Sinus infection, already deal with bad seasonal allergies

https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/1553862/

I have suffered for many years (like 2 cases every winter that last 3 months each) with bad sinus infections, can’t breathe at night, always starts with a sore throat, eyes puddle and drip. I also snored a lot. My husband finally made me see a Sleep Apnea Doctor and that Dr asked me to see an ENT which I did to see if a machine would be ok to use due to all my sinus infections. The ENT said he felt it would actually Help me. I have used Sleep Apnea machine (ResMed) for 1 year now. I have not had even 1 sinus infection!!
I did have a head cold/sinus stuffy, but it only lasted 4 days and never developed into full blown sinus infection. Unbelievable!

Two different antibiotics did it help my sinus infection. I can relate to the nighttime congestion.
Hope you feel better soon.

Are you using nasal spray for decongesting? It can dry out your mucus membranes which can lead to a sinus infection. When my nose gets too dry I use saline nasal spray. It helps heal your sinuses and can bring down swelling, too

@jdwelch2025 yes the Neilmed seems to be helping me. I am over using any other nasal spray that can be contaminated.

@zubedude For a while, we were number 1 in the highest pollen numbers in the US. I am in Prescott AZ. But it rained so pollen has decreased. I had sinus surgery and it has helped me a lot. But the recovery is very very long. I was congested for 4 months. Then I had thick brownish/black glue like stuff coming from my head. Now at least I can breathe all night long. I didn't realize I was so compromised previously. No wonder I was always tired. Yes, allergies definitely do matter. An ENT can be very helpful.

@dlo56
My ENT strongly recommends daily nasal rinse with Neilmed or neti pot, for pretty much everyone with any congestion/sinus issues. I prefer Neilmed, it's easier for me to use. My ENT also said in my case I should use it twice daily if possible due to my symptoms, but of course everyone is different. I use it year round now because I never know when allergies will set me off, and my doctors are fine with that regimen. It took a while to get used to using the rinse, but now I really like it because my fairly chronic congestion is helped by it.

@zubedude I never was really bothered by pot nasal drip. The only other symptom is a loud rumbling in my ears when I swallow. Pretty weird. Not sure what causes that.

@zubedude I sympathize, but if you truly have an infection, only a course (probably 14-21 days) is the only way to reach a bacterial infection in the sinuses. Surgery instead sounds like a drastic measure to me, unless imaging shows a serious issue with how your sinuses are functioning.

I have suffered from allergies and sinus infections since childhood, more than 60 years. 30 years ago I had a sinuplasty to fix my badly healed nose, broken as a teen, and hopefully open the path to cut down on sinus infections. It worked - sort of.
I still had the allergies, post-nasal drip, congestion (especially at night) and at least one infection a year.

Now, with modern day targeted allergy treatments, I am doing much better. What has worked for me is a long list, but effective:
Mucinex extended release (guaifenesin only, no decongestant)
Flonase nasal spray
Azelastine (brand name Astepro) antihistamine nasal spray
Oral antihistamine "as needed"
Treating my sleep apnea (with an oral appliance, not CPAP)
Keeping my asthma under control.
Nasal wash ONLY when having issues, with sterile saline and keeping the equipment sanitized daily.

I am not recommending that you "jump into" my regimen, only that with multiple issues, there may be many things you need to do to get control. As you might guess, it took us quite a while, with my pulmonologists, ENT and primary each contributing. But I now have 95% control, no sinus infection in over 5 years, and pretty good sleep (for someone who seldom slept all night in over 60 years.)

Why is the ENT offering surgery?

@heisenberg34 thank you for sharing. How did you resolve the post nasal drip in throat?