Sinus trouble makes it hard to exercise!

Serafimangel
Serafimangel Posts: 174 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey! I usually hit the gym after work and at the weekends (cardio and weights) about 6 times a week. I feel that I've been doing really well in sticking with it. But last weekend I had a blocked ear, went to the doctor who misdiagnosed it as blood clots, I fainted and no one caught me so I fell right against a hard floor (no carpet).

I spent the next four hours with an oxygen tube up my nose.

The air pressure has changed the last few days and I'm not used to it (I'm currently living in seoul). My sinuses are giving me really bad headaches and dizzyness, I think the oxygen tube made it much worse. I don't know if I hit my head when I fainted (I actually fainted 4 times that day, I'm pretty squeamish and the doctor at one point wouldnt let me put my head between my knees, he actually pushed me back into a sitting position and I uh fainted again, whoops).But im not showing any other signs of concussion like nausea or being really sleepy so I reckon it's just the sinuses?
I am now really struggling at the gym, I cant do pull ups as I'm scared I'll get dizzy and fall off. The treadmill seems ok, but I like the crosstrainer too and I'm scared I'll get dizzy and fall off.

Any advice for sinus trouble? I don't want my workouts to suffer because of this. It happened on Saturday, I went to the gym Sunday, monday and tuesday but I'm struggling. Any advice for working out when not feeling in tip top condition?

Replies

  • jenj1313
    jenj1313 Posts: 898 Member
    Wow... that's some serious sinus trouble, if that's all that it is. I've had sinus issues for my entire life, but I've never had symptoms that bad. Not to say I don't believe you, but you've been misdiagnosed once and as far as I can tell you're self-diagnosing re: the sinuses. Maybe you should have someone else take a look. Do they have the equivalent of ear/nose/throat docs in Seoul?
  • jesz124
    jesz124 Posts: 1,004 Member
    Yes, my advice is don't work out until you are 100%. 6 days a week is excessive IMO anyway.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    If you have a sinus infection, you need to cut back your workouts and heal. The added stress hormones from working out are just going to make it last longer, and plus you need your body to prioritize fighting the infection. By working out, you're essentially forcefully overriding the healing with exercise- it's not worth it at ALL.

    I have chronic sinus problems, and daily neti-pot rinses, as well as making sure to consistently take my allergy medication has been the best preventative medicine. If it's not clear enough to go the neti pot rinses now, facial steaming is really helpful, or just extra-long hot showers. You should really get with a doctor to get it cleared up though- mine always require antibiotics when they flare up. Word of warning- when I get sinus infections and DON'T get them properly taken care of, they spread and get worse- ear infections, throat infections, and eye infections have all happened to me. Take a break from the workouts and deal with the issue.

    One final note- getting ill CAN be an indicator of overtraining. I don't know how long/hard you've been working out, but if you overdo it, your immune system suffers and leaves you open to all kinds of ills. The fact that you don't want to stop when you're sick is a bit of a red flag. You might need to reevaluate your program.
  • dianniejt
    dianniejt Posts: 175 Member
    I have the same issue with passing out anytime I am sick or in pain. I suffered for 30 years with chronic sinus infections (8-10 a year) and everytime I would get so dizzy I couldn't stand up without feeling like I was going to pass out or actually passing out. This past May I finally had sinus surgery and I no longer have sinus infections. If you are passing out and/or feeling faint you should avoid exercising. Low blood pressure causes fainting, dehydration causes low blood pressure. It is a viscious cycle. Get yourself feeling better then get back into your routine. Also I would try and find a doctor who will take you seriously and get to the bottom of your problem. Drink lots of liquids and get some rest. Also if it is your sinuses you can get a sinus rinse bottle or a netti pot and use those, they are amazing and often times work better than antibiotics at clearing up sinus issues. Good luck and feel better
  • missjoci
    missjoci Posts: 412 Member
    I have trouble with sinuses and asthma when exercising pretty bad. I find the longer you train, the less of a problem it is, but I also have to take caffeine supplements, nasal decongestants, and allergy pills to deal with mine. I don't want to promote that, as I have no idea what is wrong with your sinuses, but it may give you some options to think about. I've heard rescue inhalers also work wonders, but once again I'm not sure if it has anything to do with your breathing. It seems like you're a huge fall risk at the gym. Maybe something lower intensity would be better until you get the problem sorted out. Injuring yourself repeatedly from fainting doesn't seem to be helping the problem and you could end up with a concussion!
  • samerzz16
    samerzz16 Posts: 102
    This could be a problem of over exercising. 6 days a week is a lot depending on how hard you train each day. If you are not anemic or have any past medical history that could support the fainting issues then this situation could be due to your sinus blockage. I would recommend going to an Ear/Nose/Throat specialist to see what the underlying cause of the fainting and sinus blockage is. If the sinus problem has not been constant, then it could be due to something else such as potentially a bacterial infection. If you leave these types of infections untreated, many other things can happen. Im sorry if I am scaring you, but please take my advice and go see a specialist. And the blood clot misdiagnosis may not be entirely wrong if it was a bacterial infection, though I have no idea what your presenting signs and symptoms were to begin with so I am in the dark with all of this. Hope everything works out and you are back to normal soon!
  • MorganStar123
    MorganStar123 Posts: 18
    I have had chronic sinus infections for years, I was born with a deviated septum, and it really makes me prone to a stuffed up nose. What really helped me was the sinus rinses. I know it sounds super gross, but you get this little squeeze bottle and fill it up with water, and some solution and squirt it up your nose. It doesn't hurt but it feels a little funny at first. You can buy them at any drug store and they have literally changed my life. Also, like the rest of the posters, I recommend seeing a doctor, and finding out if there are underlying causes, If not, maybe see if you can get a nasal spray to help clear up the stuffy nose, it helps a lot as well. Good luck!

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