Patients with nasal allergies generally present with nasal issues such as:
- sneezing
- runny nose with thin clear mucus
- nasal obstruction
The commonest allergens are dust mite allergies and often these patients wake up with these symptoms.
They often blow their noses too. They are sometimes associated with itchy eyes, eczema and asthma. Often the symptoms get better by late morning. They generally get these symptoms on a very regular basis(often daily) with symptoms improving after a few hours when they are no longer irritated by the allergens.
This is quite different from sinusitis. Sinusitis means the infection of the sinuses in the face. They generally get episodes of nasal obstruction, facial pressure, thick coloured mucous which last for a couple of weeks to a month.
Once the infection has settled, the nasal symptoms will settle. If it persists for more than 3 months then this is considered chronic sinusitis. If you are unsure of whether you have allergies or chronic sinusitis; your ENT surgeon will be able to help you by performing a nasoendoscopy where a tiny flexible scope is introduced into your nose to visualise internal nasal cavity.
