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I'm not sure what's changed, but this year I'm having a horrible sinus allergy. I had a phone consult with a doctor and from the symptoms he's pretty sure it's allergies.
I've had sinus headaches in the past and once even had what I thought was a tooth ache and it turned out to be sinuses.
Now, my sinuses feel like they have pressure on them and I'm puffy around that area. I've been sneezing off and on several times a day and my nose runs off and on too. I live in the desert but I know several people that have bad allergies here. I think the dry air makes it worse.
What the heck? Allergies have never been this bad for me.
Your sensitivity to an allergen can change over time. You can become more sensitized and your reaction can get more intense. Also, the amount of the allergen present could be especially high right now. It could be that the area had more than normal rainfall which allowed for more of a bloom. Bloom means pollen. Have you had allergy testing done? That can eliminate things you DON'T have to try to deal with and you can focus on the ones you DO.
They’ve been saying that allergies have gotten worse every year because it’s actually true. Allergies have gotten worse every year. For example, right now it feels like someone has punched me in the face and I’m fairly certain it’s my sinuses. I already take two nasal sprays.
That said, I visited a friend in the desert last month and I just wanted to die. I was just miserable. The dry air definitely means that the allergens are floating in the air more. You can always do things to help like get a humidifier for your house (preferably one that measures the humidity because you’ll have allergies if you make it TOO humid as well), make sure that if you go outside you wash off your hair and irrigate your sinuses, etc.
Thanks for your responses. I work outdoors so there's little I can do unless I want to be unemployed. I just got back from the drug store and talked to the pharmacist. She suggest Pseudoephed so I bought some. I took it about 2 hours ago and feel much better. I do have a swamp cooler in the house which keeps the humidity about 50 percent indoors. If I stand right in front of it when it's blowing it feels like immediate relief, LOL, so the dry air outside just makes it worse for me.
I hope this sudden allergy sinus issue goes away soon. I don't want to take nasal sprays. That's just me.
Thanks for your responses. I work outdoors so there's little I can do unless I want to be unemployed. I just got back from the drug store and talked to the pharmacist. She suggest Pseudoephed so I bought some. I took it about 2 hours ago and feel much better. I do have a swamp cooler in the house which keeps the humidity about 50 percent indoors. If I stand right in front of it when it's blowing it feels like immediate relief, LOL, so the dry air outside just makes it worse for me.
I hope this sudden allergy sinus issue goes away soon. I don't want to take nasal sprays. That's just me.
I used to live in Phoenix and allergies were miserable. A humidifier helped and an air purifier. My allergist said to change clothes after going outdoors, but with yardwork, letting the dogs outside and feeding horses, it was way too much trouble to change clothes a dozen times a day. Easier to move.
You are wise not to use sprays, I’ve read that using over three days can cause permanent dependency. I had friends who just kept using them, they were way past three days and they couldn’t breath through their nose if they stopped using the sprays. The desert is rough.
If you are open to it, go to a vitamin store, there are a number of natural products without the side effects that might help.
Are you maintaining the swamp cooler to prevent mold in the unit? It may be making you feel better, but also perpetuating or even causing the problem.
When we finally discovered a leak in our bedroom wall and mold in the surrounding baseboards and carpet, we tore everything out. The nasal congestion and puffy eyes that I had been waking up with for months disappeared the next day and have not returned.
My allergies usually don't bother me in Phoenix. I'm in Scottsdale right now and doing fine.
I find it helps to think in terms of "buckets". Your allergen tolerance is like a bucket. You can tolerate a certain amount before the bucket overflows and it turns into a full-blown allergy attack.
Last year at this time we had two cats. I have a low-level cat allergy. Unfortunately, my beautiful Russian Blue died suddenly and unexpectedly. Since then, my allergies have caused fewer and fewer problems to the point where this year I didn't have to spend three months of spring indoors. It seems I can tolerate one cat's dander but with two cats my bucket was getting pretty full.
So it would probably help to find out what your primary environmental allergen is. Get tested if you can. The more knowledge you have, the better you can manage it.
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