Please keep in mind many of our Meniere's symptoms get a lot worse during seasonal allergy season. Dr G suggests increasing the antiviral if need be during these months. Those just starting on antivirals or JOH don't be discouraged if you get setbacks especially during this time of year. I just wanted to remind everyone and give a heads up to those who aren't aware of this.
My ear has been wanging more the last few days than the last few months. Also noticed a bit more nasal congestion and sneezing today. It has been very warm here and things are blooming like mad. Could explain it. Thanks Vicki.
Sounds like you are in a milder climate, so yup that may be the reason why your ear is reacting. You're welcome
My worst allergy season is always fall and winter. It used to be year round as I'm allergic to mold, dust and grass. But when I started taking allergy shots, that dealt with my allergy to grass and so for most of the spring and summer I'm good. It's quite confusing to me really though. I'm allergic to mold, but is mold really super active in the fall and winter? It's 10 degrees outside right now and has been snowy for several weeks, and today I sneezed probably a dozen times. I don't get it.
Mold is a fall allergen and a winter allergen as well. Also possibly with windows closed and heating system on more dust accumulates and less fresh air is circulating. So it could be the dust you are reacting to during the winter. and hay fever in fall Dust mites live in pillows and mattresses. I have special pillow case covers that go over my pillows. I should have it over my mattress to but it is extremely expensive. What's Your Winter Allergies Risk? It hardly seems fair, but if you're prone to summer allergies, chances are you're at risk for allergies when the weather turns cold, too. The reason is simple: Many of those warm weather irritants are around all year, like pet dander, mold, and mildew. And once you settle indoors for the chilly holiday season -- the windows closed, the heater on -- your exposure to these allergens spikes, says Asriani Chiu, MD, associate professor of pediatrics and medicine (allergy/immunology), at the College of Wisconsin. The best way to handle winter allergies is to understand what's triggering them and why. To help you do that, WebMD went to the experts and got their tips on what causes the allergies of winter, and how you can take control. Top Triggers of Winter Allergies Most winter allergies are caused by the same inhaled allergens of summer, Chiu tells WebMD. Unfortunately, winter can actually intensify those triggers, including: • Pet dander: Because cold weather means pets are indoors more often, your exposure to dander escalates in the winter months, leading to a corresponding surge in symptoms. • Mold and mildew: Decaying leaves and other yard waste gives mold and mildew an ideal breeding ground. Shoes and clothes then provide these damp, clingy irritants with an easy way inside. • Temperate climates: Milder climates -- where there are few or no frosts or hard freezes -- means the year-round presence of allergens like pollen, year-round symptoms for people living there, or an increase in allergy symptoms for those traveling to warmer climates in the winter. • Damp wood: Cut wood stored outside easily becomes a moist haven for mold spores. Bring the wood inside for even brief storage and you've invited in a classic allergy trigger. http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/winter-mold-allergies-risk
here another good article about winter allergies http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julie-kuriakose-md/5-allergens-to-watch-out-_b_6214234.html Dust & Dust mites What: Microscopic, allergy symptom-inducing dust mites lurk in bedding, mattresses, carpets, and upholstered furniture. Tip: Use dust-proof covers on mattresses, box springs, and pillows to avoid exposure and regularly wash bed linens in hot water to kill dust mites. Vacuum all carpeted areas at least twice a week and install HEPA filters to improve air quality and consider using a dehumidifier to keep humidity in the home below 50 percent, which helps to control dust mites. Mold What: Mold grows in damp environments like basements and bathrooms and can be present both indoors and outdoors. Airborne molds can cause asthma symptoms and allergic rhinitis. Tip: To combat mold the EPA recommends fixing plumbing problems or leaks, increasing ventilation in damp areas, and scrubbing mold off surfaces using water and detergent, and drying completely. Mold can hide in many places in the home, including under carpets, on ceiling tiles, in showers, and behind wallpaper, dry wall, or paneling. When mold grows outdoors, it grows in dark, wooded areas, so thoroughly inspect any firewood you plan to bring into your home. And, as much as you may want to jump in that leaf pile, remember that leaf piles are a breeding ground for mold.
That makes lots of sense. Why didn't I think of that? The heating is blowing tons of dust and whatever else is growing in the ducting all over my house all throughout the late fall and winter, exactly when I have the worst time with my allergies. That is the only thing that makes any sense. I'll have to invest a few bucks to get one of those duct cleaning services to come to my place. Thanks for the ideas.
Last summer I went to an allergist. The tests said I wasn't allergic to anything. So...how come the previous fall, winter and spring every morning I would wake up with a head full of snot. Gag and choke on it, coughing up and spitting for 15 minutes every morning. He suggested I get Flonase. It was a prescription. But, now you can buy it over the counter. One squirt in each nostril in the morning and one each nostril at night. I found a great product ( natural ) for cleaning out the sinuses. http://www.xlear.com/xlear-xylitol-products/nasal-spray/ Xlear one squirt in each nostril and a few minutes later you are draining even if you don't think you had something to drain. Ever since I started this routine I have had no mornings when I wake up with a head full of snot. I have made it through fall and winter. Now, I hope to make it through spring. Nasal Spray from Xlear® Nasal Relief with Xylitol Nasal Spray Our Sinus Spray is a combination of Xylitol and saline that soothes and moisturizes the sinus and nasal passages. The Xlear Nasal Spray is all natural and contains xylitol, purified water, salt, and grapefruit seed extract. Our Xylitol and saline solution is hyper-osmotic, which draws moisture and keeps the nasal passages and sinuses more moist and clean than saline alone. Xylitol is the ingredient that sets our nasal spray apart from all of the other nasal sprays! The Xlear Nasal Spray line consists of several all-natural products. None of them contain chemical antihistamines or decongestants, which can leave your airways and sinuses dry. Dry airways are easily irritated and extremely vulnerable to attack from external contaminants. Here's to Good Healthy Breathing!!!
Because of the heat blowing/circulating your house may be very dry as well (not enough moisture) which can dry up your nasal passages and cause congestion, infection, etc... I have a whole house humidifier which does "ok" not great but it had to be turned off because it drains to the outside and it has been so cold for so long the drain froze, backed up the water and the furnace stopped working. UGH. Right now my house reads only 16 degree humidity (should be around 40 to be comfortable). So much static from the dryness!! You can buy the hygrometer pretty much anywhere (got mine at Home Depot) for under $10. If yours is low, you could add moisture via humidifier and see if that helps.
We have a HEPA air filter in our forced air heating system. It really helps with seasonal allergies. I used to have a stuffed runny nose at night several months of the year, and that doesn't happen anymore.
We've used humidifiers before. They didn't seem to do much. But then, it has been a few years since we tried and perhaps the years when it was worse were when we were not using a humidifier and the years it was better we were. Hard to recall exactly. Maybe it's time to get another humidifier and start using my neti pot again. Maybe that would help.