Thread: Weed and Sinus Infections, correlation?

A few weeks ago I was having horrible tooth pain and constant headaches (they were more painful and prominent when I would smoke weed)--went to the dentist and only had one cavity. The tooth pain and head aches were actually caused by a sinus infection and the Dentist gave me some antibiotics--headaches went away.
I'm getting the same toothache & slight headache combo again now just a lot less frequent and a more dulled pain and I think it happens more when I'm burning.
Does anyone know if smoking too much weed can cause sinus infections?

I don't know if there's been an official, study-linked correlation between weed and sinus infections and headaches, but I've experienced what I think was a weed-aggravated sinus infection in the last couple of months when I was smoking, and I also noticed significant headaches related to the smoking, some connected to the sinus infection and some not. When I don't smoke, I don't get the headaches. But when I do smoke, I do, and they're killer headaches.

Consequently, no more smoking for me . . . .

yeah i get sinus infections when i amoke a lot too.. so does my old girlfriend i think it does have a coorelation

Hmmm... Seems rather impossible to me.

THC [Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol] has Anti-biotic properties within it, and yes, this has been proven, so if anything it should make it better.

Although i know very well that everyone has a differnt reaction, but tbh i think it complete conincidence.

Wouldn't surprise me. Most cannabis smokers share smoking paraphernalia between a number of peers.

tobacco is known to give sinus infections when smoke is inhaled or exhaled through the nose because the nicotine paralyzes mucous membranes, making the nose dry and prone to virii and bacteria.

if you dont smoke cigs i doubt its from the weed.

being diagnosed with chronic sinusitis multiple times, i can tell you that refraining from blowing or inhaling any smoke from your nose will help the situation, and possibly prevent it.

the post above me had a good point too.

i look like a coke-whore whenver i smoke because it makes my nose run

i got headache when i m not smoke...i dnt kno...when smoke...i feel a lot of betterr man..yeah thts wassup..im out

Thanks for all the comments. I dont blow smoke through my nose though. Birdgirl, your situation sounds a lot like how mine is starting. So you are permanently quitting weed because of your sinus headaches/infections?

For sinus infections use diluted oil of oregano in a squeeze dropper.

Grandma showed me this as a kid.

Later.

Originally Posted by WeedFaerie420

Thanks for all the comments. I dont blow smoke through my nose though. Birdgirl, your situation sounds a lot like how mine is starting. So you are permanently quitting weed because of your sinus headaches/infections?

Well, the headaches aren't completely driving the decision, but they're making it easier to quit. It's a combination of those headaches with the fact that my sister's not feeling like smoking any more, and so there's no real justifiable need for us to buy the stuff anymore. She has cancer, and weed originally helped her feel less nauseated and more like eating, but now the inhaling and coughing afterwards is hurting her insides where the tumor growth is. Plus I'm starting med school in a couple of weeks, and I'll have to agree to be an upstanding, law-abiding, "drug"-free citizen just as a matter of routine.

So it's just sort of the right time, all things considered, to give up what for me is an expensive but pleasant indulgence. I'll miss the effects of it (except the headaches). And down the road a couple of decades when I retire, I may well try it again. I still intend to be a strong advocate for medical marijuana use and decriminalization for recreational use as I train to be a doctor, and I think I'd like to be involved in research or experimental studies toward that end. So I won't totally abandon the culture even if I give up on the herb itself.

CONCLUSIONS: Cannabis abuse can induce atrial fibrillation in predisposed patients. Good practice may consider the inclusion of cannabis abuse tests in young patients admitted due to atrial fibrillation, and definite medical advice to stop the drug abuse.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...=pubmed_docsum

atrial fibrillation- Fibrillation in which the normal rhythmical contractions of the cardiac atria are replaced by rapid irregular twitchings of the muscular wall that cause the ventricles to respond irregularly. Also called a-fib, auricular fibrillation.

THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MARIJUANA SMOKE AND POT SMOKE. The study's from 2001. It, basically, says the same thing we already know. That Pot kills the bad cells and preserves the good.

Marijuana Smoke and Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Promote Necrotic Cell Death but Inhibit Fas-Mediated Apoptosis

Abstract

Marijuana smoke shares many components in common with tobacco smoke except for the presence of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the psychotropic compound found only in Cannibis sativa. Δ9-THC has been shown to potentiate smoke-induced oxidative stress and necrotic cell death. In the present study, our objective was to determine the effects of Δ9-THC on the balance between Fas-induced apoptosis and necrosis in A549 lung tumor cells. We found that Fas-induced activation of caspase-3 was inhibited by whole smoke from both tobacco and marijuana cigarettes. Gas-phase smoke, which generates high levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species, had no effect on caspase-3 activity. However, particulate-phase smoke (tar) was a potent inhibitor of Fas-induced caspase-3 activity, with marijuana tar being more potent than either tobacco or placebo marijuana tar (lacking Δ9-THC). Δ9-THC also inhibited Fas-induced caspase-3 activity in A549 cells. In contrast, no inhibition was observed when Δ9-THC was incubated with activated caspase-3 enzyme, suggesting that Δ9-THC acts on the cell pathway(s) leading to caspase-3 activation and not directly on enzyme function. Flow cytometry was used to measure the percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis (staining for annexin V) versus necrosis (staining for propidium iodide) and confirmed that both marijuana tar extract and synthetic Δ9-THC inhibit Fas-induced apoptotis while promoting necrosis. These observations suggest that the Δ9-THC contained in marijuana smoke disrupts elements of the apoptotic pathway, thereby shifting the balance between apoptotic and necrotic cell death. This shift may affect both the carcinogenic and immunologic consequences of marijuana smoke exposure.

Theodore A. Sarafian1, Donald P. Tashkin and Michael D. Roth

Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Room 37-131 Center for Health Sciences, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, 90095-1690

Received 7 March 2001; accepted 24 May 2001. ; Available online 12 March 2002.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...e0a9a22f51172c

The only time i have headaches , basing from sinal pain is,a. b4 or/and after a thunderstorm, and b. afta smokin SHITTY weed. nasty regg-headaches are about the worst, =ly up to a maigrain.

as far as sinus INFECTIONS, i used 2have that alot, as a kid, but then , about the same year i hit peuburty i also started smoking trees. then my sinus problems/allergies went away.

as 2wich one is the sole cause i dont kno, but im rootin dat da ganja played a part in that healing , so why would it ever CAUSE it ?

P.s. its better than a pill

Pot is the only thing that helps my constant migraines. When I was lookin for a job I quit smokin for 6 months and my migraines were still there. For me it doesn't cause headaches.

I've been smokin since 16, now way older and I have never had a sinus infection. Hmmm

Likely that something else is present in your sinus cavity, and is being irratated with pot's gooey, resiny smoke.

Anyone who's body rejects the presence of cannabinoids will encounter something a lot more bothersome than a splitting headache.

Advil doesnt do much for ya when the body is in even the most mild state of anaphylactic shock.

Hi there !

i have been smoking cannabis now for 5 years in a pipe pure with no tobacco.
I am what you would call a complete pot head and used to smoke about 7-8 pipes a day and as you all now you use a hell of alot more weed !
Up until 2 months ago i have been getting bad pain in my eyes,cheeks,teeth,ears nose and head. After visiting the doctor i was diagnosed with sinusitis (infection of sinuses) and logically thought smoking was to blame. this horrified me as i love my weed and dont think i could ever stop, so i thought long and hard on ways to get around the problem. I tried cooking it in cakes (terrible idea) making tea and other ways to consume it oraly, but none worked as well as i thought they would until....... i was reminded of the fact vaporizers exsist ! After some research i invested in a blue meanie vaporizer which after over a month of use i still have the infection ! i am slowly getting to the conclusion that the thc itself is the cause of the infection as i am inhaling thc vapour now with no carcogenic effects. After inhaling the thc vapour my sinuses flare up and im in alot of pain, i notice that if i dont inhale as much i can usually get away with a couple of uses of my vaporizer a day.i have read lots of mythical stories that thc vapour is good for sinus infections but i dont believe this to be true, alot of pot smokers are typically biased when it comes to the herb and need to face a few facts.
I am slowly approaching the end of my tether as i really cant stop consuming the blessed herb, i am thinking of trying to stop until the infection clears and see how the vapour goes then ? but even though im in pain i still go back to my vaporizer someone please help ! or anyone who has got the same problem feel free to write !

Thanks !

Adam.
i wish !

Hey Stayaway - I seem to have the same problem - for years I smoked out of a pipe - 2 or 3 a day and I had 3 sinus infections every year - I had sinus infections before I smoked, but smoking made them a little worse each time.

In July I got really sick - there was a mold issue in my apartment and I stopped smoking - I even had to move out - now that situation has been dealt with and I moved back in 3 weeks ago. I switched to using a vaporizer and was fine until a few days ago - my sinus are 'active' again, sometimes when I use the vaporizer my sinuses feel 'singed', and the last 2 days at work my energy felt depleted. Now I have a bit of a sore throat as well. I thought the vaporizer would stop affecting things, but I"m not sure that it doesn't affect anything.

Any ideas anyone?

Overview
Nasal polyps are sac-like growths of inflamed tissue lining the nose (nasal mucosa) or sinuses.
See also: Sinusitis
Symptoms
People with nasal polyps often complain about having a cold that has lasted for months or years.
Symptoms include:
Mouth breathing
Nose feeling blocked (nasal obstruction)
Reduced or complete loss of sense of smell (not common with sinus infection)
Runny nose
Headaches or pain are NOT common unless there is also a sinus infection.
Treatment
Medications help relieve symptoms but rarely get rid of nasal polyps.
Nasal steroid sprays may help with nasal blockage or runny nose, but symptoms return if treatment is stopped. There are many brands available. They are safe for adults and children.
Corticosteroid pills or liquid may also improve symptoms.
Antibiotics should only be taken if there is a bacterial sinus infection.
Some people may need surgery, such as functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS).
Causes
Nasal polyps typically start near the ethmoid sinuses (located at the top of the inside of the nose) and grow into the open areas. Large polyps can block the sinuses or nasal airway.
People with the following conditions are more likely to also have nasal polyps:
Aspirin sensitivity (wheezing)
Asthma
Chronic sinus infections
Cystic fibrosis
Hay fever (allergic rhinitis)
Tests & diagnosis
Examining the nose shows a grayish grape-like mass in the nasal cavity.
A CT scan of the sinuses will show opaque (cloudy) spots where the polyps are.
Prognosis
Removing the polyps with surgery usually makes it easier to breathe through the nose. Over time, however, nasal polyps often return. Reduced or lost sense of smell does not always improve following treatment with medicines or surgery.
Prevention
Although there is no real way to prevent nasal polyps, therapy aimed at the cause can help. Nasal sprays, antihistamines, and allergy shots may help prevent polyps that block the airway.
Also, aggressive medical treatment of sinus infections is helpful.
Complications
Bleeding
Infection
Nasal polyps may come back.
When to contact a doctor
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you regularly have difficulty breathing through your nose.