So my questions are:

1)  Is there a better way to reduce the swelling then using
    the steroid inhaler?

2)  Is the inhaler causing some of the problems?  How about
    long term bad effects?

I started to wonder when I found that my last sinus infection was
cleared up with a salt water wash (painful but effective) to clear
my maxillary sinuses.

Answers can go directly to me if they aren't of interest to
all.

Douglas S. Rand

Snail:      MITRE, Burlington Road, Bedford, MA
Disclaimer: MITRE might agree with me - then again...
Amateur Radio: KC1KJ

I realized that I was walking around with a continual low-grade infection in my
gums, and this was affecting my sinuses.  Now I pay much more attention to
keeping cooking.net">food particles out of my gums, and I have much fewer sinus problems.  

If I forget, and leave part of lunch lodged in the space where my wisdom teeth
used to be, I'll often feel sinus pressure come on within a couple of hours.
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                                        --- Richard

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I am not a physician, but my experience in treating myself may be
useful to others.  I was suffering from chronic and/or recurrent
maxillary sinusitis, related to perennial allergic rhinitis.  The
symptoms of my sinusitis would disappear after a ten-day course
of antibiotic, but would invariably recur.  Finally, my ENT
physician suggested surgery as the only alternative to a lifetime
of living with sinusitis.  Faced with the unpleasant alternative
of chronic sinusitis or surgery which might or might not be
effective, I decided to try one last fling at managing my problem
medically.  Doing some research at the library, I discovered that
most physicians tend to under-treat sinusitis.  I found a
cooperative G.P. who was willing to prescribe 50 days of
antibiotic (I used Minocin, but I'd suggest something cheaper)
plus Nasalcrom nasal solution.  Voila!  I can't say I've been
cured, but I've had no evidence of sinusitis for the last five
months.  I continue to take the Nasalcrom.  My suggestions and
observations:

1.   Try a vigorous medical approach before resorting to surgery:
at least 40 days of a broad-spectrum antibiotic, plus whatever
measures are used to treat the allergic symptoms, the goal being
to clear the nasal passages so that the sinuses can drain.

2.   Nasalcrom nasal solution seems to work.  (I'm tempted to try
a blind study by having someone fill one of my Nasalcrom
containers with saline to use in one nostril, while using
Nasalcrom in the other, but I don't want to risk disturbing the
status-quo.)  It may take two to four weeks before the effects
become apparent.  Also, get the 26 ml. spray bottle, which comes
with a more effective spray mechanism than the 13 ml. bottle.  I
initially used a small amount of a dilute solution (0.025%) of
oxymetazoline (Afrin children's nose drops) to clear my nose
sufficiently to use the Nasalcrom.

3.   Nasalcrom can be used concomitantly with Vancenase or
Beconase.  I would be unwilling to expose my nasal mucosa to
Vancenase or Beconase over a long period of time, but see no
reason why Nasalcrom cannot be used indefinitely.

4.   For me, {*filter*}decongestants seem to work about as well as
placebos.

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