Sinus pain with no discharge....to the doctor or not. Ugh.

[lofwyr]

Hey guys, I suspect it is just the weather, being dry (also live in a desert). But every single morning for the last couple weeks, the mucus I blow (sorry, gross) out of my right nostril is bloody. I don't have nose bleeds, not having any sinus issues. No active bleeding, like a traditional nose bleed, just from overnight.

Normally, I would attribute this to dry weather, a burst blood vessel and be on my way. But it has been so consistent, each morning, like clockwork. In the past when I have had this, it was a day or two, then the burst blood vessel(s) in question seemed to quit putting out their trouble. The consistency for the past couple weeks is the only thing alarming to me, not the symptom itself.

Question for you winter dry air sufferers, before I run off to the doc (absolutely sick and tired or running off to the doc) how unusual is it for you to have this for a protracted period of time?

Started using saline solution last night, but no love yet, will keep at it a while and hope that helps. For anyone else who deals with this, any miracle solutions besides the spray?

[ErinKC]

I have no medical expertise at all, but I would assume that since it's always from the same nostril that it's just what you describe - some pesky blood vessel that has just been perpetually dried out/irritated. I don't get nose bleeds but I do get horrifically dry skin in the winter. My hands just crack open and stay that way until the temperature gets back up above 50 degrees in the spring! So, I know how bad dry air can be for the skin. I bet that's all it is.

I don't know how anyone lives in the desert for this reason! I live on the east coast and visited Arizona a few years ago. It was like winter air in the summer! I think my skin would crumble to bits!

[wilky44]

A couple of weeks? I've had bloody mucus for over 25 years!

[lofwyr]

Thanks guys, not really anxious about, more curious if there is some folk remedy for dry nostrils you guys might have tucked away in your back pocket? I tried the saline spray, and it helps a bit. Guess I could shoot for the exciting xmas present of a humidifier for christmas this year? My wife always says "you never want anything, I don't know what to get you!" Well, she is in for the most boring surprise ever. ;)

[Sparky16]

OK, this is gonna gross you out, but chapstick works great for dry nostrils. Just rub the chapstick on your finger, and then up in there! I discovered this when I was a kid and had head colds and my nose would get so irritated. I figured chapstick works great on your lips, why not your nose? And it does, much better than vaseline. The saline spray should help too, but it will take a while to make a difference. A humidifer is also a good idea.

Having a bit of blood is normal all winter long in these parts, as the cold air outdoors and furnaced warmed air indoors is so dry. It seems to originate in the lower part of the nostrils, just below the turbinates, as near as I can tell.

[lofwyr]

I am trying that tonight!

[lofwyr]

As a cure all for this, I finally got my dry, miserable nose under control. Took a humidifier, and Aquafor applied sparingly on the inside of my nostril. Also, turns out my statin (generic lipitor) might have a little to do with it as well.

[lofwyr]

So the sinuses on the right side of my head off and on are killing me, but it is very intermittent. I am not stuffy, but every now and then my nose or various parts of the sinuses all over the right side of my face hurt, especially when I wake up in the morning. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to it, honestly. Off and on it comes and goes throughout the day, but there is no plugging or congestion, just lower level discomfort.

I have refrained from googling, but I am out of town for the next three months, away from my insurance network and health care provider. Question for you sinus sufferers, before I open the wallet and go to urgent care and waste money, is have you ever suffered a sinus infection without congestion? Is that even possible?

Not so much anxious about the health issue as I am about paying for it, but I will if I have to. Interested in hearing from other sinus sufferers?

Also, I have heard that migraines can be felt in the same areas too, but I don't feel like these are that severe.

Thanks for hearing me out, hope everyone is having an awesome winter, but may spring come soon!

[ErinKC]

It is probably a migraine.

I started getting migraines at age 31. For the first year or so I thought they were sinus headaches because the pain starts above my eye and goes straight down through my nose/jaw. When I finally mentioned it to my doctor at a routine visit she told me I was almost certainly having migraines. She pointed me to some recent studies that showed that NINTY percent of self-diagnosed sinus headaches are migraines!! If you have pain with no other symptoms like fever, drainage, bad breath, etc... it's almost always a migraine. My migraines are bad, but they aren't like most people describe migraines, which is another reason that never occurred to me. I can still function, leave the house, drive, etc... I'm just really uncomfortable.

So, in other words, I wouldn't waste the time and money on the doctor. Plus, any time I've gone for what I thought might be a sinus infection she tells me to use Flonase. Sinus infections are almost always viral, so there's not much the doctor can do for you anyway.

I'd only go to the doctor if you develop a fever.

[lofwyr]

That is amazing information, and really helps me decide. Thanks a ton Erin! I will just keep plugging away. It isn't debilitating, just didn't want to waste money.

Thanks!

[Scass]

I’ve had sinusitis after a cold several times. Could you try a simple saline nasal spray for a couple of days to see if it relieves it?

[ErinKC]

That is amazing information, and really helps me decide. Thanks a ton Erin! I will just keep plugging away. It isn't debilitating, just didn't want to waste money.

Thanks!


Sure! I was really shocked by the info! Excedrin is usually what works best for mine.

Oh, and the one-sided pain is also another migraine indication. Mine are always on the left side only.

[lofwyr]

Sadly, I can't take Excedrin due to my aortic aneurysm, I can really only take Tylenol, which is disappointing, because ibuprofen was my go to.

It isn't particularly bad, was just curious what others' experiences were.

[lofwyr]

I’ve had sinusitis after a cold several times. Could you try a simple saline nasal spray for a couple of days to see if it relieves it?
And thank you, am giving that a shot too!

[Elen]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

Elen

[Pkstracy]

put a dab of vaseline in the nostril and stop using saline it can irritate and dry it out as it's a salt solution mixed with water.