Bad Cold or Sinus Infection?

on the flight over from LHR to US- I got wicked cold.  this is it's 5th day and it shows no signs of letting up.

am i correct in thinking that a cold will clear up on its own and a sinus infection needs antibiotics?  I don’t really need to see a doctor, right? 

I’m on zinc, vitamin c, echnicia, this nasal gel stuff, Comtrex… the works… argh!!!

A cold will clear itself up, though you can do stuff to treat the symptoms and boost your immune system, and I think that you have all that covered.

You can get over the counter meds for a sinus infection as well, it needn't get to the statge where you need anti-biotics on proscription.  I'd have a chat with a pharmacist and see what he can give you...

...and then please post back here, cos I can feel mine about to spring into an infection, just in time for Christmas!!!


Vicky

us pharmacists aren't the same as UK ones... they don't give out info like that...

perhaps a quick call to my US doctor to see what he recommends?  i DO NOT WANT a sinus infection for Xmas.  boo hoo. ba hum berg.

Ah bugger, I forgot you were back in the US.  Sorry.

Hope it gets better.  I'd make the call if you can.

Vicky

I get wicked sinus infections.  My ENT thinks i need that stupid surgery to open up my sinuses but i've heard it doesn't really help from everyone i've met that's had it.  I always try to take tylenol sinus or something similar to ward off the symptoms for as long as possible.  If you're in the US you have to get it from behind the pharmacy counter now, but it does work wonders.  Especialy if you get the sinus headache like me.

TMI warning... no sinus headache... but does the color the the nose excerment have anything to do with the need for antibiotics... i've always been told clear- it's ok.  other colors- not so good.  true?

yep, true.  Green not so good from what i remember.

i'll ring my primary care doctor. 

In all honesty you are unlikely to need antibiotics unless it gets to a really bad stage.  Some type of nasal spray will "loosen up" whatever's up there.  I get it really bad in the nose/sinuses whenever I get a cold cos I've got narrow tubes up there or whatever they're called, but I would never be prescribed antibiotics in the UK (which is more of a placebo than a cure anyway).  A nasal spray, some nice soft hankies (Kleenex Balsam if they have an equivalent there) and plenty of blowing.  Watch that mucus turn from sticky green to nice watery clear in a couple of days!  Yay, happy christmas!

seriously where does all this snot come from?  is it made in glands somewhere?  is it your body trying to fight off the bacteria/virus?

i'm going to add raw garlic to the mix and see how i fair... i will fight this.

i agree with the no-need for antibiotics.  if this goes on longer than a week perhaps i'll consider it. 

i've always been told clear- it's ok.  other colors- not so good.  true?

True. Whenever I have a cold and am on the phone with my dad in the US, he (retired doctor) always asks, "What colour is it?" Ugh.

If you take an antihistamine to stop the production of snot and a decongestant to help drain, and tylenol or the like to help inflamation, that will help as well.  (my cocktail when I get a sinus infection which was every year I lived in San Diego)  Drink plenty of water.

Also, put a bit of Vicks in some boiling water in a bowl, put your head over it, cover with a towel and inhale.  It will help.

Do your teeth hurt?  That is a sure sign of a sinus infection. 

I think green snot, and lasting longer than 5 days to a week, see the dr.  If you have a really bad infection, sometimes it takes more than one round of antibiotics to penetrate because the sinus tissue is so dense. 

Sinus infections suck.

 

seriously where does all this snot come from?  is it made in glands somewhere?  is it your body trying to fight off the bacteria/virus?

I believe it comes from your lungs and all the respiratory system in between there and your nose!  It's designed to catch dust and other foreign bodies and expel them (via your nose) before then can become trapped in your lungs and cause damage (that's why you get normal boogers when you don't have a cold!) but when you've got a cold all the membranes go into overdrive trying to expel the virus.

i always thought it was cool biology wise... how most of the symptons of a cold/flu are your body's way of fighting the virus/bacteria.  they're not really the bacteria/virus themselves at work.

like a fever is a way of "cooking" the virus.
and now apparently snot/mucas production is a way of expelling the virus (which also helps the virus b/c it helps it spread).

teeth don't hurt- but snot is def. green.  i'll give it 7 days and see what happens...

I'm a veteran of many a sinus infection.  I get at least one/year.

Here's my golden rule:  when the snot's green, you need seen.

Especially if you are running a low grade fever.