HEALTH TIP

If you have nasal allergies, you may be used to sneezing and congestion that last the entire day. But you don’t have to just put up with it. Whether you’re allergic to dust mites, tree pollen, or animal dander, you can find relief for your nasal allergy symptoms.
 

“Some people suffer with seasonal allergies for years before they learn that there are effective treatments,” says James Sublett, MD, chief of pediatric allergy at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky. But there are good reasons why you shouldn’t wait to treat allergies.

“If allergy symptoms aren’t treated early, they can actually get worse over time,” Sublett says.

Here are five allergy symptoms you shouldn’t ignore and what you can do about them.

Nasal congestion can be caused by anything that irritates or inflames the nasal tissues. Infections — such as colds, flu or sinusitis — allergies and various irritants, such as tobacco smoke, may all cause a runny nose. Some people have a chronically runny nose for no apparent reason — a condition called nonallergic rhinitis or vasomotor rhinitis (VMR).
Less commonly, nasal congestion can be caused by polyps or a tumor.
Potential causes of nasal congestion include:

1. Acute sinusitis
2. Allergies
3. Chronic sinusitis
4. Churg-Strauss syndrome
5. Common cold
6. Decongestant nasal spray overuse
7. Deviated septum
8. Drug addiction
9. Dry air
10. Enlarged adenoids
11. Foreign body in the nose
12. Hormonal changes
13. Influenza (flu)
14. Medications, such as high blood pressure drugs
15. Nasal polyps
16. Nonallergic rhinitis
17. Occupational asthma
18. Pregnancy
19. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
20. Stress
21. Thyroid disorders
22. Tobacco smoke
23. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's granulomatosis)