Stagnant Mucus

[my3rdmolars]

Can stagnant mucus be the cause of my bad breath?

I have post nasal drip, so everyday I always spit out thick phlegm/mucus. But sometimes I feel that there are still mucus left in my sinus. If the mucus stays in my sinuses for days, will it cause bad breath?

[my3rdmolars]

I started to have PND last year. But only this year that I started using nasal wash/neti pot because my bad breath is starting to bother me. After using it for months, it didn't help with my bad breath. I think my sinuses are blocked so there are areas in my sinuses that can't be reached by nasal wash. So I went to see an ENT doctor.


1st ENT doctor
My 1st ENT doctor said I dont have a problem with my sinus. She said my nose is clean but some parts of my sinus are swollen. She prescribed me with nasal spray for 2 months. I thought this nasal spray would stop my PND but it didn't help. I went back to her and she checked on my nose again. She saw mucus forming at the back of my nose. She used a suction to suck all the mucus in there but I still feel there's mucus left in there.

She also said that I might have acid-reflux and this might be the cause of my PND. But I dont want to believe her so I went to another ENT doctor



2nd ENT doctor

My 2nd ENT doctor checked my nose and said it was clean and my PND is caused by dust and dirt and I cant do anything about it. I dont want to believe her again because I think I still have mucus in there that she can't see. I requested for a CT scan. The CT scan showed I have mucus forming on both my maxillary sinuses. Radiologist reports said I have minimal bilateral maxillary sinusitis. But my ENT doctor said these results can be ignored.


I wonder how long has this mucus been in my sinuses? Has it been there for years? I really think that mucus is causing my bad breath. If it can't be removed using nasal wash, how do I get rid of it? Are there doctors here who could explain these results?

[exume]

same problem with me i noticed that cheesy foods and milk products make the mucus thicker

[iva]

my3rdmolars

of course stagnant mucus can cause bad breath. It can be a perfect environment for bacteria whicj cause halitosis.

[my3rdmolars]

Thanks iva. I just need someone to agree with me. I thought I was just overreacting. 2 ENTs said im clean, but I dont feel that I am.

So I guess I need to see another ENT.

[my3rdmolars]

same problem with me i noticed that cheesy foods and milk products make the mucus thicker

Me too. I try to avoid foods such as milk, cheese, butter, and coffee.
So you have PND too? What did you do about it?

[my3rdmolars]

Can you see the white mass encircled in red? Im not sure if it is mucus.

According to the radiologist report, there's minimal mucuosal thickening forming on both my maxillary antra. And I have minimal bilateral maxillary sinusitis.

According to my 2nd ENT, I can ignore that and I shouldnt worry about it.

My 3rd ENT said, that white mass forming on the left side is not mucus, but polyps. I should only worry if it grows larger.

[George80]

CT scan looks good, all black areas, except the little white spot.
From what I know, your nose or sinuses overly produces mucus, when you OMC (ostiomeatal complex) is blocked. This is the "key to the sinuses" because here all the sinus entrances come together. When the OMC is blocked, your tissue gets swollen and for some reason produces mucus.
But when your OMC is not blocked, your ENT should be able to take a look at that spot you marked with an endoscope. Take a swab etc. You should get to know, what bacteria it is and try the right antibiotic. Polyps can grow again.
I'm experimenting with Buteyko, which could help with PND and Polyps.

[my3rdmolars]

Hi George, thanks for your reply.

Before taking this CT scan, my ENT have put some decongestant in my nose for 5 minutes so she can go deeper into my sinuses. Im not sure if what she's trying to decongest is my OMC.

Or is it a standard procedure by ENTs to put decongestant to all their patients' noses before looking into their sinuses?

Is OMC also visible in the CT scan?

[George80]

check the pic on this site. Looks fine on your pictures. I guess your sinuses can "breathe", so it might be a local thing. I'm really not an expert, but my tissue is far more swollen. Perhaps it's just a polyp.
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/875126-overview

[aydinmur]

My 3rd ENT said, that white mass forming on the left side is not mucus, but polyps. I should only worry if it grows larger.

Yes they look like mucosal thickening called mucus retention cyst (mucocele). Dont worry. They are harmless. No need resect them.

They dont cause inflamation but they usually occur due to chronic inflamation.

Pictures are not clear. Can you send more pics .
- Murat

[bbsux]

I am almost positive that is whats causing my bb.

In the morning when i brush my teeth i spit out glue like thick mucus. YES GLUE LIKE , it literally sticks to the sink while the water is running over it.

I also spit out green/ yellowish goo almost every day so iam sure i have some kind of sinus infection.

[iva]

I also think PND is a major contributor to bb. I`ve started rinsing my sinuses and gargling and it`s helped a lot.