Treated For Sinus Infection And Bronchitis. Have Sore Throat And Breathing Difficulty. What's Wrong?
Thanks for the query
After going through your description I do feel you are suffering from acute sinusitis and pharyngitis.
During nasal congestion, because of which there will be blockage of the sinus opening leading to stagnation of the secretions in the sinus and increased viscosity. Stagnation of the secretions gives rise to headache and nasal infection. When the infected secretions trickle down into the throat it can cause irritation of the throat, followed by cough and difficulty in swallowing.
When the infection is acute there will be associated fever, headache, cough, throat pain, difficulty in breathing, etc.
Z-pack and Levofloxacin are for milder infections which might not be effective for you.
You can try the following:
1. Drink plenty of warm water – this helps in improving the blood circulation, keeping the mucosa moist and relief from pain.
2. An antibiotic such as a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid or cefuroxime for 10days.
3. An anti-inflammatory medicines such as diclofenac or ibuprofen for the relief of pain.
4. Use saline nasal spray followed by steam inhalation 3-4 times a day - this helps in removing the thick secretions from the sinuses and thus reduces the nasal block.
5. A mucolytic such as bromhexine or ambroxol – this reduces the viscosity of the sinus secretions and thus relieves the sinus pressure and cough.
6. Avoid smoking/chilled food & beverages/alcohol/coffee till you recover.
7. If you are not feeling better with the above measures, request your doctor for a CT scan of the nose and the paranasal sinuses to assess the extent of sinus blockage and study the anatomy of the nose and sinuses.
Do not worry! With the above measures you will definitely be alright.
Hope I have answered your queries; I will be available for the follow-up queries.
Regards
Dr. Naveen Kumar N.
ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon
Thanks for writing back
Plain amoxycillin does not work with most of the individuals, but when combined with clavulanic acid, it becomes one of the best drugs to treat sinusitis. Otherwise, you can try with cefuroxime 500mg which is better than the combination of amoxycillin and clavulanic acid.
Secondly, your asthma would have been aggravated with the onset of Hence, it is wiser to follow the above measures in order to relieve the URTI.
There is no harm in getting a chest X-ray at this juncture. But, it would be better to get it done after trying the above medications for a week.
I wish you good health
Regards
Dr. Naveen Kumar N.
ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon
Answered by
Dr. Dr. Naveen Kumar Nanjasetty
Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist
Practicing since :2001
Answered : 2543 Questions