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Frequent Colds, Allergies, Allergic Rhinitis, Reactive Rhinitis

Posted on Wed, 16 May 2012

Question: I have a unique and disturbing inquiry about myself. I get colds extremely easily; going outside without a hat, or my neck being exposed to a breeze, summer or winter. I've been to many doctors about it; gp, eyes nose throat, naturalpaths, etc. I can be outside for under a 30 seconds, no exaggeration, and start to sniffle within the hr. i'm very sensitive of late to cold/breeze while everyone else around me thinks i'm crazy for wearing a hood when it's 9 degrees Celcius, for instance. Last point, one doctor has told me that my left side of my sinus swells easily. Whenever my immune system, or my respiratory system, has been checked out by a doctor, everything has come back as normal. Am I the only person on this planet with this strange circumstance that can not be defined?

Answered by Dr. Jagdish (13 hours later)

Hi XXXXXXX XXXXXXX ,

You are probably having perennial allergic symptoms means your body is allergic to some natural or artificial allergen that you come across daily may be without your knowledge and it happens in all seasons.

Congested nose, sneezing, coughing, colds are typical symptoms of allergy and your presentation supports the same.

Management include following:

1. Avoid dust/allegies/pollution- use mask /kerchief while driving.
2. Identify and avoid if you are allergic to any food or substance.
3. Keep the carpet clean and vacuum regularly.
4. Use cetirizine 10 mg daily for not more than a week at once then with a gap of 15 days to a month.
5. Use Steroid nasal spray when your nose is congested which could be advised by a ENT specialist after discussion with him about the same.

Disclaimer: The Expert’s advice is provided for general informational purposes only and SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, as a complete assessment of an individual has not taken place. Please consult your nearest physician before acting on it. The advice is not valid for medico-legal purposes also.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Jagdish (27 hours later)

Thank you for your reply, however, I'm not sure if this applies to me because I have taken allergen tests and nothing environmental have shown up. I'll bring it to my doctor's attention, though. What is puzzling is that on the onset of the 'cold,' if I take zinc or oil of oregano, it prevents me from getting a cold; so after going outside and being exposed. Can they also prevent symptoms of allergies from getting worse? If I do not take these products, I will get a cold and then it can progress into the flu. I'm aware that there is a difference in the colour of mucus for a cold verses allergies, and the mucus tends to be coloured, not clear, suggesting that it a cold. I'm not sure if this makes a difference with your thoughts.

Answered by Dr. Jagdish (14 hours later)

Hi,

Thanks for you reply.

A very interesting observation by you. Although I read and know that Zinc acetate is used for prevention of allergy, not many people have reported it. It is on one of the natural remedies. There is a scientific evidence and I tried to search on the internet to see if something diagrammatically helps in explaining it. I found this link as better though it is not a standard website, but explains a common man. You may want to read through it, WWW.WWWW.WW

Oil of Oregano (Antioxidant) is a mint herb used for treating allergy symptoms since ancient times. The compound in Oregano, rosmarinic acid, has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiviral properties. Of all the plants in the mint family, Oregano is the richest in antioxidants.

I am not sure about the scientific underpinning of this, but you can ask an expert in Natural or Ayurveda therapy.

Hope it helps.

Wish you Good Health.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Jagdish (4 hours later)

Thanks again for you insite. It's given me a lot to think and research about. My last question is, do you think that my symptoms could also resemble that of a 'reactive rhinitis,' as that was a possibility given to me? They could all be related. Here are my on-going symptoms in the order of progression; sniffles, fatigue, nasal congestion, bronchil irritation/tight chest/mild burning sensation, and then head cold if I haven't nipped it in the bud quick enough.
Thanks again.

Answered by Dr. Jagdish (22 hours later)

Hi XXXXXXX

Allergic Rhinitis and Reactive rhinitis cannot be delineated by clinical symptoms. That is a possibility as both of them present in similar manner.

Hope it helps.

Wish you Good Health.

Note: For further information on diet changes to reduce allergy symptoms or to boost your immunity, Ask here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D