Allergies/Sinus Issues

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Z3Dreamer

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Had the deviated septum fixed. Still can't breathe well through my nose. Had this problem for most of my life. Allergist says I am allergic to some tree pollens, grass, dust mites, and a few other goodies. Their tests do not determine whether the allergy is mild or severe.

Don't like daily inhalers or drugs. Don't want to do the 3 to 5 year shot deal.

Anyone had success just removing allergens from your house? Air purifier? Saw some threads on this forum but they were a few years old.
 
Have you tried a neti pot or a sinus rinse bottle? I have found this works really well for my allergies. I also removed all the wall to wall carpet in my house.
 
I feel your pain. I will be age 70 this year and have dealt with these problems since I was a young child. When I was 65 I went through three years of allergy shots.
Three shots once a week. I got tired of going though this so I stopped after 3 years. I can say now it helped 80% as I have not been sick since. Wish now I had completed the 5 year plan.

I tried everything known to man in the past and nothing helped but the shots. Do it. Might not work for you but it did me and I didn't even know it was at the time.
I still keep a stuffy nose from time to time but nothing like in the past. The neti pot and sinus rinse bottle were doing nothing but keeping it worse. I also kept it clean and used distilled water but never any help :( Cheers. Tom
 
no, but can make some things better. dust mites.. hypoallergenic mattress, box spring, and pillow covers for a start. Wash bedding often. And that is just the start. We haven't gone to active air filters.
 
Z3Dreamer said:
Had the deviated septum fixed. Still can't breathe well through my nose. Had this problem for most of my life. Allergist says I am allergic to some tree pollens, grass, dust mites, and a few other goodies. Their tests do not determine whether the allergy is mild or severe.

Don't like daily inhalers or drugs. Don't want to do the 3 to 5 year shot deal.

Anyone had success just removing allergens from your house? Air purifier? Saw some threads on this forum but they were a few years old.
Click to expand...

You don't say if your breathing issue is constant or at night, but I have battled chronic congestion for years. I did the allergy shots several years ago to address debilitating sinus attacks (I won't go into the disgusting details) and they worked for that but didn't really help with congestion. I also used a steroidal nasal spray for a while, flonase, but stopped that and now use zyrtecD pretty much daily to help with congestion. The other thing I use at night is breathe right strips. These allow me to breathe through my nose while I sleep and I believe they also contribute to reduced congestion during the day even when not worn. I also feel that regular use has decreased the incidence of respiratory infections. I would highly recommend you give the strips a try.
 
I've had chronic nasal congestion all my life. I had the allergy shots, 2 major sinus surgeries, tried every sort of drug treatment there is, yet still suffer. Currently I'm on nasacort, but I've had some success with nasonex (which is not a corticosteroid, so the effect is different). These help, but don't solve the problem.

According to Dr Google I should try microdebrider-assisted inferior turbinoplasty, and I think I'll pursue this.
 
I, too, have had chronic allergies since childhood. Used flonase forever, developed glaucoma (which is also hereditary, so dr did not want to say for sure was caused by the nasal steroid), so now only use it when symptoms are really bad. I get some relief with neti pot.
Have not been back to allergist in years, as the shots were the next thing and I am not wanting to do that yet.
 
Z3Dreamer said:
Had the deviated septum fixed. Still can't breathe well through my nose. Had this problem for most of my life. Allergist says I am allergic to some tree pollens, grass, dust mites, and a few other goodies. Their tests do not determine whether the allergy is mild or severe.

Don't like daily inhalers or drugs. Don't want to do the 3 to 5 year shot deal.

Anyone had success just removing allergens from your house? Air purifier? Saw some threads on this forum but they were a few years old.
Click to expand...
I too have a deviated septum (old football injury) and allergies.

What I did and it works:
1) Took the allergy shots and now go for a maintenance dose about once a month.
2) Use Fluticisone nasal spray nightly when going to bed.
3) Get up around 1am and take one Benedryl. This just helps me sleep soundly and is probably not much of an allergy reliever.
4) If my nose stuffs up early in the AM, I take a spray of Afrin to clear this up in about 15 minutes. I very rarely use this now and toss this out at the expiration date. Get the Afrin with the spray mister tip for a few bucks more.

I know you didn't want to go this route but it REALLY has helped me a lot. My doc is OK with this and thinks it is very conservative use of drugs. My worst time is January and February from the tree pollens. I do a lot of running and walking in the oak foothills here and also garden a lot. So am really exposed to pollens. I do not think the reduction of allergens in the home is effective for me. But every 2 years I replace my pillow.
 
I also suffer from chronic sinusitis due to allergies (am allergic to pollens, dust mites, chemicals, our cats, on and on) and have tried everything over the years. We removed all of the carpeting in the house 6 mos. ago during our remodel and the difference is AMAZING. The house is now carpet free with just a couple of smallish area rugs to warm things up. I used to wake up with a stuffed nose every morning and rarely do so now.
 
Carpet can be bad, houseplants too.
 
OK, I realize this is an older thread but I thought this may help someone.

I've had breathing related allergies most of my life to "something" inside the house. Either dog dandruff, house dust, or some combinations of things inside the house that I'm breathing in. No one smokes in the house and that doesn't seem to bother me when I'm around it anyway. Funny thing is I never seem to have any problems with things "outside" with pollen's, dust, smoke, etc.

OK, I tried all the usual OTC med stuff, nothing seemed to work. Bought the best allergen air condition filters I could find for our central AC, steamed cleaned the carpets, tried one of the cheaper (<$150) air purifiers, etc. Nothing seemed to really help much. I found that wearing a cheap disposable air filter mask did help but I didn't want to wear a mask indoors all the time.

So I was about to go to an allergy doctor and/or, throw the dog outside and tear out the carpets. But I decided to try a "high quality air purifier". Ok, lots of them out there but I settled in on a ~$900 IQ Air purifier. Within a day after turning it on, I could tell the difference and after several days I'd say I'm seeing (breathing) with a 90+% improvement. YMMV
 
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Similar problem for years Also had double whammy of excessive dust and other particles from manufacturing at my workplace. took the shots for years (incl maintenance) That helped the most, about 75%. So I don't see how you can avoid doing that to see the bulk of the improvement Mattress cover, air purifier were the next significant improvement, perhaps another 10% or so. What got me the rest of the way was once daily use of a sinus rinse bottle plus the breathing strips at night.

The point is to drive down both sensitivity and reduce the allergen load in one's sinuses. Doing just one was just not enough for me. YMMV
 
Car-Guy said:
So I was about to go to an allergy doctor and/or, throw the dog outside and tear out the carpets. But I decided to try a "high quality air purifier". Ok, lots of them out there but I settled in on a ~$900 IQ Air purifier. Within a day after turning it on, I could tell the difference and after several days I'd say I'm seeing (breathing) with a 90+% improvement. YMMV
Click to expand...

What air purifier did you buy ? I am considering one .
 
I've been bugged by allergies all my life. One other option I'll mention is nose filters (basically, miniature air filters that go up your nose). Search "Woody Knows nose filters" on amazon, for instance.

I found them helpful for a while, but they had three downsides: 1) you have to keep changing them out; 2) it's a bit awkward to stick something up your nose; and 3) if your nose is stuffed, they're pointless, because you have to breathe through your mouth.

I'm using nasacort at the moment and finding it helpful.
 
I think New Orleans must be the sinus/allergy capital of the universe. Seems like everyone here has severe problems of this type. People tell me that the surgery seems miraculous for about six months, and then the problems return.

Although I am not really prone to such problems, I have acquired some mild issues of this type since living here. Here's what I do if my minor sinus issues occur:

1) Stand in the shower for a while with hot water spraying me in the face.

2) Ask someone else if their sinuses are bothering them. The answer is always "yes". As I listen to their tales of horror, I become so thankful that I am not that person. While I might be moderately uncomfortable and cranky, they are going through the tortures of H*ll and they want to tell me all the details, on and on.

3) Look on the bright side. If it were not for sinus issues, I'd have to rely on weather forecasters to know a cold front is approaching. My sinuses are much more accurate.:D
 
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Moemg said:
What air purifier did you buy ? I am considering one .
Click to expand...
After doing some research, I ended up buying an IQ Air Health Pro Plus Air Purifier. There are several online sites that sell them, some offer free shipping and some with a little discount. Check around for the best deals. I think most sites list price is between $849 and $899 but you can probably find some with discounts.

The link provided by Walt34 above in post #15 will take you to one to see.
 
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I had a lot of problems with allergies and was also getting bad colds which ended up in my chest and lingered for months. As others have mentioned, I bought an IQAir Health Pro Plus for the bedroom and it made an immediate difference.

I liked it so much that when the HVAC systems were up for replacement I bought the IQAir Perfect 16 system, which connect to the furnace and filter the air through the ductwork in your house. I use a laser particle counter to measure their effectiveness and I can see about a 99% reduction in total particles when I run the IQAir systems. They are a bit expensive but I think they are definitely worth it. I've only had one cold in the past four years since installing these air purifiers.
 
Car-Guy said:
OK, I realize this is an older thread but I thought this may help someone.

I've had breathing related allergies most of my life to "something" inside the house. Either dog dandruff, house dust, or some combinations of things inside the house that I'm breathing in. No one smokes in the house and that doesn't seem to bother me when I'm around it anyway. Funny thing is I never seem to have any problems with things "outside" with pollen's, dust, smoke, etc.

OK, I tried all the usual OTC med stuff, nothing seemed to work. Bought the best allergen air condition filters I could find for our central AC, steamed cleaned the carpets, tried one of the cheaper (<$150) air purifiers, etc. Nothing seemed to really help much. I found that wearing a cheap disposable air filter mask did help but I didn't want to wear a mask indoors all the time.

So I was about to go to an allergy doctor and/or, throw the dog outside and tear out the carpets. But I decided to try a "high quality air purifier". Ok, lots of them out there but I settled in on a ~$900 IQ Air purifier. Within a day after turning it on, I could tell the difference and after several days I'd say I'm seeing (breathing) with a 90+% improvement. YMMV
Click to expand...

Glad to hear that you've finally found something that gave you such a large improvement! That has to feel wonderful.

omni
 
Ready said:
I had a lot of problems with allergies and was also getting bad colds which ended up in my chest and lingered for months. As others have mentioned, I bought an IQAir Health Pro Plus for the bedroom and it made an immediate difference.

I liked it so much that when the HVAC systems were up for replacement I bought the IQAir Perfect 16 system, which connect to the furnace and filter the air through the ductwork in your house. I use a laser particle counter to measure their effectiveness and I can see about a 99% reduction in total particles when I run the IQAir systems. They are a bit expensive but I think they are definitely worth it. I've only had one cold in the past four years since installing these air purifiers.
Click to expand...
The portable one I have claims to cover about 1200 sq ft and it's on casters so it can be moved, if needed. However, I put it in the main living area (center of a 2000 sq ft house) and it's seems to be just fine for the whole house and I only have it running at half speed. If needed, I'll buy a second one for better coverage but so far, so good. I may also consider the IQAir Perfect 16 if/when I replace my central air someday.
 
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omni550 said:
Glad to hear that you've finally found something that gave you such a large improvement! That has to feel wonderful.

omni
Click to expand...

Yes it does. :dance:

Now that I know it works "for me", I'd have paid much, much more. But don't tell the manufacture.
 
Old thread, same issue. Removed many allergens from the house. Didn't fix the problem, so the ENT/Allergy Doctor tested me (his nurses actually) and found out that I was allergic to a number of things. Actually, I removed allergens after the tests without much help.

Doctor said I would benefit from shots/drops so I opted for the drops. Insurance doesn't cover drops, but deductible is so high that it didn't matter. Anyhow, I would much rather administer drops myself than wait in the Allergy Clinic once a week. I have been on the drops for 2 1/2 months. Don't feel much different. Maybe it is seasonal. Anyone have experience with shots or drops and care to tell me how long it took to see improvement?
 
If you have carpeting in your house, take it out. I had horrible sinus headaches constantly until I removed the carpeting. Fortunately there was hardwood flooring underneath. No more sinus issues since it was removed.
 
The shots did not work for me at all. I am allergic to most things in and out and have tried everything. I was on drops and did not think they were helping so quit. Once I quit I realized they were helping and went back on them. I also take zyrtec and she put me on Singulair because it helps some people with allergies and it is helping too. I go through about 10 big boxes of kleenex/month. During the warm months I can sneeze and blow my nose for hours in the morning. Some summers I literally feel sick most of the time. The testing will tell you how bad your allergies are. Mine just keep getting worse.
 
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