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Allergies can make you miserable. From the itchy eyes and runny nose to the sneezing and congestion. Allergies make it hard to enjoy yourself during beautiful summer months. Try these simple tips to keep your summer allergies under control and have fun this summer!

Keep Indoor Air Clean

Unfortunately, there is not a product that can magically eliminate all allergens in your home. However, when using the air conditioning in the house or car regularly, changing the air filters and keeping the indoor air dry with a dehumidifier can greatly help.

Reduce Exposure

Try and reduce your exposure to things that can activate your allergies like staying indoors on dry or windy days. Understanding that spending all summer indoors is impossible, plan ahead by looking at local weather or pollen levels.

If outside chores are calling your name, either wear a pollen mask or delegate the chores like lawn mowing or weed pulling. After outdoor chores or activities, remove the clothes you wore outside and shower to remove all the pollen from your hair and skin.

Rinses Those Sinuses

Rinsing your sinuses, or nasal irrigation, is a beneficial way to relieve symptoms for those who struggle with allergies or just general nasal congestion. Nasal irrigation is flushing out your nasal cavity with a saline solution. The solution is a simple mixture of purified water and salt, used in combination with a squeeze bottle or a neti pot. Directly rinsing your sinuses or nasal passages will flushes out mucus and allergens in your nose.

Over-the-counter remedy

If the tips above are not cutting it, there are several types of nonprescription medications that can alleviate your allergy symptoms.

• Oral antihistamines can help relieve sneezing, itching, a runny nose and watery eyes
• Decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine, can provide temporary relief from nasal stuffiness
• Nasal spray can ease allergy symptoms and doesn’t have serious side effects, though it’s most effective when you begin using it before your symptoms start

Consult a Doctor

For some, taking precaution or using over-the-counter medications isn’t enough to alleviate their allergy symptoms. So, consult your doctor to determine the best course of action for your allergies, whether they are seasonal or year around.

For more information on all Rhinology questions or to schedule an appointment with one of our physicians, please visit https://renotahoesinus.com/or call 775.284.856.

Septal deviation is a common condition, with a significant portion of the population having their septum deviate to one side or the other.  Commonly some degree of nasal trauma may cause a deviated septum.  Many people are asymptomatic from this, however a few can have nasal obstruction symptoms on the side that is deviated.  In these patients, septoplasty (i.e straightening the septum), can be performed.  It is usually an outpatient procedure, performed under general anesthesia.  After the operation, the patient can breathe better on the affected side.  If the deviated septum is more posteriorly placed, endoscopic septoplasty is a good option for the patient.  This approach can be done without packing or splints afterwards, and the recovery is easier.  Commonly an inferior turbinoplasty is performed concurrently because the turbinates can be swollen due to allergies, or to compensate for the extra space on the non deviated side.

Josh Meier, M.D. F.A.R.S

The use of neti pots and similar methods of irrigating the nasal cavity is an old homeopathic remedy for sinus pressure and high levels of sinus mucus. Though the neti pot stems from ancient Indian Ayurvedic hygiene and wellness practices, doctors have recently been paying more attention to the method. What they have found is that it is both a safe and effective method for clearing the sinuses of mucus, and may also help to reduce inflammation by flushing small, irritation-causing particles out of the sinuses, as well as viruses and bacteria.

Usually a nasal rinse is some form of saline concentration. It is recommended that patients use an isotonic concentration, or a concentration that has saline levels similar to those in the human body. Patients can either purchase premixed salt packets for this or make their own at home. One common recipe calls for 2-3 teaspoons of iodine-free salt and 1/4-1/2 teaspoons of baking soda for one liter of sterile water. Including a small amount of baking soda in the rinse has been shown to yield better results than saline alone. Some patients prefer higher levels of saline concentration, but studies have shown that this can damage the nose’s cilia. Cilia are small, waving hairs that keep the nose clean. Increased salt levels in your nasal rinse can lead to increased nasal congestion and nasal swelling.

It is very important when flushing your nasal cavities that you use sterile water. Boiled, distilled, or well-filtered water are recommended. Do not use water from a wild or questionable source without appropriate filtration and sterilization. In very rare instances, amoeba present in a municipal water source has caused encephalitis in neti pot users. Encephalitis is a deadly brain infection. It is not common to find such amoeba outside of untreated water supplies, but the results are serious, so use caution and ensure your water is safe before using it in your sinuses.

In addition to sterile water, it is also important to use sterile equipment. To sterilize the bottle you are using, microwave it for two minutes in cold water. One study found this method more effective than a boiling water rinse. Using Milton’s antibacterial solution was also found to be an effective sterilization method.

Ideally, an effective nasal rinse will reach as much of the nasal lining as possible. There are a couple of factors in application that may improve the rinse’s effectiveness. First, when applying the rinse, place your head down. This can help the irrigation reach the top of the nose and forehead sinus. Second, a high volume of delivery tends to be more effective than a lower volume of delivery. The increased volume tends to result in the optimal coverage of the nasal lining.

There are a couple of treatments that can work in conjunction with nasal rinsing to improve patient results. One is sinus surgery. If there are nasal blockages present, surgery can lead to improved delivery and effectiveness of a nasal rinse. Another is medicated irrigation. In patients with chronic sinusitis who were using topical antibiotics or nasal steroid sprays, high volume rinses with diluted steroids improved their symptoms.

If you are having nasal issues, please call and make an appointment with one of the specialists at Nevada ENT and the Reno Tahoe Sinus Center. We can help determine the source of your symptoms and give you information on treatment options individually tailored to your circumstances.

Source: Nasal/Sinus Irrigation by Benjamin S. Bleier, MD

http://care.american-rhinologic.org/irrigation

Nicholas Weseley, UNR 2nd year Medical Student, presented his summer research project “A Validated Model for the 22-item Sinonasal Outcome Test Subdomain Structure in Chronic Rhinosinusitis” at the Regional American College of Physicians Meeting on September 27th at the VA Hospital in Reno.  He won first prize for the summer project he headed up in collaboration with Mass Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School.  He will present again October 13-14th at the Nevada State ACP Meeting in Las Vegas.  Congrats to Nic on his win and all of his hard work!  This research has furthered understanding of quality of life effects in patients with chronic sinusitis.

Josh Meier, M.D. F.A.R.S.

Chronic sinusitis (CRS) is defined as 12 weeks or more of two or more of the following signs and symptoms:

• Mucopurulent drainage (anterior or posterior)
• Nasal obstruction
• Facial pressure or pain or fullness
• Decreased smell

In addition, inflammation must be documented by one or more of the following findings:

• Radiographic imaging showing inflammation in the sinuses
• Polyps in the nasal cavity
• Purulent mucus or edema in the middle meatus or anterior ethmoid

Traditionally chronic sinusitis is managed first with saline rinses and a topical nasal steroid. For patients that continue to have a decrement in their quality of life despite medical therapy, then endoscopic sinus surgery can be considered as an option.