After a year of weekly allergy shots, my ENT required me to make an office visit for a procedure. He numbed my sinuses and inserted a super skinny tube with a light in search of polyps. While investigating, he told me I still had adenoids, or some remains of them. Apparently, most people's adenoids are gone by adolescence even if they aren't removed in childhood.

"Could this be why I get so many ear infections?" I asked.

"Possibly," he answered.

Finally, a clue as to why I've suffered beyond childhood with ear infections. Human ears, nose and throat surely are a strongly trinity.

My history includes nose bleeds as a child. Allergies became an issue during my teens. But the ear infections never stopped. My mother wanted the doctor to take out my tonsils. Those were the days when surgeons started to pull back from performing this minor operation. Mom never heard of adenoids. 

Was Mom on the right trail? One of my doctors told her I had smaller than average ear tubes (not sure what it's called), keeping my ears from properly drying. This can cause bacteria to build up and breed infection. In spite of drying my ears after showering and avoiding swimming, infections persisted. In summer heat, moisture from perspiration may also be a culprit for those infections that frustrate me.

Now I instill a drop of alcohol in each ear after showering to dry up water and moisture. This may also keep infection down by killing bacteria. I believe using a neti pot to flush my sinuses, when allergy season is bad, helps reduce ear infections as well as sinus infections.

Last year, when I posted about beginning allergy shots, I had gum pain that turned out to be a badly infected tooth that needed root canal. That's how painful sinus can be. As I write this, my gum is throbbing. Another tooth infection? Or sinus pain?

I receive allergy shots every other week now. This is the second phase of a three year possible treatment for allergies that may also be a factor in my ear issues. Small improvement may be the result of the shots, along with my alcohol regiment and neti pot. I'm experiencing less body moisture due to natural aging. My guess is, this also helps with my nose running less.

I'm no doctor and am grateful to those who have aided me in pain relief. I'm just trying to figure out what the whole story is with my sinuses and ears. Allergens surely have been my silent enemy, but winter ear infections always boggled me.

Sinus issues and ear infections may not be deadly, but the pain and recovery can significantly dim quality of life. My wise ENT said that frequent and extended bouts of pain and discomfort can slip one into depression, which can be deadly. So many people suffer from these health issues. Thank you again for the information you included in your comments to my last post on this topic. I look forward to others.