Nasal Allergies

[Mrs.O'Leary'sCow]

I've had nasal allergies to tree, grass, weed and shrub pollens for as long as I can remember. Along with the misery of runny nose and itchy eyes I get irritable, sluggish, and fatigued. The resultant brain fog saps my motivation to do anything but vegetate with a box of tissues, or sleep.

The first time I was tested by an allergist my arm burst out in hives. They gave me liquid Benadryl and a shot of epinephrine as a preventive measure to stave off possible anaphylaxis. They make little scratches on the inside of one of your forearms and put a drop or two of an allergen extract on the disturbed skin to gauge sensitivity to various allergens. My allergist said that on a scale of 1-10 my sensitivity to pollens was a nine.

Immunotherapy and Flonase help, but I still dread the lengthening days of late winter because I know allergy season (March-September) and its resultant misery is right around the corner.

Apparently there's a link between allergies, inflammation, and depression.
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/...ng-link-between-allergies-and-suicide/523608/

Does anyone else have nasal allergies?

 

[Vilthuril]

Yeah I have this and it's awful. I have a prescription for nasal spray since my nose gets really congested and I can't sleep, but it doesn't seem to work, whereas a certain the over-the-counter spray actually clears them out but it says not to use it more than a few days in a row. I guess I need to see an allergist as well since I'm not really sure what I am actually allergic to. A friend from years back did that and it turned out he was allergic to corn, wheat and soy and had been eating them for ages but it was just making him feel awful and cough up phlegm constantly, it's just that the body was able to adapt at least somewhat from continual exposure to the allergens.

 

[Mrs.O'Leary'sCow]

I was physically addicted to OTC nasal spray (name brand Afrin or generic equivalents) for several years. It's easy to become addicted because it works so fast to open swollen sinuses, and it feels so good to be rid of the congestion. Unfortunately the relief it provides is only temporary and the rebound congestion can become even worse than the original congestion. At that point you're tempted to use it more frequently than recommended, but if you do it starts spiraling into a physical dependency. I had to wean myself off of it one nostril at a time over a period of three miserable weeks of mouth breathing.

I don't know what prescription nasal spray you're using, but Flonase (now available OTC but expensive) works better than anything else for me.

If you have decent health insurance you can see an allergist for skin testing and start immunotherapy without breaking the bank. Once they determine your sensitivities they'll prepare a batch of allergy extracts custom mixed for your specific sensitivities and start injecting them into your upper arm with a tiny insulin syringe once or twice per week over a period of 2-5 years. The shots aren't unpleasant other than some itchiness at the injection site and some swelling (like a mosquito bite). I guess they work on the same principle as your friend with his food allergies (continual exposure to allergens prompting an adaptation by the body's immune system).