How To Deal With A Persistantly Stuffy Nose/Allergies?

[SOLDIER]

I've had to deal with allergies almost my whole life: throughout the day I've always got a stuffed nose, 99.5% of the time being my right nostril. I will also on occasion get watery/itchy eyes and a runny nose, and lately I've had phlegm added to the picture for good measure.

I'm tired of always carrying nasal spray in my pocket, but most of the remedies I've tried lead to minimal, if any, results that are always temporary: Tylenol Sinus, Saline Water (which you push through your nostrils via a bottle), Claritin-D, Sudafed-D....basically I've taken a whole lotta D and hardly ever feel it.

Last time I saw an ENT, they recommended surgery as I apparently had a deviated septum. I ended up not going through with it, as I admittedly was too nervous to go through with it. Plus he didn't sound confident that it would improve my situation, so I didn't want to go through all that just for a "eh, maybe, who's to say?".

This is a major QoL thing I want to improve, so I'll happily take any suggestions anyone's got, as well as the best kind of specialist to see.

 

[Lightning Count]

Spoiler

All jokes aside, hopefully something can be done about this, I have been dealing with an nasty cold for a couple if weeks now, getting sI knew of my nose being constantly runny.

 

[super-famicom]

For home, at least, a good air purifier and a humidifier will help out.

 

[Linkura]

Have you gone to an actual allergist/immunologist to get tested for what exactly you're allergic to and to get expert advice?

 

[Dr. Zoidberg]

I take Zyrtec daily for allergies and it's the only drug that has ever worked reliably for me. None of the others did much good except some of them make me really sleepy.

As for surgery, my boss had some surgery on his sinuses and nasal passages to help with constant drainage and sinus infections. It was very painful but he says it worked wonders. Not sure I could do it.

Have you gone to an actual allergist/immunologist to get tested for what exactly you're allergic to and to get expert advice?

Click to shrink...

I always knew I was allergic to certain weeds, dust, and cats, but I recently found out I was now allergic to dogs as well. This is a problem as I live with two of them. Now I know why my symptoms are no longer seasonal and I have to take something every day.

 

[jetpacks was yes]

I have the worst sinus issues, so I can relate. Things that have helped:

Allergy immunotherapy. I'm allergic to everything but this has helped tremendously.

Sinus rinse (neilmed), every day. Make sure to follow the directions.

Allegra or Zyrtec, daily. Flonase or similar, daily. As recommend by my ENT.

And finally, my sinus surgery did help. They had to scrape a layer of my sinus cavity and remove nasal polyps. Doesn't last forever, but do it if you can find a good doc and your insurance covers it. I won't lie though, the recovery can hurt, a lot. I had to be on percocet to deal with the pain, but I also have a very high tolerance for drugs.

 

[Gangrel]

Have you tried Zyrtec?

 

[Mammoth Jones]

Get your deviated septum fixed.

Do immunotherapy.

 

[Huey]

Have you tried nasal corticosteroids, OP? Didn't see it in your post, can be very effective for people. Your family physician can prescribe it.

Pursuing more detailed allergen testing is a good idea as well to see if you can avoid the trigger, although sounds like you're probably just generally very atopic.

 

[Wood Man]

 

[Linkura]

I take Zyrtec daily for allergies and it's the only drug that has ever worked reliably for me. None of the others did much good except some of them make me really sleepy.

As for surgery, my boss had some surgery on his sinuses and nasal passages to help with constant drainage and sinus infections. It was very painful but he says it worked wonders. Not sure I could do it.



I always knew I was allergic to certain weeds, dust, and cats, but I recently found out I was now allergic to dogs as well. This is a problem as I live with two of them. Now I know why my symptoms are no longer seasonal and I have to take something every day.

Click to shrink...

Zyrtec is the pill that has helped for me too. Allegra (what was originally suggested by a GP to me) and Claritin (what my parents gave me as a kid) didn't do jackshit. I remember the morning after the first night I took it, I said, "I can breathe!"

Yup, I am heavily allergic to various tree pollens, weeds, mold, and cats. I was battling with seasonal allergies and frequent colds all the time while I was growing up (to the point where teachers thought I was faking it). Didn't get tested until I was 23 when it was suggested by an ENT I saw after my GP told me to go see one for frequent sinus infections. I honestly consider it negligence on my parents and pediatrician's part for not getting me tested sooner. I had a cat growing up since I was 5 and I had 3 cats by the time I was tested.

I still get sick with sinusitis a lot but the following has helped:
-Zyrtec
-Astelin nasal spray
-Flonase nasal spray
-NeilMed Sinus Rinse
-IQ Air Filters in my house (They are fucking expensive but worth it- we had a mold inspector test the air in our house and he said it's the cleanest he's ever seen in a non-controlled environment. It even helped with my cat's mystery allergies!)
-5 years of allergy shots
-Sinus surgery as you mentioned above. It wasn't that painful for me but I was out of commission for a few days recovering. I just needed OTC pain meds for recovery, though the ENT prescribed Oxy. I didn't need it and later dropped it off at the police station.

I basically need to wait for my cats to die for any additional significant improvement. But doing all those has really helped as I used to have a constantly stuffy nose. At least the nasal symptoms have greatly improved; now when I have sinusitis, it's mainly fatigue and some aches and sinus pressure.

 

[Froli]

Mine became manageable after doing morning 1 hour brisk walks and wearing masks (for dusts and pollen). Taking 500 mg vit c at morning and evening for a month

 

[Particle Physicist]

Zyrtec is one of the better antihistamines and recommended by my allergist over the other ones. Flonase daily. It works amazingly well but you have to be consistent with it. You should start seeing some difference after about a week of usage.

try seeing an allergist. There are other meds they can prescribe that you can try before going the surgery route. I am currently getting allergy shots too.

 

[meow]

I don't have allergies but I went through a period of dermatographia and the allergist also put me on zyrtec. I'm seeing a trend here in this thread if you haven't tried it yet somehow.

(It worked, btw. I had to take it pretty much continuously so I got costco's generic version, aller-tec.)

 

[Geode]

Give Flonase or generic fluticasone propionate a shot. It may help, but it takes a few days to kick in though.

 

[bigsnack]

Echoing what others have said. Immunotherapy (shots for me in the US) was the single greatest help to relieve allergy symptoms. I was allergic to life basically (dust, pollen, grass, most trees, cats. rabbits, etc.). Nasal sprays are good, but can have some nasty side effects. Flonase works, but gives me headaches and severely dulls my sense of smell. Nasacort also works, but I get muscle weakness after the second day of using it so that's basically out too.

I had my deviated septum "fixed" and it did absolutely nothing for my symptoms. Are your upper teeth crowded / crooked? Nasal breathing is also linked to the width of the maxilla, and so there are a few ways you can look into expanding your upper palate and creating more physical space for the nasal cavities to pass air. Even 1-2 mm's of more space can make the difference. MSE is the absolute best treatment for adults, and younger patients have other options that can achieve good results as well.

Lastly, I was able to finally put the nail in the coffin in my nasal congestion by eliminating certain foods. Garlic, vanilla, and cinnamon were giving me massive congestion for basically my entire life, and didn't figure it out until very recently. You could try an elimination diet and see if there's something that is causing inflammation in your body. If you have really bad allergies, it could be any food, or even a combination or an entire family of foods. It's a long journey, but all we have is time so you might as well get to it!

Being able to breathe through my nose without drugs has been my ultimate mission in my life over the past 2 years, so I know a lot about it. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions, etc. Good luck!

EDIT: For what it's worth, performing sinus rinses helped in the short term and then made things WAY worse in the long term. It helped clear things up, but then I started getting sicker more often and more severely. I started getting really bad bacterial sinus infections after I would get a cold, which had never happened to me before. Your mileage may vary, but just my .02.

 

[SOLDIER]

For home, at least, a good air purifier and a humidifier will help out.

Click to shrink...

I bought this one a bit back and....constantly forget to turn it on.

Am I supposed to just let it run for an hour each day on the highest setting? I never took the time to figure out how it works and how to get it working effectively.

Have you gone to an actual allergist/immunologist to get tested for what exactly you're allergic to and to get expert advice?

Click to shrink...

I have gotten tested before.

I'm allergic to very common things including dog dander, types of bugs, and pollen. Crap that's found pretty much everywhere.

Do immunotherapy.

Click to shrink...

May I ask what this is?

For all the people recommending Zyrtec, are you talking the over-the-counter version? Is there a stronger D-type you'd have to get from the pharmacy?

I can't recall if I ever did try Zyrtec. I would have remembered if it was effective....does it require a week or so to take effect, or would you know immediately if it works?

 

[Linkura]

D-types are bullshit and never helped me.

Zyrtec helped immensely overnight. Yes it is OTC.

Immunotherapy are allergy shots.

 

[Deleted member 3082]

If you have insurance, go to an allergist, get a skin prick test and if needed, get weekly injections to build up your immunity. Without insurance it's gonna be expensive.

I suffered for years, then finally bit the bullet and had it done. I'm allergic to all but a few types of trees and rodents, I think (it's been a while). I've been getting them for years now and am now on maintenance (so I can go every other week) and the difference has been amazing. I always used to get hit hard right around Labor Day, when I'd be a miserable blob of watery eyes and congestion for weeks. Now I barely notice. I take a daily OTC allergy med (switching it up every few years since the seem to get less effective the longer you're on them) and have Flonase for any unexpected congestion, but that's pretty rare.

Can't recommend it enough. Can't even feel the injections anymore unless I get a new nurse / tech who doesn't know what they're doing.

 

[hythloday]

May I ask what this is?

For all the people recommending Zyrtec, are you talking the over-the-counter version? Is there a stronger D-type you'd have to get from the pharmacy?

I can't recall if I ever did try Zyrtec. I would have remembered if it was effective....does it require a week or so to take effect, or would you know immediately if it works?

Click to shrink...

I take generic Zyrtec (cetirizine) over the counter and it's fine. There is a D-type available, but pseudoephedrine is bad to take on a long-term basis for a lot of people.

Immunotherapy is usually in the form of shots you get on a regular basis from an allergist. They make a serum based on what you're allergic to and over time you gain resistance to it. Some insurances will pay for sublingual drops you take under the tongue instead of shots. Allergy shots let me breathe again and I was taking pseudoephedrine daily for months and raising my blood pressure. I was also being treated for asthma which was provoked by allergies. Getting the allergies under control let me stop the asthma meds, too.

I show up every other week one night after work, get shots, and go. They want you to stay for 30 minutes afterward to make sure you don't have a bad reaction, so I'd just read a book during that time. After I'd been on them for a while I stopped staying the extra time and it's been fine.

Also, if you use Flonase, there's an OTC version called Flonase Sensimist that works great and you can't feel/smell it at all. It's basically the same drug, or very similar, just a finer mist.

 

[Ashdroid]

I bought this one a bit back and....constantly forget to turn it on.

Am I supposed to just let it run for an hour each day on the highest setting? I never took the time to figure out how it works and how to get it working effectively.

Click to shrink...

I let mine run 24/7 on the low setting and bump it up to high every now and then. If you haven't been using yours, then let it run on high for while before putting it on low. It's make a huge difference for my mild but constant allergies.

 

[jetpacks was yes]

Echoing what others have said. Immunotherapy (shots for me in the US) was the single greatest help to relieve allergy symptoms. I was allergic to life basically (dust, pollen, grass, most trees, cats. rabbits, etc.). Nasal sprays are good, but can have some nasty side effects. Flonase works, but gives me headaches and severely dulls my sense of smell. Nasacort also works, but I get muscle weakness after the second day of using it so that's basically out too.

I had my deviated septum "fixed" and it did absolutely nothing for my symptoms. Are your upper teeth crowded / crooked? Nasal breathing is also linked to the width of the maxilla, and so there are a few ways you can look into expanding your upper palate and creating more physical space for the nasal cavities to pass air. Even 1-2 mm's of more space can make the difference. MSE is the absolute best treatment for adults, and younger patients have other options that can achieve good results as well.

Lastly, I was able to finally put the nail in the coffin in my nasal congestion by eliminating certain foods. Garlic, vanilla, and cinnamon were giving me massive congestion for basically my entire life, and didn't figure it out until very recently. You could try an elimination diet and see if there's something that is causing inflammation in your body. If you have really bad allergies, it could be any food, or even a combination or an entire family of foods. It's a long journey, but all we have is time so you might as well get to it!

Being able to breathe through my nose without drugs has been my ultimate mission in my life over the past 2 years, so I know a lot about it. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions, etc. Good luck!

EDIT: For what it's worth, performing sinus rinses helped in the short term and then made things WAY worse in the long term. It helped clear things up, but then I started getting sicker more often and more severely. I started getting really bad bacterial sinus infections after I would get a cold, which had never happened to me before. Your mileage may vary, but just my .02.

Click to shrink...

Were you using distilled water, and disinfecting the bottle every day?

 

[Midnight Lunch]

I had the surgery as I also had a deviated septum. My ENT said my issues (pretty much identical to yours) were caused by physical nasal issues and allergies.

I had the surgery, the recovery was one of the worst experiences of my life, especially sleeping for the first few nights. I would fall asleep and my body would try and breath through my nose, and I'd instantly feel like I was suffocating and wake up. Repeat 100 times a night. Not to mention the plastic-like solid inch-long chunks of hardened phlegm that I would have to force out of my nasal passage. Oh, and let's not forget the feeling of the ENT's giant tweezers pulling out any remaining chunks in my follow up sessions.

I saw an allergist to get desensitisation therapy but I had to stop after about 6 months because it was just too expensive. It was $370aud every 3 months for the shots, which I had to drive an hour to pick up, and the doctor would also charge me $135 for an appointment with him (which he never told me about) each time just to collect them. I would then take them to my local GP to store and administer once a week.

So for me the end result is I went through all of that and I can breathe slightly better through my nose but that's about it. I still can't really smell anything, which is actually really horrible. You don't realise how much of your life experiences come from smell.

 

[super-famicom]

I bought this one a bit back and....constantly forget to turn it on.

Am I supposed to just let it run for an hour each day on the highest setting? I never took the time to figure out how it works and how to get it working effectively.



I have gotten tested before.

I'm allergic to very common things including dog dander, types of bugs, and pollen. Crap that's found pretty much everywhere.



May I ask what this is?

For all the people recommending Zyrtec, are you talking the over-the-counter version? Is there a stronger D-type you'd have to get from the pharmacy?

I can't recall if I ever did try Zyrtec. I would have remembered if it was effective....does it require a week or so to take effect, or would you know immediately if it works?

Click to shrink...

I leave my purifier on 24/7. I only turn it off if I'll be away for more than a day.

 

[Sobriquet]

FWIW I got my deviated septum fixed and it did nothing

I'm in the same boat as OP. According to several allergists, I don't have allergies. Yet I can't breathe. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[SOLDIER]

I leave my purifier on 24/7. I only turn it off if I'll be away for more than a day.

Click to shrink...

Does it make the room any hotter by any chance? Can it be run alongside a portable A/C?

It tends to get pretty humid in my room so I have a portable A/C running most of the night.

 

[super-famicom]

Does it make the room any hotter by any chance? Can it be run alongside a portable A/C?

It tends to get pretty humid in my room so I have a portable A/C running most of the night.

Click to shrink...

It doesn't affect the temperature of the room at all. It does get noisy if I run it at the highest fan speed, but I rarely do that.

 

[DarkWish]

For everyone recommending Zyrtec, have you had any issues if you stop taking it? I started it a few months back and it worked wonders with my allergies. But every now and then, I'd forget to take it for a day or two and suddenly my nose would be running and my body itching and I was miserable. I'd take Zyrtec and then I'm fine again. I'm basically now committed to taking Zyrtec the rest of my life it seems because if I don't take it, my body has this reaction. I was thinking of trying a different allergy med, but everyone in the thread seems to be recommending Zyrtec. I used to take Claritin but that only semi-helped.

 

[DrFunk]

Click to shrink...

I know you're joking, but nasal washes are godly

Also, Flonase op. It works quite well

 

[hythloday]

For everyone recommending Zyrtec, have you had any issues if you stop taking it? I started it a few months back and it worked wonders with my allergies. But every now and then, I'd forget to take it for a day or two and suddenly my nose would be running and my body itching and I was miserable. I'd take Zyrtec and then I'm fine again. I'm basically now committed to taking Zyrtec the rest of my life it seems because if I don't take it, my body has this reaction. I was thinking of trying a different allergy med, but everyone in the thread seems to be recommending Zyrtec. I used to take Claritin but that only semi-helped.

Click to shrink...

I get all-over itching if I try to stop the Zyrtec, yeah. It kinda sucks.

Over the years I went through Claritin and Allegra before settling on Zyrtec.

 

[Piggus]

Zyrtec works for me too, but it makes me way too drowsy. :/

I have nasal polyps that I need to have removed. Either one or both of my nostrils is blocked 99% of the time. :/

 

[DrFunk]

I have a deviated septum as well and every time I catch a cold (1-2 times a year) I get a sinus infection 100%. Having to go to the minute clinic to get antibiotics gets old...but no way am I going through with that surgery. Especially have hearing about the recovery

 

[SOLDIER]

Zyrtec works for me too, but it makes me way too drowsy. :/

I have nasal polyps that I need to have removed. Either one or both of my nostrils is blocked 99% of the time. :/

Click to shrink...

I'm already taking a couple meds that cause drowsiness. I don't really want to add another to the mix.

Is there a non-drowsy version, or can it be taken when I go to bed? How long is it supposed to last?
`

 

[Jag]

No over the counter worked for. Not Zyrtec, Allegra, Claritan, until I found Nasacort spray. One spray each nostril and I can breathe and sleep for 24 hours. I do it every single morning after a hot shower for maximum entry. No drowsiness at all.

I have severe allergies and a deviated septum from breaking my nose several times. I am allergic to almost everything. Nasacort saved my sanity.

 

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Is there a non-drowsy version, or can it be taken when I go to bed? How long is it supposed to last?

Click to shrink...

Zyrtec is one of the only allergy meds that doesn't make me sleepy. You'll just need to try it and see. It's usually taken once daily, so you could take it before you go to bed at night.

 

[Wigdogger]

I'm not as bad as some in here, but I have an enlarged turbinate on the right side, so it has led to some fairly regular stuffiness over the last two years or so. It gets better at certain times, but it does give me a persistent "sniff" on occasion.

I've gotten better at being mindful and trying to breathe carefully. Some of the sniffing is habitual, and it becomes that way. Saline rinses help a bit. I did get an allergy test, and it's mainly just dust mite allergies and the turbinate being a bit big on the right side.

I haven't gone down the road of taking anything yet, as it's going okay right now, but I might start with just taking some flonase. Previous nasal steroids didn't really help.

 

[oni_saru]

Have you tried Levocetirizine (Xyzal)? That has helped me immensely after Zyrtec stopped being effective

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

I moved to the desert, I have allergies to certain grasses and weeds.

 

[Kisaya]

Flonase works for me pretty well.

 

[Rand a. Thor]

You just kinda get used to it I guess? My allergies kicked in when we had a mold problem in the house 3 years ago and never stopped since. Daily use of Nasonex and Aerius is a must, and there is rarely a time where it wouldn't be required. Winter especially, if I catch a cold and I don't that sinus infection is gonna kick in and I'm gonna lay for it dearly.

 

[bigsnack]

Were you using distilled water, and disinfecting the bottle every day?

Click to shrink...

Distilled water yes, but I wasn't disinfecting every day. I'll try again with that and see how it goes.

 

[Violence Jack]

Claritin-D and an air purifier are the only things that seem to help for me. Also, make sure you're dusting and vacuuming on a regular basis.

 

[Deleted member 6263]

I've had all the same issues as you, OP, but nasal spray and saline nasal rinses have actually helped me. You may want to consider getting that deviated septum fixed, it's my next stop according to my ENT.

 

[sirap]

Air purifier and dehumidifier. I got one of those Dyson fans with filters and it's made a huge difference.

 

[wolfshirt]

I've had to deal with allergies almost my whole life: throughout the day I've always got a stuffed nose, 99.5% of the time being my right nostril. I will also on occasion get watery/itchy eyes and a runny nose, and lately I've had phlegm added to the picture for good measure.

I'm tired of always carrying nasal spray in my pocket, but most of the remedies I've tried lead to minimal, if any, results that are always temporary: Tylenol Sinus, Saline Water (which you push through your nostrils via a bottle), Claritin-D, Sudafed-D....basically I've taken a whole lotta D and hardly ever feel it.

Last time I saw an ENT, they recommended surgery as I apparently had a deviated septum. I ended up not going through with it, as I admittedly was too nervous to go through with it. Plus he didn't sound confident that it would improve my situation, so I didn't want to go through all that just for a "eh, maybe, who's to say?".

This is a major QoL thing I want to improve, so I'll happily take any suggestions anyone's got, as well as the best kind of specialist to see.

Click to shrink...

The most effective fix is switching all of your bedding to down-alternative/hypo-allergenic material. This can be pricey but IKEA has a lot of down-alternative for cheap.

The second thing, as most people here have already mentioned is a daily Zyrtec. Find a timing that works best for you. For me, taking a 24 hour allergy pill like zyrtec seems to work best if taken at dinner and I usually am symptom free early the next day.

Hope this helps

 

[SOLDIER]

The most effective fix is switching all of your bedding to down-alternative/hypo-allergenic material. This can be pricey but IKEA has a lot of down-alternative for cheap.

The second thing, as most people here have already mentioned is a daily Zyrtec. Find a timing that works best for you. For me, taking a 24 hour allergy pill like zyrtec seems to work best if taken at dinner and I usually am symptom free early the next day.

Hope this helps

Click to shrink...

Stopped at CVS, they didn't seem to have any 24 hour Zyrtec, only 12 hour. They claimed the D-type was non-drowsy so I went with that.

Will wait until work tomorrow to try it.

 

[Chopchop]

Try an air purifier in your room. Also check your furnace air filter and maybe swap to a filter that takes out more allergens.

Check your room's humidity levels and maybe get a humidifier if things are dry.

Try hypoallergenic fabrics to sleep on, hypoallergenic detergents, and so on.

If possible, take an allergy test to see what specifically is bothering you.

 

[Zoe]

I'm already taking a couple meds that cause drowsiness. I don't really want to add another to the mix.

Is there a non-drowsy version, or can it be taken when I go to bed? How long is it supposed to last?
`

Click to shrink...

It lasts 24 hours, but it's not really supposed to be making you drowsy. If it is, you should move onto one of the other ones.

The usual progression I see people go through is Claritin -> Zyrtec -> Xyzal.

 

[Rosebud]

... I just took a pill

 

[jetpacks was yes]

Distilled water yes, but I wasn't disinfecting every day. I'll try again with that and see how it goes.

Click to shrink...

You heat up the water a bit too?