Allergic to Air

All I need is the air that I breathe, just to.....

get sick.  

I've had a sore throat for weeks, months, years.  After my CT test came out clear, my chest x-ray was perfect, acid reflux pills didn't make a difference, and my tonsils are normal,  it was attributed to post-nasal drip.

Which is where most doctors in the past have left it, with a shrug of the shoulders and advice to use a Neti Pot or Flo-Nase.  Gee, thanks, Doc, take away any hope I'll ever get well.

My new ENT decided on allergy testing, with startling results.  I am allergic to 33/38 common allergens. I don't sneeze, I get sore eyes and internalize it; post-nasal drip, sore throat, sore under-arms (immune reaction, maybe?) My voice is lower than it used to be; I can sing tenor if I pay attention. I wonder if it's even part of my sleep apnea. Being swollen and clogged up probably contributes to sleep apnea too. I also have a deviated septum, which complicates the issue but doesn't cause it.


This explains a lot of things.  Like why my eyes burn in church--the lights aggravate my already sensitive eyes just from walking out to the car and into the church.  It explains why I get tired after exercise--breathing harder makes me absorb more allergens--and exposes me to them, whether it's dust mites from the carpet or plants and more outdoors.  It explains why I can be so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open, and then go to bed and toss and turn.  My whole body isn't tired, and my brain is wide awake, but my eyes burn from allergies.

I already knew I had trouble with dust, cats, and a few specific plants, but 33 common things?  It's not just seasonal; it's year-round.

The question now is whether treatment will help.  I'm scheduled to start allergy shots on Tuesday.  My sister-in-law also recommended a nutritionist and muscle testing as it has helped her a lot.  If I can get on top of this thing I will enjoy life a lot more.  It may even make a difference to my whole body.  After the testing, I gained three pounds overnight.  Two days later, I had an allergic reaction to something at a horse show, and got a splitting headache so I took three Tylenol (an anti-inflammatory drug) and went to bed earlier than usual.  12 hours of rest later I got up and guess what?  I lost three pounds overnight!

This makes me wonder how often a sudden inflammation that I think is water retention, is actually an allergic response.  I can go all week and do well, and then weigh in on Thursday and be heavier, and feel the swelling all over my body.  Well, on Wednesdays I am out and about a lot more, so maybe I swell up on Thursdays.   I'll update you on this adventure as time goes by.