Sinus Pressure - The Allergy Connection

Sinus Pressure - The Allergy Connection

How many times have you heard someone say, “I think I have a cold.”? No doubt often. In fact, most of us have said this ourselves or made a similar statement. Now, on days when someone I know tells me, I usually respond, “Could it be allergies?” Because many of these “colds” are probably allergic reactions to the environment. Looking back on my childhood, I can only wonder at the strong possibility that all those tablespoons of cod liver oil my mother faithfully administered—in its full natural flavor, as was the custom back then—preventing my catching a “cold,” while not a bad idea, was probably unnecessary, as my frequent runny nose, cough, and post-nasal drip were most likely caused by allergens. Maybe even because of the thick smog that had developed in the big city where I grew up.

When I investigated my sinus problem a few years ago, I came to the conclusion that the two main causes of my problem were: some foods and environmental allergies. Whenever I treated myself to a milkshake or a large portion of ice cream, within a few hours I would experience severe post-nasal drip. And when I had a large glass of cow's milk for 3 or more days in a row, I had the same result. I would stop drinking milk for a few days or stop eating ice cream and the sinuses would clear up in just a few days. The apparent correlation became so obvious that several years ago I finally decided to stop using these foods regularly, and of course the sinuses were eliminated indefinitely.

Then the spring season came and as weeds and their flowers and trees and their own flowers reappeared in our area, the same allergic reaction I had to the foods already mentioned above resurfaced, except it wasn't me. I don't use them. So it became clear that I was allergic to certain pollens and probably other allergens. I had pollen allergy testing done and made sure there were a number of pollens that I was very allergic to. With these results, the only alternative I had was: move to a place where there was no pollen that I was allergic to - probably something pretty impossible - or get regular allergy shots. I chose the latter.

A few years passed and we moved further north, where carpets are more commonly used than in the southwest, and I started having “cold” symptoms again. At least that's what we thought at first. Since I was barely using cow's milk and had resumed the allergy shots, my wife and I were wondering what could be causing the post-nasal drip, etc. this time. So I went back to an allergist in our new area. After some tests, he discovered that I was very allergic to house dust. During allergy testing, I discovered that not all house dust is the same. Some dusts contain large amounts of dust mite feces. This type of mite thrives in a moist and warm environment, like that produced by the human body in bed, where the mites mainly eat microscopic particles of human skin that rub off there and on the carpet. The tests showed that I am very allergic to this type of house dust. I then received tiny instructions from my doctor on how to protect my bed from the little pests and their droppings. The devastating allergic effects I was experiencing gradually subsided, especially when dust mite feces antigen was added to my allergy shots.

There can definitely be an allergic connection to sinus pressure and other sinus problems. My case is not unique. If someone is suffering from ongoing sinus problems, it may not be a bad idea to consider testing for environmental and possibly food allergies, especially if your health insurance covers these tests.

Inspired by Paul Sanchez