Sinus disease

[edan]

Does anyone have any ideas? Dd has had swollen tonsils and adenoids now for 3 months. Except for the 10 days in feb and the current 20 day course now of augmentin, she also had labored breathing and apnea during sleep. The doctor wanted to originally wait it out till summer to see if this chain of viruses she has been catching at school would subside and thus the inflammation would gO down. 10 days ago her cultures came back from clinic with 4+ staph and 4+ hflu, so they put her on this round of antibiotics and ordered a sinus X-ray. Well, snoring is gone and maxillary sinuses are cloudy on xray. I am afraid that once the antibiotics are over, the infection will start brewing again, so wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to clean it out? I have a strong assumption that the staph will go away with the sinus infection irradication. Staph is a suPer common cause of sinusitis and dd's lung xrays were recently clear. I don't wan a ct scan. Is there another way To "see" the sinuses besides ct? Is there a cleaning the ent can try first before? The ent does not think she has polyps.

Thank you,

Edan

 

[edan]

Does anyone have any ideas? Dd has had swollen tonsils and adenoids now for 3 months. Except for the 10 days in feb and the current 20 day course now of augmentin, she also had labored breathing and apnea during sleep. The doctor wanted to originally wait it out till summer to see if this chain of viruses she has been catching at school would subside and thus the inflammation would gO down. 10 days ago her cultures came back from clinic with 4+ staph and 4+ hflu, so they put her on this round of antibiotics and ordered a sinus X-ray. Well, snoring is gone and maxillary sinuses are cloudy on xray. I am afraid that once the antibiotics are over, the infection will start brewing again, so wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to clean it out? I have a strong assumption that the staph will go away with the sinus infection irradication. Staph is a suPer common cause of sinusitis and dd's lung xrays were recently clear. I don't wan a ct scan. Is there another way To "see" the sinuses besides ct? Is there a cleaning the ent can try first before? The ent does not think she has polyps.

Thank you,

Edan

 

[edan]

Does anyone have any ideas? Dd has had swollen tonsils and adenoids now for 3 months. Except for the 10 days in feb and the current 20 day course now of augmentin, she also had labored breathing and apnea during sleep. The doctor wanted to originally wait it out till summer to see if this chain of viruses she has been catching at school would subside and thus the inflammation would gO down. 10 days ago her cultures came back from clinic with 4+ staph and 4+ hflu, so they put her on this round of antibiotics and ordered a sinus X-ray. Well, snoring is gone and maxillary sinuses are cloudy on xray. I am afraid that once the antibiotics are over, the infection will start brewing again, so wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to clean it out? I have a strong assumption that the staph will go away with the sinus infection irradication. Staph is a suPer common cause of sinusitis and dd's lung xrays were recently clear. I don't wan a ct scan. Is there another way To "see" the sinuses besides ct? Is there a cleaning the ent can try first before? The ent does not think she has polyps.
<br />
<br />Thank you,
<br />
<br />Edan

 

[Ratatosk]

They can "scope" her sinuses, which I don't imagine would be too fun. Otherwise, CT scan would probably be your best bet.

Have you tried sinus rinses? DS does the saline ones, but I know a couple people who do ones with ABX -- gentamycin (sp), tobi... Also, Is she on azithromycin at all for inflammation? DS would get sinus infections as a baby, was put on augmentin and also cultured H. Flu, but when he started taking zithromax, the h. flu went away.

 

[Ratatosk]

They can "scope" her sinuses, which I don't imagine would be too fun. Otherwise, CT scan would probably be your best bet.

Have you tried sinus rinses? DS does the saline ones, but I know a couple people who do ones with ABX -- gentamycin (sp), tobi... Also, Is she on azithromycin at all for inflammation? DS would get sinus infections as a baby, was put on augmentin and also cultured H. Flu, but when he started taking zithromax, the h. flu went away.

 

[Ratatosk]

They can "scope" her sinuses, which I don't imagine would be too fun. Otherwise, CT scan would probably be your best bet.
<br />
<br />Have you tried sinus rinses? DS does the saline ones, but I know a couple people who do ones with ABX -- gentamycin (sp), tobi... Also, Is she on azithromycin at all for inflammation? DS would get sinus infections as a baby, was put on augmentin and also cultured H. Flu, but when he started taking zithromax, the h. flu went away.

 

[concernedmom]

I agree with Ratatosk. CT scan or scope is probably best diagnostically. DS had the rigid scope done at age 6. It was pretty quick and easy and was done during a 2nd opinion visit. The ENT simply sprayed an anesthetic up ds's nose, waited a few minutes, then put the scope up one side, followed by the other. That part took maybe 5 min? To be honest, I don't really remember that much - it was almost 7 yrs ago, but I do remember that ds did not appear to be traumatized by the procedure. I don't remember him crying or even flinching.

 

[concernedmom]

I agree with Ratatosk. CT scan or scope is probably best diagnostically. DS had the rigid scope done at age 6. It was pretty quick and easy and was done during a 2nd opinion visit. The ENT simply sprayed an anesthetic up ds's nose, waited a few minutes, then put the scope up one side, followed by the other. That part took maybe 5 min? To be honest, I don't really remember that much - it was almost 7 yrs ago, but I do remember that ds did not appear to be traumatized by the procedure. I don't remember him crying or even flinching.

 

[concernedmom]

I agree with Ratatosk. CT scan or scope is probably best diagnostically. DS had the rigid scope done at age 6. It was pretty quick and easy and was done during a 2nd opinion visit. The ENT simply sprayed an anesthetic up ds's nose, waited a few minutes, then put the scope up one side, followed by the other. That part took maybe 5 min? To be honest, I don't really remember that much - it was almost 7 yrs ago, but I do remember that ds did not appear to be traumatized by the procedure. I don't remember him crying or even flinching.

 

[Karenmichelle]

I agree...a CT scan would be best. It will also give them a view of anatomy, bone structure. My son had it done and the ENT was surprised to find his sinuses completely blocked. Also, a nasal spray (Flonase) may be of benefit as well. Not to encourage surgery, but if the tonsils are inflamed, causing noisy breathing/snoring, and been infected frequently, it would be good to get them out. The adenoids are "the tonsils" of the nose and they usually remove them as well. That can also help some children have less sinus infections. Not sure how old your child is, but the frontal sinus does not fully form until late childhood/pre-teen. It may be there is not enough room for the sinus to drain properly (ethmoid) into the maxillary and the mucous and bacteria is just staying in there causing recurrent infections. That also happened to my son and he had his cleaned out (b/c of CT results)and they made more space so they could drain better. Some children can "wait it out" until they grow and anatomy changes. Hope this helps!
Good luck!!

 

[Karenmichelle]

I agree...a CT scan would be best. It will also give them a view of anatomy, bone structure. My son had it done and the ENT was surprised to find his sinuses completely blocked. Also, a nasal spray (Flonase) may be of benefit as well. Not to encourage surgery, but if the tonsils are inflamed, causing noisy breathing/snoring, and been infected frequently, it would be good to get them out. The adenoids are "the tonsils" of the nose and they usually remove them as well. That can also help some children have less sinus infections. Not sure how old your child is, but the frontal sinus does not fully form until late childhood/pre-teen. It may be there is not enough room for the sinus to drain properly (ethmoid) into the maxillary and the mucous and bacteria is just staying in there causing recurrent infections. That also happened to my son and he had his cleaned out (b/c of CT results)and they made more space so they could drain better. Some children can "wait it out" until they grow and anatomy changes. Hope this helps!
Good luck!!

 

[Karenmichelle]

I agree...a CT scan would be best. It will also give them a view of anatomy, bone structure. My son had it done and the ENT was surprised to find his sinuses completely blocked. Also, a nasal spray (Flonase) may be of benefit as well. Not to encourage surgery, but if the tonsils are inflamed, causing noisy breathing/snoring, and been infected frequently, it would be good to get them out. The adenoids are "the tonsils" of the nose and they usually remove them as well. That can also help some children have less sinus infections. Not sure how old your child is, but the frontal sinus does not fully form until late childhood/pre-teen. It may be there is not enough room for the sinus to drain properly (ethmoid) into the maxillary and the mucous and bacteria is just staying in there causing recurrent infections. That also happened to my son and he had his cleaned out (b/c of CT results)and they made more space so they could drain better. Some children can "wait it out" until they grow and anatomy changes. Hope this helps!
<br />Good luck!!

 

[Karenmichelle]

BTW...my sons polyps did not show up on the CT (b/c there was so much inflammation. The ENT was surprised to see them when he operated.

 

[Karenmichelle]

BTW...my sons polyps did not show up on the CT (b/c there was so much inflammation. The ENT was surprised to see them when he operated.

 

[Karenmichelle]

BTW...my sons polyps did not show up on the CT (b/c there was so much inflammation. The ENT was surprised to see them when he operated.

 

[edan]

Thanks everyone. I would like to hear from more people who did the nose scope and their experience? I read that having a ct scan for a child increases the risk of acquiring fatalistic cancer in the next 20 years to 1 in 500. Not sure of course if this is true (I'm a product manager, not a doctor). But it does scare me and that is why I am seeking a work around of sorts. Can't they just suck the gunk out or something?

 

[edan]

Thanks everyone. I would like to hear from more people who did the nose scope and their experience? I read that having a ct scan for a child increases the risk of acquiring fatalistic cancer in the next 20 years to 1 in 500. Not sure of course if this is true (I'm a product manager, not a doctor). But it does scare me and that is why I am seeking a work around of sorts. Can't they just suck the gunk out or something?

 

[edan]

Thanks everyone. I would like to hear from more people who did the nose scope and their experience? I read that having a ct scan for a child increases the risk of acquiring fatalistic cancer in the next 20 years to 1 in 500. Not sure of course if this is true (I'm a product manager, not a doctor). But it does scare me and that is why I am seeking a work around of sorts. Can't they just suck the gunk out or something?

 

[Dea]

I have a regular cleaning out (nose scope) done about every 2 mos...more if I am feeling full. With that being said, they can only reach a certain area of the sinuses with this type of removal. When I had the CT scan done...it showed that all my sinus cavities were so full there was no air at all in them. I can understand the scare about the cancer risk, but I have had so many X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs done that I should be glowing. After my first surgery, I felt so much better...and it lasted for several years before I needed another one. Unfortunately, chronic sinusitis is hard to "fix". I recommend the CT scan to see how full his sinuses are. Good Luck!

 

[Dea]

I have a regular cleaning out (nose scope) done about every 2 mos...more if I am feeling full. With that being said, they can only reach a certain area of the sinuses with this type of removal. When I had the CT scan done...it showed that all my sinus cavities were so full there was no air at all in them. I can understand the scare about the cancer risk, but I have had so many X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs done that I should be glowing. After my first surgery, I felt so much better...and it lasted for several years before I needed another one. Unfortunately, chronic sinusitis is hard to "fix". I recommend the CT scan to see how full his sinuses are. Good Luck!