Allergies, Sinuses, or Something Else?

I have always had problems with colds/repiratory infections since I was born. I am 25 now and about 5 years ago I was diagnosed with having hay fever/allergies. Here recently, everytime I wake up my eye lids are swollen, throughout the day I have a lot of mucus in my thoart with an bad odor that never goes away no matter what I do, my nose is always moist when I wake up, and for the past month I have an headache almost everyday. I have tried clartin, zyretc, benadryl and nothing is working. The odor from the mucus causes my breath to have an odor which is extremely embrassing. I cant go to an ENT doctor right now because I dont have the insurance. I go to this free health clinic but I know all they will end up giving me is some claritin which wont do any good. What do I do?

It's possible that the odor is either coming from your tonsils or your sinuses. Sometimes, the tonsils can get infected and require removal. You could try rinsing your sinuses with a netty pot or SINUS AID (see youtube videos), and that may help rinse some of the debris out that may be causing the odor.

You should go back to the doctors and tell them about he odor.

I am so sorry about your insurance problem. That must be extremely hard on you not to feel that you can see a doctor when you need to. I hope that the free clinic can help you. Have you called the social services department to see if you can qualify for medical assistance (medicaid)?

Also, garlic can sometimes help with sinus infections. Heat some in a pan with some butter and eat it on bread, or load it onto spaghetti. It is a natural antibiotic and thins mucus. Make sure to tell the doctors about the bad smell.

I have no medical training or anything, but you might try taking some Tylenol and Sudafed. Generics of those should work also. The Sudafed will help things to drain out a lot, so if it is the sinuses then that will drain out. It will also help stop the headache. The Tylenol will help the headache and can also do wonders. If you combine this with claritin then I think you might find it does some good. I don't have anything as severe sounding as what you do, but that is what I do. My mom is a nurse and has told me that it is ok to take all of those things together.

I have the same problem!! Go get a Neil Med sinus rinse system and use it twice a day and it will help dramatically. Go buy HEPA air filters for your home and get an air purifier for your bedroom. Make sure you wash your sheets in hot water and at least once a week to reduce allergens. Be sure to dust and vacuum (if you have carpet) often. You might want to wear a mask if you have to work outdoors. To help with the breath, try gargling with mouth wash and not just rinsing with it.

Sounds like allergies
I have them too
my throat is like that in the morn and my nose constantly itches.
I have some nose spray (I hate it) but i use it it helps me a little.

maybe you could try
But you really do need to go to a dr....my sis has no insuracne either so i know what ur going through.

My husband uses this to keep from getting bronchitis, and I use to to cure sinus infections. THere are many kinds of bacteria that live in the sinuses, and this gets rid of all the bad ones!.This is the only thing that really helped me --- my Dr. told me about a sinus wash that will kill bacteria.
you need

distilled water
sea salt
liquid chlorophyll and colloidal silver from the health food store.
in a glass mix 1/4 cup water with a pinch of salt and heat to body temperature.
add 5 drops each silver and chlorophyll and mix.
using a large dropper (like one used for infant medication) drop 2 full droppersfull into one side of the nose while laying down.
Turn the head and let it drain out the other nostril. Be sure to have paper towels handy.
The silver kills the bacteria and there are several hundred kind that can live in the sinus cavities and anti biotics don't get rid of them all.
Do this twice a day for a week, mixing up the mixture fresh each time.
Then do it once a week for maintenance.
There is nothing in this that will hurt you, and it cured me.
I do not have to take claritin, or antibiotics anymore.
best wishes

M. Evans idea of garlic is a great one. One way to get it's most potent effect is to take a toothpick and poke a bunch of holes in a clove of garlic. Now take it and hold it in the back of your mouth like a lozenge, just in front of the tonsils, on the back of the tongue. Keep it there as long as you can stand it. This is a pretty extreme measure, but to avoid having my tonsils taken out I kept two cloves of garlic back there for about six hours. After about two hours I didn't really notice the smell and taste.
Another fairly extreme treatment is; when you are in the shower face the water flow and tilt your head back. Let the water flow into your nose. If you can close your epiglottal flap (this is the bit of flesh that is at the back of the roof of your mouth.) then you can keep all of the water in your sinuses. Now tilt your head forward and let the water flow out. This is a little painful, but it works well at removing foreign material and excess mucus.
Seriously, both of these methods have worked for me. I work in construction and I breathe in a lot of particulates during the day. Even when I use a dust mask I get allergic reactions. I use the shower method a few times a week. My wife and others think it's a bad idea, but I'd rather have water and a little pain up there than a bunch of who-knows-what kind of cancer causing material.