**If you have been suffering from what appears to be regular allergies and all the over-the-counter medicines out there have never worked for you, please read this post.**

Since I moved to D.C. and had to change doctors, I had to get re-tested for allergies so that the new doctor could approve me for immunization shot therapy and treatment.  The test results shocked me:  I wasn’t actually allergic to anything!  I have a condition called Vasomotor Rhinitis.  I’ll explain what this is after I give you a little bit of back story.

About 4 years ago, I saw an allergist in Richmond, VA and was tested for allergies.  I came up positive for everything.  All kinds of trees, dogs, cats, dust mites, mold, you name it!  The doctors even treated me by prescribing Claritin and various nasal sprays.  So you can imagine my recent shock to find out I was not actually allergic to anything.

 The condition that I have, Vasomotor Rhinitis, does not respond to immunization therapy or antihistimines.  It’s a chronic condition where your nose exhibits the same symptoms as allergy sufferers but in actuallity, your nose is just extremely sensitive to irritants like pollution, smoke, fragrances, barometric pressure changes, etc.  Here’s the scoop from Wikipedia:

Vasomotor rhinitis is also known as non-allergenic rhinitis, because it often has the same symptoms as allergies, but has different causes. Whereas allergenic rhinitis conditions (such as hayfever) are the result of the immune system overreacting to environmental irritants (pollen, etc), vasomotor rhinitis is believed to be caused by oversensitive or excessive blood vessels in the nasal membrane. These blood vessels (which are controlled in turn by the autonomic nervous system) contract or dilate in order to regulate mucus flow and congestion. But in the vasomotor rhinitis sufferer, oversensitive or excessive blood vessels causes an overreaction to such stimuli as changes in weather, temperature, or barometric pressure, chemical irritants such as smoke, ozone, pollution, perfumes, and aerosol sprays, psychological stress and emotional shocks, certain types of medications, and even spicy food. Thus, while a normal person’s nose may run on a very cold day, a vasomotor rhinitis sufferer’s nose may start running (or go completely dry) simply by walking into a slightly colder (or slightly warmer) room. While a normal person may tolerate a certain degree of cigarette smoke, the vasomotor rhinitis sufferer may experience significant discomfort from the same level of smoke. The pathology of vasomotor rhinitis is in fact not very well-understood and more research is needed.

Lesson learned:  do not live in Chicago, IL.

My allergist told me that it’s good news that I don’t need shots.  But now I feel like I have this incurable condition.  Well here are things that I’m trying to avoid and it seems to be working:

• Strong frangrances (I’m buying a lot of unscented products and natural, eco-friendly products)
• Living anywhere that is really cold (D.C. isn’t too bad, but I would like to move somewhere that doesn’t get snow)
• Potent cleaning supplies (I’m using eco-friendly products without toxic chemicals)
• Polluted areas (this one is tough.  I have to live in a city…)

Does anyone sell a nose warmer?

Treatment

Besides avoiding the typical triggers like cold weather, fragrances, smokey bars, etc.  There are other things that you can do.

• Nasal corticosteroid sprays may be prescribed, and often work well when used regularly. These control inflammation of the nasal tissues.
• Many patients find irrigation with nasal saline spray alleviates symptoms. Nasal saline spray dilutes irritants and mitigates their effects. (Stir one teaspoon of non-iodised salt into 500 millilitres of boiled or distilled water, and pour into nasal spray dispensers when cool). 
• If saline spray does not provide relief, rinsing can be more effective. Rinsing actually involves flooding the nasal passages, and often some of the sinuses, with a solution. Rinsing is particularly effective for those with severe non-allergenic rhinitis which can produce large amounts of thick mucous that is difficult to expel.  Try using the SinuCleanseNeti Pot.
• Eucalyptol essential oil is effective treating nonpurulent rhinosinusitis, therefore could also be helpful for Vasomotor rhinitis.
• Meditation could be used to alleviate some symptoms of congestion.
• Wear a scarf over your nose and bottom half of your face when you go outside in cold weather.  On hot days, try not to set the air conditioner to high, the cold air will exacerbate your condition.

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