Thursday 7 October 2010

A Tree Hugger No More!

For a good few years I have had sinus problems....I can tell ya it's a right pain in the preverbial!

I've had a few different types of prescribed medication but nothing seems to help with it. Sneezing and blocked sinus' EVERY morning and night time, sometimes resulting in dreadful sleep but strangely, the middle part of the day seems to be "normal".....no sneezing, no blockage {but still the dreaded mucus lurking in the background...giving me a "frog in the throat" constantly} and then about 5-ish years ago it evolved adding itchy-ness and runny eyes, firstly whenever I was messing about with Pepsi & Max (cats) and more recently, and
incessantly, since bringing Millie (dog) into the fold.  I had this "brainwave" just after we found Millie... to take over the counter anti-histamine tablets... surprisingly this worked, and so for 3 months I took them religously then stopped, result ~ I was sneeze free for a year and a half!! yeehah!

Sadly the symtoms started to return and once again went to visit the GP, who again prescribed medication ~ and gradually increased the doses too!  This time though he suggested I be tested for allergies and so, after a long waiting period, I got to have the skin prick test for: histamine {base line}; water; dust mites; cats; dogs; grass mix; tree mix; eggs; milk; and various nuts.  I also had blood taken to test for wheat; omega, dairy, tree & grass and birds.......yep! birds!

The skin prick test was instant and showed that I was allergic to cats, dogs and trees....

cats and dogs I could understand, given I live with them and suffer a reaction, so not really a revelation just a confirmation, but trees...this was a new one on me as I feel SO much better when I'm outdoors than in!

And trees....beautiful trees.....what happened to dust mites...Oh! it's OK to have a trillion of those blighters mooching about but not to have a million leaves falling upon you......I'm not sure I'm liking this allergy!


As for the blood test I have to wait for at least two weeks before I get the results....am guessing wheat might show up as a nasty!

Will  let ya know as soon as......might need some wheat free recipes....who knows!

hugs

hello gorgeous xxx

5 comments:

  1. glad to hear you have persevered and and getting things sorted, but yes, having allergies is a real drag for you. No more tree hugging for you!

    after a really bad chest infection I had about 2 years of mild (but progressively worse) adult onset asthmas symptoms, yet, since last summer (and through last winter) was fine. Fancy that?! Our bodies are very strange things, aren't they?

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  2. VERY strange indeed Rachel! Glad to see yours has righted itself.....hopefully for good! ;o)

    hugs xxx

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  3. Oh Alison! what a nightmare!

    The GP spoke about an op with me {a few years back} said they "have to enlarge the drainage holes" - it's usually a last resort but does the trick apparently - but in my case still had a few medicated options before we got to that stage....I will keep my fingers crossed for you and hope all goes well. Def get some allergy tests done...peace of mind more than anything else but it also gives you a heads up on what to try and avoid.

    There's nothing worse than having that pain there constantly...it's 'orrible!

    hugs :o)

    xxx

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  4. Oh my am I with you - life long allergies to anything feathered, furry, leafy, mouldy and dusty (as well as all things dairy!) I have taken an antihistamine of one kind or another for more than 20 years. I've had 2 major sinus surgeries (both made a huge difference but the last in 2005 was awful for 3 weeks post op). My best remedy though, was recommended by my ENT prior to surgery in 2005 and that is SinusRinse by NeilMed. I use it once or twice a day depending on how bad my sinuses are and even if I have a cold. It's not terribly pleasant but it's offered me a great deal of relief and may avert future sinus surgery so it's worth it. Good luck to you :) Melissa in Canada

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  5. hey Melissa, I sympathise with you sweetpea ;o/

    I saw something similar on an Oprah show once, where they had what looked like a teapot...you filled it with some kinda saline solution, tilted your head to one side and poured it up through one nostril so it actually drained out of the other nostril.....sounded gross but looked good....and the people who tested it ALL said they would def keep using it...think it was called a Netipod {or something similar} but couldn't find it at the time as I didn't catch the name when watching the programe....my fingers are crossed that this is a long term solution for you ;o)

    hugs xxx

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