Allergy, Asthma & Sinus Center of Tuscaloosa

Sinus and Allergies

These terms usually refer to runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, and itchy, watery eyes. There may be pressure in the head, particularly between the eyes and over the cheeks. There may also be drainage down the back of the throat.

These symptoms may affect op to 35% of Americans and can cause real misery. For many sufferers, ti is like having a cold which lasts for weeks or months. If not treated, secondary infections can result and make the symptoms harder to control. This is a major problem for millions of people and causes absences form school and work and depresses performance because it can make an individual feel bad. Unfortunately, many popular non-prescription medicines have so may side effects that they may be little better than no treatment at all.

Allergic Rhinitis (Sinus or Hay Fever) can develop at any time in life. No one is born with this although many children have it from an early age. Still, it may not show up until adulthood. Symptoms include nasal congestion and drainage, sneezing, itching of the nose and throat. The drainage is most often watery, but may be thick and colored. There may be pressure over the face or frequent headaches. Sometimes the eyes are red and itchy and may water. If the sneezing or itching is severe, it may be hard to function.

These symptoms are usually caused by pollen from trees, grasses, or weeds or by indoor allergies such as dust, molds, pets, or cockroach. Identifying the cause can make it easier to treat the problem in an appropriate fashion. Too often, patients have spent time and effort on expensive schemes to avoid house dust or pollen or have gotten rid of a pet only to find that they are allergic to something else, entirely and that they have wasted their time.

Allergy shots can be a very effective approach for sinus or allergy problems if there is sufficient response to allergy tests. Shots have the potential to make the allergies become less significant and are the closest thing we have to a cure for allergies. They are typically done on individuals who are age four or older. They are usually given for a period of three to five years with the bulk of the shots given once a month.

Non-allergic Rhinitis is also a common problem, especially among adults. While it shares many symptoms with allergic rhinitis, sneezing and itching are usually less prominent features. Since it is not allergic, the causes are more likely to be irritants as well as weather changes, both of which also affect individuals with sinus or allergies, but to a lesser degree. In some cases, the problem is made worse by eating or by acid reflux (heartburn). Many medicines which help with allergies do nothing for this problem and a few medicines which don't help allergies do help this.

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