Rhinitis and Asthma

[TSST]

Hi

Just wondering how many of you with asthma also have allergy problems with your nose too?

Not just meaning hayfever in the summer but all year round in terms of sneezing, congestion and generally having a nose that is runny and itchy?

A girl I've recently started seeing is asthmatic and suffers from hayfever too. However, her nose seems badly blocked all throughout the year. She tends to sniff constantly and regularly complains before about not being able to breathe out of her nose properly.

I suffer a bit from this myself but nearly as bad as her. I think almost certainly she has rhinitis but she doesn't use anything for it nor do I think she's been to the doctor.

She is a little bit shy/embarrassed about her conditions and think maybe that's she hasn't sought further treatment. Any tips on how I could help her would be very appreciated.

[emmasue]

I suffer from this. What has worked is taking a Sudafed twice a day and using a Sinugator when I am suffering. The Sudafed should be plain, ordinary Sudafed without the additives. You have to get it from the chemist though it is difficult to get it. They sometimes ask annoying questions and then refuse to give it. I get mine on prescription after suffering for so long with bad headaches. The Sinugator is made by Neilmed. They do different types. Mine is the electric one. You put water and the special salt pack into the bottom of the device and then squirt it through one nostril and then the other. The pressure of the water forces the mucus out the other side. It works very well. Hope this helps.

[Hidden]

I have both asthma and allergic rhinitis - have done most of my life. It was worse as a child. Piriton was the prescribed medication for it, and there was no paediatric version of it in the 1960s; nor was it particularly effective - or it wasn't with me. I can remember being ticked off for going in to school with what teachers thought was a bad cold (this was in winter) when in fact what I had was a bad attack of rhinitis.

Like asthma, I think rhinitis is another of those conditions where you have to find the medication that works for you. As I said, piriton never worked for me. A medication called DimotapLA made a very big difference - until it was discontinued. After that nothing really worked until I got put on flixonase, but I came off that a couple of years ago. I manage now with a combination of otrivine antistin eyedrops and rinotec (atrovent), both of which I use on a 'when required' basis.

I can understand your friend sniffing quite a lot. Even when I was a child we recognised that blowing my nose (as opposed to sniffing) seemed to aggravate the situation rather than help it. Don't know why, but it did - indeed it still does.

The only thing that I have found helpful over the years is not to hold back when sneezing. There is a tendency for people to hold back a bit (even quite a lot) when sneezing, particularly when in company, but that really is counter productive.

Hope this is of some help.

[freefaller in reply to Hidden]

I remember dimotap Maggie. Worked brilliantly! Ther was also something called Rinurel which I was given for a cold and it was magical. Both no longer in use.

[Lgriffiths83]

My three daughters suffer from this and they have been given certizine a daily antihistamine like piriton but non drowsy, montekaulst daily and alson a steriod nasal spray. They are under a respiratory consultant three monthly and have been prescribed a steriod nasal spray and not piritonese spray as was told it doesn't take hold of the reaction happening in the nasal area and oy a steriod spray will ease the irritation away. Maybe it worth going to her doctors as this has helped my girls loads with coping with their daily symptoms.

[freefaller]

You are such a gem. So nice that you are asking this question for your gf. I suffer from this too. It used to be just through the summer months and I could stop taking my nasal spray during winter months. I had to go to the Doc because I just couldn't breathe through my nose at all. Tried hayfever meds but they didn't work. Doc gave me a steroid inhaler and it worked . I then started using a nettipot which sounds similar to the device emmasue uses. Which uses medical grade salt dissolved in water to "flush out" the nostril and this works brilliantly. I now rarely use my nasal spray and when I do use about a quarter of the dose.

[angievere]

A nasal spray called Avymys is very effective but has to be prescribed by GP

[Mark_LSUK in reply to angievere]

I'm on that also it's great but it's another steroid. Do you use it all year round?

[angievere in reply to Mark_LSUK]

Hi Mark, it's actually my student son. It worked wonders when he first started using it, he's meant to take it all the time.

[Mark_LSUK in reply to angievere]

My wife says it does wonders for my snoring as well so it's win, win!

[angievere in reply to Mark_LSUK]

So a good side effect!!

[QuietChest]

Yip got both and both an issue at the moment. My real team do a joint clinic with ENT so we are lucky. I do saline washes twice a day and use a nasal steroid as well as my antihistamine daily and extra of another if needed.

[mariyn]

I use Avamys ...on prescription ,it dries everything up Also the doctor should check for nose polyps . When I had 5 removed for the first time for years I could breathe thro my nose Best Marilyn

[Rob353]

Yes I have the same, terrible sinus issues. Took years trying different steroid nasal sprays which work but had side effects. Eventually found Avaymis which works wonders with no side effects for me. I take it most of the year but I can ease off it during winter. These are prescription meds so trip to the Dr needed.

[Pooka]

I have both rhinitis and asthma, both aggravated by pollution and pollen. I also had nasal polyps last year and I wonder if your friend has some sort of blockage? I had a straightforward surgery and I'm much better now, though I need to take Dymista nasal spray which has a steroid and antihistamine ingredient to keep down inflammation so I keep my sense of smell. Just 2.5 days in London in February killed my sense of smell for 5 weeks! I recommend going to doctor for a chat.

[TSST]

Thank you to all of you that responded with such helpful advice. Apologies for taking so long to do so but I was very pleasantly surprised with amount of replies and therefore wanted to give it a little more time before passing on my appreciation!

I will definitely suggest some of these treatments to her at the next opportune moment. Maybe she can also discuss them with the nurse or doctor next time she's at the asthma clinic (although getting her to go that is challenging in itself!)

I'll follow up in a little more on how things are going sometime soon and/or perhaps post a couple of individual replies in the meantime. But for the moment thanks once again for all the support.