Sneezing, Stuffy Nose, Post Nasal Drip?

Postnasal drip, stuffy nose chronic, year round for 5 years.?

• Like I said, I've had a stuffy nose and chronic post-nasal drip for about 5 years. Seasons don't affect it. It constantly sounds like I have a clothespin over my nose and it's effecting my voice! I'm a 19 year old male about to enter college, and I do not want Post Nasal Drip to run my life. I can't even talk properly. Im always clearing my throat. And I havn't been able to breathe out of my nose for as long as I can remember. I am going on a 1 week NO DAIRY diet to see if I am allergic to dairy. I've been to an Ear Nose and Throat specialist before, but I told him I thought my tonsils were causing the problem, so he removed my tonsils. Well, no luck, its been 2 years. I've been on Flonase, nothing. I've taken grape seed extract, nothing. I drink lots of water. I've tried sleeping with my head elevated. My nose is always stuffed, too. Usually just one nostril, and it switches sides all the time. It's worse in the morning and at night. Im going to book an appointment with an ENT, but that will probably take about six months...any suggestions before then that I can try? I refuse to sit around and accept this happening to me!

• Answer:

  Go and get yourself fully assessed by a naturopath ....... get them to do testing for food allergies/intolerances and chemical sensitivities .......what you ingest and absorb through your skin and breath can have a vast impact on the way you think, the way you feel and your overall health and vitality ....... seriously, you can live a pain free drug free life if only you know precisely what chemicals and foods are upsetting your system .... it could be something as simple as lactose intolerance or an intolerance to processed sugar or wheat ...... disorders from which people suffer due to intolerances to food or chemicals in their diets can cover almost the whole spectrum of physical and mental illnesses ..... an extraordinary concept but mind blowingly true....... do yourself a favor and go and get allergy tested. Recurring infections such as sinusitis, tonsilitis, ear, respiratory, urinary and so forth, are symptoms of having a delayed allergic reaction to foods that you are eating ....... immediate food allergies give prompt and dramatic evidence of their presence..... delayed food allergies, on the other hand, can be more subtle and difficult to recognise.......... keep a detailed food journal and record the foods you eat and how you feel throughout the day to enable you to recognise the symptoms of a delayed food allergy....... could be milk and dairy products (lactose intolerance) or wheat (coeliac) or even the sugar contained in high sugar fruits such as oranges, apples, bananas, mangoes . Other symptoms of delayed food allergies are ~ Chronically swollen glands Chronic digestive problems, including the symptoms of IBS; Recurring inflammatory conditions, such as gastroinestinal inflammation, arthritis etc.; Difficulty losing excess weiht; Unexplained bouts of severe fatigue after eating; Tendency to hold water that is not associated with the menstrual cycle; Dark circles under your eyes (sometimes called allergic shiners); Frequent stuffy nose or postnasal drip that lasts for several hours after meals; also clearing your throat frequently after eating; Anxiety and heart palpitations withing several hours of eating; Unexplained skin rashes; history of gallbladder disease; history of acne; history of antiobiotic use; Mental fogginess after eating; Bouts of low blood sugar; headaches ............... read a book called "What your Doctor May Not Tell you About IBS" by Richard N. Ash, M.D. and eliminate your symptoms and live a pain free, drug free life .. Ditch the milk and dairy products i say ........ many many people find it extremely hard to digest lactose contained in milk and dairy products. Take a calcium & vitamin D3 rich supplement perhaps in a liquid form (easiest to assimilate) to ensure you get all your calcium on a daily basis ..........and pump up your intake of fresh fish such as salmon and tuna and leafy and green vegies & fresh fruits~ the vegies are rich in both calcium and protein and the fish are rich in magnesium (antistress mineral), protein, EFA's~ essential fatty acids which are also fantastic for lowering blood pressure,levelling out any mood or stress levels you may have and bolstering your immunity, calcium and vitamin D (the vitamin D is essential for effective calcium absorption) . The calcium found in vegies and fruits has a greater impact on bone health than calcium from dairy products anyways.... a study published in The Americal Journal of clinical nutrition (2002) found that a high intake of vegies and fruits has a positive impact on bone health, but dairy did not. Dairy products contain animal proteins, which speed the elimination of calcium from the body and make it more acidic. This can cause calcium to leach from the bones and cause problems with magnesium (essential for healthy nerve and muscle functioning and for heart health ~ known as the antistress mineral) absorption, leading to osteoporosis. In addition, we absorb only 30 percent of the calcium found in milk, compared to 40 to 70 percent of the calcium found in vegies and fruits. pretty disturbing actually when you consider the way the milk and dairy industry pump us with their commercials to drink more milk !! Cow's milk contains proteins that are difficult for humans to digest; when these undigested proteins enter the lower digestive system, they putrefy and cause digestive problems. Dairy products encourage the production of excess mucus in the body, burdening the respiratory, digestive and immune systems. Not surprisingly, when you ditch the milk and dairy people more often than not experience markedly fewer colds and sinus & respiratory infections. Lactose intolerance can cause acid reflux, alternating bouts of constipation & diahorrea and will also lead to a compromised digestive system thus laying the groundwork for a body which is extremely susceptible to developing nose, throat, sinus, ear, bronchial, bladder and other infections as well....... Other symptoms of lactose intolerance are mucous in the stools, bloating and cramping, digestive troubles such as constipation, belching and burping, gassiness and wet f*arting (sorry, no other way to say it), ribbony and stringy shaped bowel movements or rabbit pellet shaped movements are all symptoms of lactose intolerance. Please also ensure that whichever supplement you decide to buy doesn't contain any lactose, wheat, yeast, gluten, preservatives or flavorings, sugar or yeast as none of these have any place in a good quality supplement anyways. Also, take a good quality probiotic powder supplement before your main meals as this will help with the digestive process by encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract .... probiotics will help to recolonise the beneficial bacteria in your gut ...... it will also help maintain optimal intestinal pH, which, in turn, helps with complete digestion...... probiotics will increase the absorption of minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and sometimes iron too..... they also produce some of the B vitamins, including biotin, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6...... the B vitamins are essential for healthy neural, digestive and immune system functioning. You have only vibrant health & vitality to gain by ditching the milk and dairy products mate ............. i sincerely do wish you the very best of health & vitality. peace baby ♥