Nasal congestion, it's like there's no cure for it, what is my TRUE problem?

I am a 16 year old male. I have suffered from nasal congestion and post-nasal drip for 3 years. During those years, I thought it was mad weird, only one side of my nose worked and NEVER (rarely) both work at the same time. The problem alternated because sometimes one side would relax and it would switch to the other side. So basically, I've been living with this for 3 years or so. I decided to go the doctor, a nose specialist, I think. He checked it up and said it could be sinusitis but it wasn't and he wanted me to take a allergy test because I have a cat at home. I've had a cat for 3 years or more. So I took a skin allergy test and it turned out... unfortunately, I was allergic to the cat. Also to dogs, dust mites, some tree, german cockroaches (ewww). Now, it turns out this problem was probably from the cat dander so I decided to lock him out of my room and purchased a air filter. It kinda helped, I had taken fluticonase spray and saline and claritin-D but... no help. I still have only 1 nasal passage functioning. I had to go back to the doc's because he wanted to check up. So, first of all, I couldn't get rid of the cat as my sister and family loved it. Now, I don't really think it's the cat's fault anymore, it must be the dust mites. So... what if it even wasn't allergies, could it be vasomotor rhinitis? I saw on the diagnosis thingy, I had chronic rhinitis and the middle turbinates swell. When I look up my nose with a flashlight and mirror, I could see a muscle like thing blocking the passage. Anyway, I hope this helps: when I stick my index finger in the right side of my nose, about 2 inches up, I feel the muscle thing, I could push it towards the right, its like a flimsy muscle thing and I feel bone at the back. If I sleep next to the cat for too long my eyes may get red, if he scratches me, I get a raised bump where he scratched me. I'm leaving for college in about a year so, that might help but still. One last thing, I sometimes if I put the index finger 2 inches or 2 1/2 inches and pull it back, I see blood on the fingers, sometimes bloody snot comes out hardened. I used Afrin but rarely when I really need it (due to rebound effect) and when I use it, it works but the rebound effect..... When I sleep, the nasal congestion is the worse.

-K (Just call me K for now)

[coolzz]

Just another note I forgot to add: I had taken a CAT scan of my head (to see nasal) and the doc said its sinusitis but he changed it as he said it was too little to be sinusitis and could be allergies (I got cat that changed his mind). He offered immunotherapy later on, should I take it?.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
Well, this does look like case of cat allergy and maybe allergy to other things as well. Please do not pick your nose. Do not put your finger in the nose. Nasal turbinates are the muscle like things you see. This is normal. Repeatedly putting your finger will injure the epithelium of the nose.
There are certain tips you can follow:
• Bathing the cat at least once or twice a week
• Wiping the cat with a wet cloth or hand towel daily
• Remove the cat from the bedroom, close the bedroom door and air vents to the bedroom
• Keep the cat outside or in the garage, or in a part of the home with an uncarpeted floor
• Vacuum frequently with a HEPA-equipped vacuum cleaner
• Purchase a HEPA room air cleaner for use in the bedroom and/or other parts of the home (it is best to keep the HEPA filter off of the floor so as to not stir up more dust)
• Follow house dust mite avoidance precautions
• If the above measures do not help to reduce allergic symptoms, getting rid of the pet cats may be needed, particularly for people with uncontrolled asthma.
• Cat allergen may persist for months to years in the home even after the cat is gone – therefore it is important to clean thoroughly
• steam clean all carpets and upholstered furniture


Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[coolzz]

Thank you for your help. I already have a HEPA filter in my room. I see alot of dust floating about anyway. Is there any medication I can take such as Zytrec or something? I'm going to try Claritin-D for now. Also, should I take immunotherapy for both cats and dust mites? Is it possible to live with the cat with this allergy problem? Chances are I have to stay with it for a year a half or so before moving out. I have very small asthma and never actually had an attack except when I was like 10 or something which was because of lack of oxygen or something but I don't think it will come back.

-K