Welcome back to the monthly edition of Where Bloggers Live! I am lucky to have joined a terrific group of bloggers who give a peek into the places and spaces where they spend their time.
Today's topic is My Self-Care at Home...and I struggled a bit with this because I don't have any great self-care routine worth talking about. But one area I have put a fair amount of research, experimentation, and implementation into is managing my respiratory allergies. People often call it "seasonal allergies" but that only makes sense for me if I specify that I have a full four-season issue.
Respiratory allergies occur when a protein from something like grass, pollen, mold, dust, cat dander, etc., triggers a histamine response in the immune system. This causes rhinitis (inflammation of the nose) and all the fun symptoms we are familiar with...congestion, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, itchy/watery eyes, and the like...aka "hay fever."
I have been tested for allergies a couple of times without a reaction, which may sound at first like, Oh yay, no allergies! And looking at some different sources online, you definitely get the impression that false negatives (you don't react on the test but do have an allergy) are rare.
But there is an important nuance to this! The doctor said that when testing for allergies, they only use some of the most common proteins that people react to; there are myriad other proteins that could be causing the allergic reaction that they don't test for. So the tests are accurate as far as they go, but they don't go very far. If you're unlucky enough to react to a uncommon protein that they don't test for, you might never find out what's causing your problems. And if they can't identify the specific allergen, they can't treat you for it.
A further complication is that allergic rhinitis is not the only game in town! The doctor also said that people like me, who describe themselves as "apparently allergic to everything" may have non-allergic rhinitis instead of or in addition to allergies. Non-allergic rhinitis has the same symptoms as allergies but is not caused by an immune system reaction. It's a result of physical irritation inside the nose from various triggers...not just all the same ones as allergic rhinitis (dust, mold, pollen, animal dander, etc.) but also any kind of particulate matter in the air, such as air pollution, smoke, perfume, and cleaning products.
I may never learn whether my rhinitis symptoms are caused by allergies (immune system reaction) or physical irritation because the symptoms are the same and there is no test for non-allergic rhinitis. I have decided that my nose is just like the Grumpy Cat version of The Princess and the Pea...it is delicate and sensitive and irritated by absolutely everything.
I am also plagued by recurring sinusitis (inflammation of the tissue lining the sinuses) to the point that my doctor doesn't bother prescribing me antibiotics. I just have to wait it out.
How do I manage my rhinitis/sinusitis problems at home?
Medication: I take Benadryl every night at bedtime, a prescription nasal spray in the morning, and 12 hour Sudafed twice a day. My doctor has to provide me a subscription for Sudafed because the monthly limit on how much you can legally buy over the counter is lower than the recommended dosage on the box! It may seem counter-intuitive to get a prescription for an over the counter medication, but if you deal with allergies/rhinitis on the regular, getting a prescription is an option. I know some people avoid medication if they can, but for me it's 100% necessary.
Air Filters: We have an air filter in every room of the house except the kitchen (which is open floor plan with the dining room and living room) and the bathrooms. This is a must-have.
Humidifier: We have a humidifier in our bedroom that we use year-round, though it's most desperately needed in the dry winter months.
Nasal Rinse: I use the SinuPulse irrigation system daily {not an affiliate link}. I have found it to work more effectively than passive systems. I've been using it for about 4 years and it has made a substantial difference to my symptoms.
Shower Steamers: I use a menthol/eucalyptus shower steamer (a bath bomb for showers) every day {not an affiliate link}. I have found that if you place the steamer away from the direct spray of the water, it will last for two showers. I have only been experimenting with this for a couple of months, but so far, I do think it's helping.
Ice Roller: Though it's sold as a beauty product (??), I use this ice roller on my face when my sinuses are aching/have given me a headache {not an affiliate link}. It's also good for generalized headaches.
Pepper Spray: When I'm very congested, I will use the Sinus Plumber spray to help open up my nasal passages {not an affiliate link}. It's not fun to put cayenne pepper up your nose, but it does make my nose run.
Not Having a Cat, Rabbit, or Other Furry Pet at Home: This is my absolute least favorite rhinitis treatment!
Thanks for joining me in a short discussion of dealing with allergies/rhinitis symptoms at home.
Next month's topic is Best Advice I Ever Got...and man, I really don't know!
In the meantime, visit these lovely bloggers as they share about their self-care at home:
Bettye at Fashion Schlub
Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks
Em at Dust and Doghair
Iris at Iris’ Original Ramblings
Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style
Leslie at Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After
Do you have "seasonal" or year-round environmental allergies? What are you allergic to? Had you heard of non-allergic rhinitis? How do you manage rhinitis/sinusitis symptoms?
Blogs I link up with are listed here.
Wow, that sounds so difficult! My husband has nasal issues that he has yet to figure out. That ice roller sounds interesting! Thanks for sharing this post with us at the Will Blog for Comments #43 linkup. We hope to see you at #44, too. Have a great week!
It seems you absolutely have your challenges, Sally! For someone who enjoys nature and the outdoors as much as you do, this seems like a pretty cruel trickI Although, I've dodged this bullet SO many peoplein my family are rhinosensitive (made that one up) and suffer with the symptoms.
I read that the FDA intends to take some of the meds you take off the market. Like you, one of my kiddos absolutely gets relief from them and I'm not sure how she'll manage without them! I'm going to pass along some of the suggestions from your regimen!
Oh wow; and here I complain about my seasonal allergies. Yikes it sound like you really suffer year round. I do love those shower steamers and keep some on hand for when anyone has any sort of allergy or head cold flare up. But mostly since it's just springtime for me I tend to suck it up or take Allegra for a month or two whenever I remember (I am awful at thinking I am getting a cold and get annoyed that my eyes wont stop watering and THEN remember I was diagnosed with seasonal allergies a few years ago). I keep thinking if I can take meds before I feel so awful I might be able to stop it…
My husband has allergies and, oh my word, I feel so awful for those of you who suffer. I’m gonna see if he’d like to try the shower steamer when he’s congested. Honestly, I’d like to try it for myself. It kinda sounds a little spa like as well as therapeutic.
Oh, man, the allergy tests. The last set were when I was 30 or so. I TOLD the nurse that the grass test needed to be well away from the others, preferably on the other arm. She scoffed and put it in line with the others.
My upper arm was one big weal, about 3.5" in diameter. Grass totally wiped out all the other tests. We definitely needed the other arm after that, but there sure was no question about the grass response.
At least the current set of cats aren't interested in sleeping with us. I'd let them if they wanted, because I am a Soft Touch despite the allergies, but it does help me that they don't want…