[Khairan]

Originally Posted by thejellymill

khairan, are you a doctor?

Only a pretend one.

Originally Posted by thejellymill

i have allergies and what seems like chronic sinusitis (currently waiting on doctor to schedule a CT scan etc). On a day to day basis even when I'm not feeling sick I find myself not being able to breathe comfortably 100%. And when it gets really bad my husband tells me i breathe very loudly in my sleep.. i guess like borderline snoring. Inshallah I never develop sleep apnea, most people in my mom's immediate family have it

Yeah, you definitely sound like someone who could benefit from some inhaled steroids.

The other issue of course is whether you have a chronic infection or something like that, and I suppose this is why your doctor may want to get a CT scan. However, reactive upper airway disease (basically like asthma of the sinuses) is reasonably common and responds pretty well to inhaled corticosteroid therapy. Have you discussed the possibility of a trial of Flonase or something like that with your doctor?

[thejellymill]

wow that's interesting, never knew there was such a thing as asthma of the sinuses. i used to have asthma as a kid but grew out of it and have had sinus problems since.

i will definitely ask her about it as well as Flonase at my next appointment inshallah. thanks

[Khairan]

Originally Posted by thejellymill

wow that's interesting, never knew there was such a thing as asthma of the sinuses. i used to have asthma as a kid but grew out of it and have had sinus problems since.

i will definitely ask her about it as well as Flonase at my next appointment inshallah. thanks

I spoke to an allergist once who described the lining of the sinuses and the lungs as "wall-to-wall carpeting." She explained that the same diseases that can affect your lungs (like asthma) can affect your upper airways as well, and that even though we are generally very good at treating asthma doctors seem to NOT be as good at recognizing or treating upper airway reactive disease. Of course, you have different structures in your lungs than in your sinuses (such as bronchi) so there are certain things asthma will cause (acute severe shortness of breath and so forth) that won't happen with reactive upper airways, but the underlying physiology is the same and relates to inflammation and edema of the mucosa which can lead to narrowing of airways, trouble breathing, snoring, and so forth.

The fact that you have a history of asthma certainly speaks strongly to your chances of having reactive upper airways -- be sure your doctor is aware of your asthma history when you explain your symptoms and ask her about inhaled steroid therapy. If she DOESN'T think you have it or are not a candidate for such therapy, be sure you understand why she thinks so.