Rhinitis & Related Issues
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hello,
Wondering if you can help..
My wife suffers from nose and throat issues which are driving us insane. This has been going on for well over 5 years and is slowly getting worse.
There are three key areas that we need help with:
· Rhinitis – major issues here:
Ø Blocked nose (at times so blocked no air can get through & blowing her nose doesn’t clear anything)….
Ø ….Or a really runny nose
Ø Itching nose
Ø Endless sneezing (usually 5 in a row). Happens multiple times per day (10+ ‘sneezing fits’).
· Voice – major issues here:
Ø Croaky & hoarse voice
Ø Gritty voice
Ø Voice is never clear
Ø Grunting required between most SENTANCES.
Ø Phlegm always needs to be cleared.
· Cough – major issues here:
Ø Need to cough regularly.
Ø Persistent (coughing fit roughly every hour).
Ø Coughing phlegm.
Doctors have tried different medications but nothing works. I won’t go into detail on what she has tried as I want to listen to you guys suggestions.
Input needed from this community on:
1. What medications have worked in the past for similar symptoms in your experiences?
2. Are all 3 issues linked?
3. Is surgery on the nose/sinuses recommended at this stage? Will it solve all 3 issues?
4. Any advice or help needed.
0 likes, 10 replies
angela53399 NJT123
Posted
Your poor wife ,I can relate to this and the only thing that worked for me is budesonide nasal spray,my doctor prescribed this for me 2 yrs ago and it changed my life I know it won't work for everyone but if she hasn't tried it it's well worth a go ,good luck.x
anne05078 angela53399
Posted
Hi Angela, I'm so glad that Budesonide worked for you. Mine is a Chronic condition so needed a stronger steroid spray. Glad both yourself and the lady mentioned don't suffer ETD as that is the most miserable condition to suffer.
Anne
anne05078 NJT123
Posted
Hello, I too am female and suffer exactly the same as your wife. Sinusitis, Rhinitis, Allergies and the worse of the lot Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. Having a blocked nose is a very miserable condition to suffer, especially at night when one can't sleep. However, I'd sooner suffer all of the above and never have ETD ever again. I personally think the symptoms go hand in hand with ETD. Post Nasal Drip when lying down at night gets into my eustachian tubes and every morning awake with completely blocked ears. So much harder to clear than a blocked nose. First of all, is your wife taking a daily Citrizine Antihistamine tablet. That will considerably help if all her symptoms are associated with allergies. She could ask her doctor to prescribe Flixonase Nasules Steroid Nasal Drops....a 6 weeks course on these drops should see her symptoms disappear. After that course, then ask for Flixonase Aqueous Nasal Spray and stay on that permanently, mornings, spray up each nostril and same at night. Must not be stopped if she wants to see a difference.
I personally wouldn't recommend surgery at this stage. I've had surgery and it is a temporary fix if one suffers Sinus and Rhinitis issues.
Hopefully, the above mentioned medication hasn't been used by your wife and she will see a marked improvement in a week or two. The Nasules are brilliant for clearing the muck that gets into the eustachian tubes and also gets rid of all the inflammation. Your wife's cough is also due to post nasal drip.
Please stay in touch and let us know what meds. she has already tried.
I live in England and dread the Winter coming as the spores from the damp trees starts me off big time.
I really hope I've been of some help
Anne
yeep63334 NJT123
Posted
Hi NJT,
I had very bad blocked nose for a period of 8 weeks and already I was in desperation. Your wife has been very strong and brave to have to deal with this for 5 years. I did a surgery to reduce the turbinates only 2 months ago but while the results were great, I wished now I had first looked into what was the cause of all the congestion. For me, it turned out to be allergy to dust mites. So while the surgery did help me breathe better, it was only with all the actions I took to contain dust mites in my house that I was totally relieved of the symptoms.
Therefore perhaps, it may be good for you to first pursue the cause of all the symptoms your wife is facing. If it is allergy, then would containment actions or even immunotherapy help in reducing those symptoms. Because my allergy is specific to dust mites, I have started myself on sublingual immunotherapy just last week. It is too early for me to say whether it is effective or not, but I felt it's worth a try as I need to travel about and cannot always bring dust-mite containment efforts with me.
Hope your wife find relief soon.
anne05078 yeep63334
Posted
Hello, I have posted a message to his wife too and also wonder whether hers was allergy related like mine is. Would you tel me what exactly Sublingual Immunotherapy is.....is it injections ?
How has you ridding your home of dust mites, as I would have thought that almost impossible. I have got rid of all soft furnishing and carpets due to dust and no matter how many times I clean, the dust is always there....it's actually in the air, on a sunny day when the sun is shining through the window I can see the dust in the air.
Anne
anne05078
Posted
Sorry, that first line didn't make sense. How do you get rid of the dust mite I meant
yeep63334 anne05078
Posted
Hi Anne,
you're right. We can't totally get rid of them dust mites! But there are actions that we do to reduce our exposure to them. I did a few things;
- I bought anti-dust mite covers and covered my bed, my pillows and my bolsters with them. These anti dust mites covers are weaved so tightly that dust mites and their poo can't get through them. I got mine from a brand name called Allerguard (made in Denmark I think). What this means is that new dust mites cannot get into my mattress and old dust mites cannot get to me when I sleep.
- To be extra safe, I went to get a new bed, new pillows & bolsters, put the new dust mite covers on them. Fundamentally, I started anew again.
- I also got a air filter, with a HEPA filter on it. It filters the air and even dust mites are trapped in the filters, reducing the dust and dust mite particles in the air of my bedroom. Afterall, I spend some 7-9hours a night in the room so exposure is rather lengthy there.
- Washing the linens at 60 degrees kills the dust mites.
You are right about vacuuming to death and yet not being able to get rid of them. While vacuuming is still necessary (with a HEPA filer vacuum so that you don't introduce dust mite back into the air of your room), the dust mites can cling onto your beddings with tenacity.
On Sublingual Immunotherapy, its like allergy shots but it is administered as a droplet or tablet under your tongue. So instead of going into clinic for weekly shots, Sublingual requires you to put a drop of allergen or a tablet under your tongue daily. No pain, no need for clinic visit. The dosage of allergen will be stepped up across time but the idea of sublingual is the same as allergy shots - to get your body immuned to the allergen. Because I have to travel, it's just difficult for me to see myself confined to only sleeping at home due to allergies. Thus my decision to pursue sublingual, thou it will takes years. Of some 36 studies on it, 33 has shown positive results. So I'm trying it out.
Hope this helps.
anne05078 yeep63334
Posted
Morning,
Thank you for all that information. I've tried it all, exactly the same as yourself. New bed and mattress plus all new covers. Also paid £300 for an Air Filter machine too. Sadly, still no relief for me. I started the injections many years ago but unfortunately was unwell during the course and had to stop.
My allergens are inside the house and outside too, so very hard !!
As I said yesterday the Eustachian Tube Dysfunction is so much worse for me, with it causing Bacterial Meningitis many years ago. Hence the reason I see my ENT consultant twice yearly due to still suffering Rhinitis, Sinusitis and ETD.
But thanks again
Anne
yeep63334 anne05078
Posted
Sounds like your case is way more severe than mine. The dosage for sublingual starts at lower than those for shots. Wondering since shots had made you sick if sublingual may be less traumatic for your system.
Allergies is often overlooked but the havoc it wrecks to our quality of life is tremendous. So my heart goes out to you as you search for solutions. Hang in there. Each day is a new day for new discoveries and possibilities. Will be keeping you in prayer. Take care.
anne05078 yeep63334
Posted
That is so sweet of you and thank you for your prayers. I'm chatting to a young woman on the Forum that is suffering so badly from ETD. I have given her all the medications I've tried and those that helped. I'm fortunate at the moment, as left ear seems ok 'ish. I know however that my problem does stem from allergies. My daily dose of Citrizine Antihitamine I couldn't do without.
Nice talking with you and hope your problem improves soon too.
Kind regards
Anne