Diagnosis confirmation and cause investigation for sinusitis and its effects on the thyroid gland.
Dear Sir or Madam,
The trigger of my current suffering was mucus running down my throat (mid-August), which has significantly decreased. Currently, a feeling of a lump and sensitivity to pressure in the throat/larynx area is dominant.
I am interested in possible diagnoses and their investigation options, causes, and therapy possibilities.
I am male, 33 years old, weighing 80 kg and 180 cm tall. I work at a desk job (relative humidity at the workplace is 20 to 30% at 25 °C - summer and winter). Currently, I am not taking any medication.
In August, mucus started running down my throat more frequently, especially at night. I treated this with nasal rinses, nasal spray, and moisturizing nasal spray. There was only partial improvement, so in mid-September, I went to an ENT specialist. He diagnosed a deviated septum and swollen mucous membranes. An allergy prick test was also performed without any findings (14 indicators: dust mites, fungal spores, and grasses). The prescribed therapy was MometaHEXAL 50 µg twice daily for 35 days, with a follow-up consultation with the doctor.
Unfortunately, I had to visit the ENT specialist again in early October, as the mucus production had decreased but the feeling of a lump and sensitivity to pressure in the throat/larynx area, as well as the sensation of a swollen throat, were dominating. I suspected side effects of MometaHEXAL and, after consulting with the doctor, stopped taking this medication. The feeling of a swollen throat disappeared, but the lump sensation and sensitivity to pressure remained, albeit slightly diminished. Swollen mucous membranes were diagnosed again during this visit. Ultrasound of the sinuses and frontal sinuses showed no abnormalities. The doctor made a suspected diagnosis of "retro-nasal rhinorrhea" and recommended a CT scan of the paranasal sinuses to investigate chronic ethmoid sinusitis, as well as examining my thyroid gland, which appeared enlarged to the ENT specialist on palpation. It was also recommended to continue using the nasal rinse.
1.) Is a CT scan of the paranasal sinuses advisable considering the increased radiation dose?
2.) Can sinusitis of the ethmoid sinuses have an impact on the thyroid gland?
3.) What other possible diagnoses could be considered?
4.) Which blood values should be measured for diagnostic confirmation?
5.) What could be the possible causes? I have been cycling to work every day for a year (7 km one way), could this be a possible trigger?
6.) Should I continue jogging or cycling currently?
7.) What are the therapy options and which home remedies would you recommend?
8.) Is it advisable to conduct a comprehensive allergy test (antigens) that can also detect lactose intolerance?
Thank you very much!
