Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Do Bath Salts Show Up On Routine Nasal Swab Culture?
Question: I am a 52 year old female, I just had a dr's apointment ENT to determine if i had sleep apena or some sort of sinus promblem, when they did a nose swab for a culture, I had used bath salts within 24 hr period. I use bath salt maybe 250mg in one months time. The dr asked if i had used cocaine due to scar tissue, i told him that i had used it in the past but not lately, which was true. he removed some bathsalts and said he was going to see what the culture grew, because of white substance. What should i have said and will this effected my sleep apena and nacaliums claim. Actually when i have a busy day and need to stay up more than 6 hrs with out falling asleep this helps. what will the results read on the report, that he has to give for my insurance company. Will they cancel payment due to findings of bathsalts since it has nothing to due with what is my actual promblem. Or is that a patient doctor confedentialy
Dear Emart,
Thank you for your query.
1. If you have not mentioned the use of bath salts, the most probable reason your ENT Specialist has taken a nasal swab is to culture for fungal infection.
2. Bath salts will not show up on routine culture.
3. Your nasal scarring may also be due to the repeated use of bath salts. You may disclose this to your physician and it may be kept confidential, however it depends upon your right to confidentiality under the agreement of your particular health insurance company.
4. One of the hallmarks of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome is daytime somnolence or excessive sleepiness during the day. This is due to lack of sound sleep at night. You need to undergo a sleep study or polysomnogram (PSG).
Hope I have answered your query. If you have any follow up queries I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Thank you for your query.
1. If you have not mentioned the use of bath salts, the most probable reason your ENT Specialist has taken a nasal swab is to culture for fungal infection.
2. Bath salts will not show up on routine culture.
3. Your nasal scarring may also be due to the repeated use of bath salts. You may disclose this to your physician and it may be kept confidential, however it depends upon your right to confidentiality under the agreement of your particular health insurance company.
4. One of the hallmarks of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome is daytime somnolence or excessive sleepiness during the day. This is due to lack of sound sleep at night. You need to undergo a sleep study or polysomnogram (PSG).
Hope I have answered your query. If you have any follow up queries I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
So now i have my appointment what can i expect at a sleep, study i wake myself up all night long and gasp for air which my husband worries and will wake me also. thinking that i am not breathing, then i will let out an loud snor that you can hear me from another room, i feel like my life is changing i have no energy and fall asleep at a drop of a dime i do not go out socially, because i,m always tried and my family and friends think that i am just going to go to sleep and leave i will wake up to tell them i am sorry but, i know that it is effecting my marriage too. Do you think that after i get an cpat that things will get back to normal . I have tried to sleep sitting up, that helps for a while but my back begins to have pain and that seems to bring on another issue. all i know is priior to my chemical exposure i never snored anything like this and decided that all the drugs that were being percribied were making me unable to function and driving i am scared to drive, due to not paying attention or focusing as i normally would. i guess i want to hope that after apena study things will be to the way they use to be.
Dear Emart,
Good to hear from you again.
1. Loud snoring indicates that there is a substantial airway obstruction when muscle tone decreases during sleep. As the oxygen levels in your blood fall, you actually stop breathing for up to a minute. Then as you get aroused from sleep and muscle tone and respiratory effort increases, the opening of the air passages causes the snoring sounds. Such cycles happen throughout your sleep.
2. A CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) Machine forces air into the air passages and keeps them open, leading to reduced snoring, refreshing sleep and daytime sleepiness disappears.
3. In OSAS (Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome), this is normal and there is no cause to worry. A sleep study and cine(sleep) MRI will help locate the level/s of obstruction. These can be reduced or treated such as nasal obstruction (septoplasty, FESS, radio frequency ablation), palate, tongue fall and throat problems.
4. Since your snoring has appeared after your exposure to chemicals, nasal obstruction may be the cause.
5. What is your weight? Weight reduction is the simplest way to reduce OSAS. Do you also have acid reflux?
6. You may use a CPAP Machine while the results of your investigations are awaited.
Hope this answers your query.
Wish you a good health.
Regards.
Good to hear from you again.
1. Loud snoring indicates that there is a substantial airway obstruction when muscle tone decreases during sleep. As the oxygen levels in your blood fall, you actually stop breathing for up to a minute. Then as you get aroused from sleep and muscle tone and respiratory effort increases, the opening of the air passages causes the snoring sounds. Such cycles happen throughout your sleep.
2. A CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) Machine forces air into the air passages and keeps them open, leading to reduced snoring, refreshing sleep and daytime sleepiness disappears.
3. In OSAS (Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome), this is normal and there is no cause to worry. A sleep study and cine(sleep) MRI will help locate the level/s of obstruction. These can be reduced or treated such as nasal obstruction (septoplasty, FESS, radio frequency ablation), palate, tongue fall and throat problems.
4. Since your snoring has appeared after your exposure to chemicals, nasal obstruction may be the cause.
5. What is your weight? Weight reduction is the simplest way to reduce OSAS. Do you also have acid reflux?
6. You may use a CPAP Machine while the results of your investigations are awaited.
Hope this answers your query.
Wish you a good health.
Regards.
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
