How to manage my allergies during the winter?
Allergies can be a nuisance to many people during the winter months. Whether you have seasonal allergies or experience them year-round, Dr. Deepak Dugar recommends a few tips and tricks that may give you some relief during the dry winter months.
In our noses, we have special structures called turbinates. The function of these turbinates is ultimately to maintain humanity inside the nose. These turbinates work to moisten the air we breathe in. When someone experiences environmental allergies or is exposed to dry climates, it often causes the turbinates in the nose to swell. This swelling can obstruct the nasal passages, causing difficulty breathing, which can be quite uncomfortable.
Allergies are caused due to small particles of dust, pollen, animal hair, etc. that enter the nasal passages and instigate a histamine response. This response causes swelling of the turbinates and ultimately obstructs breathing.
There are a few remedies and therapies you can incorporate into your daily routine to minimize irritation in the nose due to allergies and dryness. First off, the use of a cool mist humidifier can help keep the nasal passages moist and can help stop the turbinates from swelling. Dr. Dugar recommends you use this humidifier during bedtime for best results. Additionally, a nasal oil or saline solution can be used throughout the day to hydrate the nasal passages in dry weather or climates. These can typically be purchased over the counter at your local pharmacy.
Although eliminating dryness in the nasal passages alleviates some discomfort in the nose, for people who experience seasonal or year-round allergies this is sometimes not enough. People who experience allergies can take a daily antihistamine pill to decrease the inflammatory response caused by allergens. People with allergies can also try using a daily nasal steroid spray, to also decrease this inflammatory response. Every individual is different and may require different combinations of treatments to experience the best results and most relief from allergies and dryness in the nose.
Sometimes, people may experience chronic turbinate swelling that does not subside with any treatment. This can often be partnered with a deviated septum which can make breathing difficult. If you feel that this is the case, an alternative solution may be surgery to straighten your deviated septum as well as turbinate cautery to shrink the size of the turbinates. This ultimately allows for clearer nasal passages and better breathing. Here at Scarless Nose®;, Dr. Dugar often performs his famous closed rhinoplasties to help patients who are experiencing this. If you are concerned about having a deviated septum and obstructed breathing, book a consultation with Dr. Dugar today to find out if closed rhinoplasty is the right solution for you! If you have any questions feel free to contact our office and we will be happy to assist you.
