sinus issues since moving here to Western Wa (Seattle: hotel, house) - Washington (WA) - City-Data Forum

Foreverking · 10-25-2009, 11:35 PM

I used to live in Oregon (portland), then I moved to Arizona. I have since moved back and I am suffering terrible sinus problems, the head aches and throbbing face pain is awful and doesnt seem to take a break with the change from summer to fall. Is anybody know why sinus problems would be worse here. I would think this climate would be perfect for sinus, with the cool air and moisture. Seems like it should be much healthier.

AzDreamer · 10-26-2009, 07:09 AM

It's most likely an allergy problem. Do some detective work and determine if there are times during the day or places where your symptoms improve or get worse. Since it's year round the problem isn't likely plant related, it may be dust mites in your pillow or something growing in your walls.

For me saline spray in the morning and flonase at night help a lot. A room air cleaner didn't make any difference. I make sure my pillow and bedding gets aired out during the day, dust mites need high humidity.

I would see an ENT but even an expert will have trouble pinpointing the reason unless you have a specific allergy they can uncover.

charleecrat · 10-26-2009, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foreverking

I used to live in Oregon (portland), then I moved to Arizona. I have since moved back and I am suffering terrible sinus problems, the head aches and throbbing face pain is awful and doesnt seem to take a break with the change from summer to fall. Is anybody know why sinus problems would be worse here. I would think this climate would be perfect for sinus, with the cool air and moisture. Seems like it should be much healthier.

get a nettie pot. It looks like a childs teapot. put warm salt water in it and flush your sinuses everyday, wash your hair every day, zyrtec is a great anti histimine but will dry you

out like the saraha desert. My son has these probs along with asthma and pneumonia so im quite skilled in ER trips and having the beejesus scared out of me

cause of him. He seems better now that he is 13, but still has issues usually this time of year.

hope you feel better

eskercurve · 10-26-2009, 08:15 AM

Sounds like you already got good advice. If you wanted to know if it was an allergy problem, you could visit a doctor for that and ask him to test you for allergies. It's kinda painful - they put about 50 pinpricks into your arm and whatever you're allergic to will inflame the skin around it, but it's worth it to know anything and everything you're allergic to, from food to mold to whatever.

chris · 10-26-2009, 08:36 AM

One thing to keep in mind, is keeping fresh air moving in your living space. Air here in Western WA is extremely stagnant most of the time, which causes a lot of the mold-type/allergy issues. I have the windows cracked open throughout the house nearly year round, and the difference is significant as compared to when they are closed.

If your symptoms are like mine, when you are outside you don't really experience the issue - only inside. I would not take an antihistamine or drugs for it, those are only temporary solutions.

CityGirl72 · 10-26-2009, 10:18 AM

When I moved to Seattle from Calif, all the moist air made my sinuses go insane - I had a continual drippy nose (I do not have allergies)

The first year I was there I got two very severe sinus infections, one of them put me in the ER. And I never had a sinus infection before in my life until I moved.

I and my family including my mother in law have moved back to Calif. She even mentioned on the drive down that once we were out of the PNW, her sinus opened up and all the dribble was gone.

green_mariner · 10-26-2009, 11:39 AM

It depends on what you are allergic to. If you are allergic to mold, that might be a problem in Western WA. Personally, I had fewer sinus issues in Seattle than I do now in Atlanta. Alot of plants growing here that make me sick in the spring.

frostyrides · 10-26-2009, 10:32 PM

If it's an issue with mold, I would definately have your home checked out to make sure it's not toxic.

Other than that, I also have fall alergies. I use Claritin-D which has completely cleared up symtoms for me without causing drowsiness. So you might want to try out different remedies or medications to see which works best for you.

AzDreamer · 10-27-2009, 08:28 AM

If you are able to get away from your house for a weekend it would be good to know if your symptoms improve. Just checking into a local hotel for a couple days could give you some relief, which would imply the problem is being caused by something in your house. It could be serious like your house was a meth lab, the roof leaked and mold is growing in the walls; or something easy to fix like dust mites in your pillow.

seattlenextyear · 10-27-2009, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eskercurve

Sounds like you already got good advice. If you wanted to know if it was an allergy problem, you could visit a doctor for that and ask him to test you for allergies. It's kinda painful - they put about 50 pinpricks into your arm and whatever you're allergic to will inflame the skin around it, but it's worth it to know anything and everything you're allergic to, from food to mold to whatever.

They also have a blood test for this. More accurate and less bumpy.