Question: I have had sinus problems for many years. In 1997, I had sinus surgery due to an impacted maxillary sinus. In the past two weeks, I did a lot of sanding and spray priming and painting for a restoration project. Even with my history, spray painting has never caused me any problems. This time, things seem to be much different. Three days after my first extended painting session, I became so woozy I couldn't go to work. The evening of my first missed work day, I went to a walk-in clinic and told the doctor I believed I had a sinus infection. I said this even though I had no real sinus pain or discharge. I never thought to mention the painting. He agreed that I must have an infection and prescribed the anitibiotic I asked for (since it had worked well before), Levaquin. The antibiotic has had little to no effect on my condition. Also, it seems that when I smoke or when I wash my sinuses with one of those rinse bottles and salt mixture, my wooziness increases. This past weekend, still not suspecting the painting to be the culprit, and given the fact I was feeling somewhat better, I did some more painting. This time, however, I intermittently wore a basic cloth mask. Again, today, which is three days later, I'm back woozy again and missed work. I told all this to a friend who does a lot of semi-professional painting and he immediately spotted that as the source of my problems. Is he right? I still need to finish this project. I am planning to buy a high quality painting respirator. If I am careful, will the wooziness clear up? How serious is my condition? I've gotten pretty scared as a result of all this. Thanks for any help.