Mystery Rhinitis Symptoms

[locust78]

Several times a year I wake up in the middle of the night with one side of my sinuses filled up and running like a faucet. I also feel a sharp, intermittent pulsing in my sinus. I'll sneeze like crazy and my eye on that side feels irritated and teary. These symptoms can last from 1 to 3 days before lifting. During this time antihistamines and decongestants only help a little.

I use a heated hose and humidification along with my nasal pillows. I've tried all sort of approaches to try to prevent this, but it still keeps happening. I'm not even sure exactly what this is. I've come up with something called "vasomotor rhinitis" but that's just a guess. Anyone else have these issues or at least an idea of what this is all about? Is it some sort of wind burn?

[zonker]

bump

[Julie]

Have you experimented with diff. hum. settings on nights when e.g. the local climate is already quite humid? Or your room's cold? Have you asked an ENT about it?

[rick blaine]

You have rhinitis, but it lasts only one to three days. You sneeze.

Do you have a raised temperature during this time? Does your job bring you into contact with lots of people? Do you teach small children, or come into contact with small children?

Is it possible in each of these episodes you just have a cold?

[chunkyfrog]

There are many, many specific strains of more or less unfriendly microbes.
If the symptoms are mild and pass quickly, it is a good thing.
Your immunity has been tested--and YOU beat the nasty bug.
You are stronger now, and better fit to battle the next ugly beastie.

[locust78]

Thanks for all your replies.

I can say for a certainty that this thing is not a cold. It very localized, specific, and brief. Most of the times it affects just my left sinus and eye. I've never had it kick in at any other time than when I was in the middle of using my CPAP machine. It comes on really quick and strong. Once, when I was having a procedure in the hospital, the nasal cannula that was blasting oxygen up my nose brought on one of the worst episodes to date. For this reason I've come to think that it's connected to the force of air hitting my sinuses. Something about the way it's blowing, or my own disposition at that time brings it on.

I've messed around with humidifier settings: high humidity, low humidity, no humidity. I've tried all sorts of prep: neti pot, saline spray, petroleum jelly, etc. Despite these measures, this thing still sneaks up on me from time to time.

[dlevin51]

I have very similar issues. A few times a year I wake up with a tickle in my nose, dripping like a faucet, and repeatedly sneezing. My sinuses feel irritated. It clears up after 2 or 3 days. It happened when I went away for a few days and left the humidifier at home, so I think it is caused by being too dry. The other times it has happened I cannot readily explain but I think may be due to the mask not properly seated and leaking during the night, drying out my sinuses.

[locust78]

Thanks for confirming my symptoms. I used to think that it was connected to low humidity, but after using a travel CPAP that has no humidifier for a week at a time, and not getting symptoms, I had to rule it out.

I think you're on to something with the mask leak theory. I suspect that if I'm in a really deep sleep and develop a mask leak, the unregulated, blasting air is somehow messing with my sinuses.

[chunkyfrog]

I suffered from frequent "colds" every year, until I was diagnosed with ALLERGIES.
Sometimes an allergy can crop up where there had been none before,
due to either environment or your own system changing over time.
A nightly antihistamine has literally stopped my "colds" dead in their tracks.
Allergies sell a lot of worthless OTC remedies and tons of tissues,
when a tiny pill can prevent all that misery.
(Side effects be damned--I might like having a tail)

[jimbud]

I suffered from frequent "colds" every year, until I was diagnosed with ALLERGIES.
Sometimes an allergy can crop up where there had been none before,
due to either environment or your own system changing over time.
A nightly antihistamine has literally stopped my "colds" dead in their tracks.
Allergies sell a lot of worthless OTC remedies and tons of tissues,
when a tiny pill can prevent all that misery.
(Side effects be damned--I might like having a tail)

Well said!

JPB

[locust78]

I had allergies to beat the band. When I went to see the allergist for testing they called in the entire staff to come in and look at my arms (they were so obscenely red and swollen)! That was quite a long time ago. I ended up spending 16 years getting allergy injections.

Wouldn't you know it...they actually worked. I can pet cats, mow the lawn, and eat fresh apples without my head exploding. My allergies since the conclusion of my shots have pretty much stayed stable, so I'm ruling that out for my CPAP problems. Plus, totally different symptoms.

[Okie bipap]

I have been plagued by allergies my entire life. We haven't been able to have a live Christmas tree for many years. After I moved to Texas, I found out I was allergic to mesquite trees. I started on shot therapy, but ended up moving southern California within a year so I had to go through testing all over and started a new round of shots. I was allergic to coastal live oak, one of the more common trees in the area. Within a year, I moved to the high desert due to the high cost of housing in the LA basin. So, another round of testing. This time I found out I a allergic to Russian thistle, the common tumble weed. I have been having a lot of allergy problems here in Oklahoma, so I went to the allergist last summer. He said he couldn't test me since they weren't sure if the AFIB was under control. Hopefully, they will be able to to allergy testing when I go back in January.