup is not staying in my sinus cavities to cause an infection.
By making the simple switch from an antihistamine/decongestant formula to a decongestant only pill, I have been freed from the cycle of chronic sinus infections. If you suffer from chronic sinus infections caused by allergies, check with your doctor to see if this medicine swap could help stop the pain of chronic sinus infections.
Reference: Personal Experience with chronic sinus infections.
