Lush green lawns, flowers in bloom and gardens that producing their crops; what a great picture of August. It’s great unless you have season allergies that is. If it’s August and you are experiencing a stuffy nose or a runny nose, a tickling cough or post-nasal drip, it could be rhinitis.
Don’t panic, rhinitis is just the medical term for irritation and inflammation of the mucous membrane inside the nose and it’s very common. Between 10%-30% of adults in the U.S. are affected by rhinitis every year, especially this time of year.
You may have noticed that the sneezing and nasal itching, coughing, headache, watery eyes, fatigue and malaise has gotten worse and you have aged. You’re right. Rhinitis is very common in older people, but it can be hard to diagnose. As we age, our skin and cartilage relaxes and the structure of our nose, the septal cartilage and the nasal columella, becomes weaker. As the structure becomes weaker, the mucus in our sinuses thickens. It thickens worse when we become dehydrated. This all leads to a stuffy nose, post nasal drip and coughing and you feeling miserable on a summer’s day.
If you use a CPAP or oxygen, these symptoms can make it even harder to breathe and sleep. If you are experiencing problems, talk to your doctor. They will be better able to determine if it really is a summer cold or if it is allergies. Taking the correct medications can offer some relief once you know what you are up against.
Continue your CPAP or oxygen treatment program as directed. Limit your time outside and don’t sleep with windows open that allow more allergens into the house. If you find that you cannot get the relief you need, talk to one of Medi-Rents Respiratory Therapists.
Once allergies have subsided, we recommend getting new tubing and CPAP masks. Talk to the experts at Medi-Rents and Sales about replacing the old tubing and parts on your equipment.
Tags: Allergies, Rhinitis, Summer Allergies, Summer Sickness