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Do Sore Throat, Stuffy Nose And Head Congestion Worsening At Night Indicate Sinus Infection Or Cold?
Question: For the past week I have been waking up with a sore throat. I have been using a saline solution and gargling with salt water. During the day I have been feeling ok. At night I go to sleep I wake in the middle of the night with the sore throat, stuffy nose and head congestion. Last night I took some robitussun and a lozenges. Does it sound like a sinus infection or just a cold? What else can I do to feel better?
Brief Answer:
Infection would cause symptoms during the day as well.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
It is unlikely to be a cold or other infection because then you would have symptoms during the day as well though they would get worse during the night.
Since the symptoms occur mainly at night or early morning then it is likely rhinosinusitis (nose and sinuses) but not due to infection, due to environmental factors eg a decrease in temperature at night or anything in the bedroom that may be stimulating this response.
A post nasal drip of mucus can be undetected in 1 out of 5 persons and it can cause a sore throat. Postnasal drip occurs in persons with rhinosinusitis.
Treatment would consist of-
(1) Antihistamine/decongestant combination of medication eg benadryl d, allegra d, zyrtec d, claritine d.
It can unfortunately sometimes take a few days for these to kick in for some persons, this may not be the case for you.
(2) Continue the nasal saline or switch to topical otrivine for a few days.
(3) Nose spray such as nasonex, rhinocort, flonase.
If there is no improvement then additional medications such as montelukast, which works along a different pathway in the body, should be considered.
Hope I have answered your query.
Regards,
Dr. Michelle Gibson James, General & Family Physician
Infection would cause symptoms during the day as well.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
It is unlikely to be a cold or other infection because then you would have symptoms during the day as well though they would get worse during the night.
Since the symptoms occur mainly at night or early morning then it is likely rhinosinusitis (nose and sinuses) but not due to infection, due to environmental factors eg a decrease in temperature at night or anything in the bedroom that may be stimulating this response.
A post nasal drip of mucus can be undetected in 1 out of 5 persons and it can cause a sore throat. Postnasal drip occurs in persons with rhinosinusitis.
Treatment would consist of-
(1) Antihistamine/decongestant combination of medication eg benadryl d, allegra d, zyrtec d, claritine d.
It can unfortunately sometimes take a few days for these to kick in for some persons, this may not be the case for you.
(2) Continue the nasal saline or switch to topical otrivine for a few days.
(3) Nose spray such as nasonex, rhinocort, flonase.
If there is no improvement then additional medications such as montelukast, which works along a different pathway in the body, should be considered.
Hope I have answered your query.
Regards,
Dr. Michelle Gibson James, General & Family Physician
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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