Red Eyes, Swollen Sinuses, Tender Throat...

[Pdaz]

I've been living in Asia for a long time.. 10 years plus just in Thailand... Never had any health problems before but the last couple of years I have been hit by re-occuring sinus problems..

I've been to the doctors and to both the big hostpitals here as well as a specialist ENT clinic.. None has realy been able to diagnose/cure me to my satisfaction..

I've never had allergies or hayfever in my life before so find it strange that at the age of 43 I seem to be suffering those symptoms.. It appears to only be in the dry cool season that I have the problem.

I awake in the mornings with red sore puffy eyes, throat full of phelgm, muzzy headed with a dull ache.

I take a shower and cough out all the goo from my throat. After that it takes an hour or so for my head to clear.. My nose is never blocked by there is pressure in my sinuses and my ears pop and all my 'tubes' seem tender and raw..

The Doc's who have seen me just say its sinisitis or rhinitis and perscribe either an allergy medicine/nasal spray or if particularly bad a course of antibiotics ( if they suspect the infection is bacterial)..

Anybody else suffer these symptoms ? or have any knowledge of managing/curing them..

I really enjoy a morning run but feeling like this everyday for a week or more at a time realy ruins my exercise regime..

My only theory is the ammount of dust in the cool season... I've had allergy test but all negative..

[patklang]

I have a similar problem with my ears,they are popping and it feels like i have pressure just below my ears.No pain so i dont see the doctor.

[mommysboy]

There's so many possibilities here that you need to provide more info for sure, and do a bit of testing, starting off with a skin test for allergies. But it does appear to be an allergic response given the puffy eyes. It could also be that you have something bacterial going on. A second consideration might be a thorough scope examination of the nose and throat.

Whereabouts in Asia?

If you live in a big city like Bangkok, then possibly you have your answer already, and if you are running in the atmos, then it's hardly surprising you are having problems !!!!

Over a period of time it's possible to reverse what is happening by avoiding pollution as much as possible, wearing a mask of some form, nasal rinsing, eliminating possible factors in the home and good rest. Run in a gym.

Blocked sinus' can mirror the symptoms of a sinus infection, but the real problem is swollen membranes in the nose. It's amazing what damage a swollen nose can do.

Also if you are in Thailand, be aware that there is a particularly nasty throat infection doing the rounds, it causes problems you describe particularly gunk from the throat/larynx.

Sounds like a bit of everything.

[mommysboy]

Apologies. I see that you live in Thailand and have already had allergy tests. But that still begs the question where?

It has to be a reaction to something in the environment I would have thought and since it is constant you must be subject to a lot of whatever it is- traffic pollution, chemicals from new things, cigarettes, strong air conditioning ? Dust!! I suppose so but it would have to be quite a lot. In my experience dust troubles me when I've already got swollen membranes but we're all different. I feel sure there is one main cause and that is usually smog.

Certainly if I was out and about for long periods of time I'd be in trouble but then again I live in Bangkok what with all it's problems and when I was a smoker it was also worse.

I also notice that if I have a cold or infection then my reaction to pollutants is worse, and when my membranes feel raw then I might be more likely to get a virus, so one thing reinforces the other.

If you stayed in a week say, would you still have problems? Are you generally overdoing it?

[Pdaz]

Apologies. I see that you live in Thailand and have already had allergy tests. But that still begs the question where?

It has to be a reaction to something in the environment I would have thought and since it is constant you must be subject to a lot of whatever it is- traffic pollution, chemicals from new things, cigarettes, strong air conditioning ? Dust!! I suppose so but it would have to be quite a lot. In my experience dust troubles me when I've already got swollen membranes but we're all different. I feel sure there is one main cause and that is usually smog.

Certainly if I was out and about for long periods of time I'd be in trouble but then again I live in Bangkok what with all it's problems and when I was a smoker it was also worse.

I also notice that if I have a cold or infection then my reaction to pollutants is worse, and when my membranes feel raw then I might be more likely to get a virus, so one thing reinforces the other.

If you stayed in a week say, would you still have problems? Are you generally overdoing it?

I live nearby to Pattaya... But guess the road smog is just as bad here as BKK.. I never had these syptoms when I lived in Singapore or for the first 7 years I lived here in Thailand.. It seems to be seasonal so my first thought was 'Hayfever/allergy' cos I only seem to suffer in the dry season.. So as the allergy tests were negative the only thing that made sense was 'dust' or 'dust mites' I only have to look at my window screens or the contents of my vacuum cleaner to see how much dust is in the air..

Anyhow I've been on antibiotics, eye drops and a nasal spray for 5 days now and the syptoms have reduced markedly.. Seems that I can control them.. I'd just like to stop any reoccurance.. Seems that moving to a cold wet dust/smog free enviroment might be the answer

[tangoll]

I've had similar problems -- lots of tearing in the left eye, sneezing at random times, left nostril running water, not much tenderness in throat. Went to Bumrungrad Hospital, and saw ENT doctor Supinda and eye doctor Chalao. Both work on Sunday mornings. Supinda said some form of allergic reaction, prescribed Nasonex nasal spray, and Chalao noticed some blockage in the lower left eyelid that she popped with a needle and prescribed eye drops. So far, so good and a month later, still using the spray and eye drops until all gone and then see what happens. Sneezing a bit now and then, but less and nose doesn't run anymore, nor any noticeable tearing in the eye.

[Pdaz]

I used to wake up in the mornings with the same. Stuffed up, watery eyes, wheezing. I found out that it was due to mold, mildew and dust mites in my mattress and pillow. I have since switched to natural latex mattress and pillows and can say honestly that I have not woken up stuffed up since.

Mold, mildew, bacteria and dustmites can not survive in natural latex, which makes it the perfect material to sleep on, especially in Asia.

Thanks for that.. I'd noticed that I slept better when away at work.. Maybe the connection I was looking for... Cheers..

[mommysboy]

I used to wake up in the mornings with the same. Stuffed up, watery eyes, wheezing. I found out that it was due to mold, mildew and dust mites in my mattress and pillow. I have since switched to natural latex mattress and pillows and can say honestly that I have not woken up stuffed up since.

Mold, mildew, bacteria and dustmites can not survive in natural latex, which makes it the perfect material to sleep on, especially in Asia.

Thanks for that.. I'd noticed that I slept better when away at work.. Maybe the connection I was looking for... Cheers..

Maybe, but you've had allergy tests already!!!

My guess it is smog for sure. Does being away mean away from smog too?

In all honesty if it's something that you only experienced since being in Thailand then the odds are on air pollution.

Perhaps a mod will clear the matter up.

Also it's good to eradicate any potential irritant anyway and the home is definitely something where problems can be overcome.

[Sheryl]

It definitely sounds allergic in nature. Identifying the cause of an allergy through tests can be dificult (not to mention painful, expensive and time-consuming!). One is often better off just using trial and error and basic deduction.

Your problem improves when you go away, so it is something in or around your home environment.

It worsens in the cool season, so it must be something that there is more of at that time of year.

I don't know enough about your environment to go much beyond that. As for smog/air pollution, if the traffic worsens during the cool season (as I suppose it might, that being peak tourist season and you living near Pattaya) then I would say a definite possibility.

The other point is, even once you know what the irritant(s) is, chances are there will not be muchg you can do about it unless you move. If that is an option for you, I'd seriously consider it --- making sure of course to spend some time in the proposed new place to be sure your sympoms are better there..and that the new place has good air quality. Even if there is another allergen(s) (and these things do often involve a combination of factors) involved, air pollution will surely make it worse.

[mommysboy]

I used to wake up in the mornings with the same. Stuffed up, watery eyes, wheezing. I found out that it was due to mold, mildew and dust mites in my mattress and pillow. I have since switched to natural latex mattress and pillows and can say honestly that I have not woken up stuffed up since.

Mold, mildew, bacteria and dustmites can not survive in natural latex, which makes it the perfect material to sleep on, especially in Asia.

Thanks for that.. I'd noticed that I slept better when away at work.. Maybe the connection I was looking for... Cheers..

Maybe, but you've had allergy tests already!!!

My guess it is smog for sure. Does being away mean away from smog too?

In all honesty if it's something that you only experienced since being in Thailand then the odds are on air pollution.

Perhaps a mod will clear the matter up.

Also it's good to eradicate any potential irritant anyway and the home is definitely something where problems can be overcome.

People can develop allergies at any age, and they can disappear as well. Also, not sure if they test for how allergic someone is to dust mites. Usually only food and such...I think. You can check out a good source of natural latex mattresses at www.latexinnovations.com. Thats where I got mine from, and the owner is my girlfriend, so I can vouch for her, she sells great quality natural latex. I hope you find relieve from your sufferings, as I know it is like.

I had the standard allergy test where they dab a number of substances on the lower arm, it doesn't test for food allergies, but it tests for hayfever, dust mites and I assume mould, etc. As I say I think it's a standard test. Again, I think the majority of people are allergic to the dust mite, so that it is not considered a true allergy. I reckon most people benefit from a well kept bedroom with frequent changes of sheets, pillow cases and regular dusting. And that's quite sufficient, especially as OP didn't suffer b4.

I agree it's not a logical area, but if this has coincided with a move, then the answer must surely be in the general environment, although that could include something in the house such as strong air-con.

The only cure for non allergic symptoms is to avoid whatever it is that bothers you. Obviously, this isn't a practicable answer, but one can mitigate, ie, if it is smog then run indoors at a gym as opposed to outside, near a busy thoroughfare.

The problem with allergies is often they are not allergies at all, but just what the human body does under toxic stress. As such there is no pill or quick fix. Indeed leading a rather stressful 'inhuman' lifestyle can be a cause in it's own right as the body has little time to repair.

Just speaking from experience- I'm not a doctor.