Leaving Minor Infections Untreated

Most of us have had those days and weeks where you wake up with a runny nose and congested sinuses. For many, something like this we would just nonchalantly pass off as a virus or just a simple sinus infection.

I personally did this exact thing just last week. I had been congested and had slight pressure in my ears and thought, “It’s probably just a cold or a sinus infection. I’ll just leave it be and let my body take care of it.” This post is not about fearmongering or any of the sort. This is simply a cautionary tale to those who value their personal wellbeing and health.

A few days after these initial symptoms of what seemed to be a common cold appeared, I went to sleep one night fully expecting it to just pass on its own. Unbeknownst to me, that night a bacterial infection was beginning to spread from my sinuses and was beginning to penetrate my blood brain barrier. That morning I awoke with the most intense vertigo I had ever experienced. I was barely able to walk, was suffering from severe amnesia, and could barely even speak, and even when I could, I looked like someone who was blackout drunk. A family member noticed this and asked me what was going on, why was in such a stupor?

Under the impression that I was overdosing from some unknown drug, this family member immediately took me to the local hospital’s emergency room. Upon arrival, I was quickly committed and was seen by a neurologist. Upon seeing my symptoms of severe vertigo, dysarthria, and narcolepsy-like bouts of sudden sleep; the neurologist immediately ordered a CT scan of my head and upper body. What was perplexing to this doctor was that I had no visible signs of any possible neurological problems such as a stroke.

Further blood testing, culture testing, and physical examination showed that what had began as a simple sinus infection had actually developed into pharyngitis, sinusitis, influenza, and two middle ear infections. I was told that had my family member not been there to realize how much of a stupor I was in, as at the time I thought I was perfectly fine, those infections would have quickly spread into my brain tissue and possibly into my blood stream leading to meningitis or sepsis.

I was urgently given heavy doses of antibiotics, prednisone, and anti vertigo medications. However, as soon as this stupor has begun; it ended. The next morning I woke up in my bed with no memory of the prior day and a family believing I was on the verge of death.

This just goes to show that you shouldn’t ignore the signs of a possible infection, not matter how inconpicuous it may seem because a precious few hours could save someone’s life, or your own.