Community Chat

[Lipstickdiva]

I have been having some serious and bothersome nasal issues.  LOL  I cannot tell if this is a sinus problem or an allergy problem.

I am now 3 weeks into waking up with my nose so stuffy, I can barely breathe.  The other night it was so bad, I couldn't breathe through my nose.  My nose isn't runny, it just feels incredibly plugged up and dried out.  It gets slightly better during the day but not much and then gets bad again at night.

I have tried taking a decongestant and it doesn't do much.  I'm using a neti pot, I've kept my humidifier on and nothing.

My eyes aren't itchy or swollen, I don't have a cough or sore throat, I don't have a headache.  I sneeze a couple of times a day but not anything crazy. 

I know this isn't a medical board.  I've never had allergies as far as I know.  My DH does and what I have is nothing like what he has.  I have no intention of seeing a doctor over something like this.  Just looking to see if there is a clear cut way of figuring out which this is.  

[ECBG]

If you have allergies they flare up about the same time during the year or, as in the case of an allergy to dust you would essentially never have an "easy" moment.

Either can become infected or go to the chest if you don't keep the drainage in check.

If you have a virus, it won't naturally be the same time every year.

A smoker might often get bronchitsis because he has drainage and the smoking affected the reaction.

[jaxs mom]

If antihistames relieve the symptoms then it's probably allergy related. If it's rhinitis then it usually requires a steroid spray. At least that's what my allergist gives me. I have both non allergic rhinitis and allergies. Look up rhinitis symptoms and see if they match yours. 

BTW, it can take a few weeks of daily use to get full relief with antihistamines. 

[KingstonsMom]

@Lipstickdiva

If you're stuffed up and your sinuses feel "dried out", then you need something like Mucinex (guafinisen) to thin out the mucus, so you can expel it.

I buy just guafinisen (store brand), it's much cheaper than cold/allergy meds that contain it and other stuff that you may not need.

My allergies affect my sinuses only, no itchy eyes or anything and when they're totally stuffed up and dry, I use guafinisen.

If I have a runny nose, sneezing,etc., I use a decongestant. HTH!

[ROMARY]

I would try taking 1/2 of a straight Benadryl tablet.  The one that states 'allergy', not the one that also deals with 'this and that'.  It's an anti-antihistamine, which immediately cuts the histimines. According to my N/P and doc years ago.  I used to have migraines due to exposure to scents/odors/chemicals, etc.  and the 1/2 Benadryl (store brand) worked wonders.  Too bad that I didn't know about it several years before mentioning it to my N/P. 

[KarenQVC]

My allergist gave me a hack that is safe and will help most things nasal--saline nasal spray--any brand.  Use it as often as needed.  Allergies can cause all kinds of symptoms. 

[ROMARY]

I'm wondering if a straight saline nose spray would lubricate and moisten your nose/nasal passages.  Or something that would directly on contact soften the tissues when they appear to be 'dry'.  I'd type in search something similar to: ' Over the counter nose sprays that soften dry nasal passages'..........It's worth a try.

[magicmoodz]

@Lipstickdiva

Have you been drinking a lot of wine lately?  That is the very reaction I have been getting lately when drinking wine.  It used to be limited to red wine, but now whites can affect me the same.  Remember allergies can come out of nowhere and are yet another lovely fate of aging!

I try to get ahead of my allergy issues by taking a Benadryl every night before bed.  It acts as a bit of a sleeping aid too.

[beach-mom]

I would get tested. I fooled around with the same symptoms you have for years after we moved here. I just got used to the fact that I couldn't breathe in the morning until I was up and around for a while. I told everyone, and my doctor agreed, I had "seasonal allergies." Except mine never went away. Finally last year I saw an ENT specialist and was tested. It turns out I'm allergic to just about everything except cats - thank goodness!!!  I allergic to dogs, and a lot of my friends have dogs. I still play with them - I'm not going to stop doing that! 

I stopped using anything in my nose except saline if it gets REALLY bad. I take a generic form of Zyrtec, and that seems to help. Like you I don't have itchy eyes or sneezing, but I do have "allergy circles" under my eyes! 

I hope you feel better! 

[ROMARY]

MaizeAndBlue:  We must have been typing at the same time!  Yes, great idea re: saline nose spray.  I believe, many years ago, my mom had the same problem, and that was what her doc recommended, at that time.