My nose blocks up

I have allergies. I was tested and was found to be allergic to grass, trees, horses, dogs, cats, dust and dust mites. Each allergy seems to have one r...


I have allergies. I was tested and was found to be allergic to grass, trees, horses, dogs, cats, dust and house dust mites.

Each allergy seems to have one reaction, that of my nose blocking up.

I have cycled through all the nasal sprays that my GP has prescribed, all have limited success, but after a short while each becomes less efficient.

What can I do to stop the effects of this allergy?


I am very sorry to hear about this prolonged problem you have had with these allergic symptoms.

I also don't want to get your hopes up that there is a simple solution to this out there somewhere, but there are some steps I think you should take.

There are a number of types of allergic, or hypersensitivity reactions. Yours is most likely to be an atopic IgE mediated rhinitis.

That is a fancy way of saying that you have high levels of an immunoglobulin called IgE that is associated with nasal symptoms.

These symptoms can be seasonal, as in hay fever, or perennial, that is: they last all the year round.

However, there are other reasons for this complex of symptoms, and they need to be excluded.

It would help to have something called a RAST test, and your IgE measured. The possibility of some local abnormality with your nose, such as nasal polyps should be excluded.

An ENT surgeon might need to be consulted to exclude and treat these eventualities.

It is worthwhile considering skin testing for allergies to determine if there are just one or two allergens that cause the bulk of your symptoms, and if so, then it is possible that desensitisation might help.

There is also the question of what treatments you are using in your nose. Steroid nasal sprays can be useful, but some decongestant sprays if used for very long can actually make matters worse.

You don't say if you have tried tablets in the form of non-sedating antihistamines, but I imagine that you will have by now.

Most of the things mentioned are fairly specialist investigations that your GP may well not be able to carry them out him or herself.

So I think it is time that you asked to see a specialist who has a special interest in allergy, atopy and immunology.

You may have to travel to a special centre, but if there is some possibility of you being helped, then you should try and get it.

Unfortunately some cases are very refractory, that is: they do not respond to treatment very well, whatever you do. In these instances it is only possible to modify the symptoms.

And in my experience, one day even patients like this will eventually find the symptoms abating.

Yours sincerely

The NetDoctor Medical Team

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