sensitive to cold air conditioner

[racha64]

I am acutely sensitive to cold air conditioner. The effects are immediate and the colder the air the worse things are. This is followed by a thumping headache and painful soreness in the eyes and nostrils. Further exposure can result in heavy nasal congestion and pain spreading all around my eyes, jaws , teeth, And headache. The problem started  after my open heart surgery for an aorotic valve replacement, and I am on coumadin therapy for life time.  With my primary Dr. we did a lot of  kind lab tests included TSH and they all come normal.  I am a nurse working in the hospital. I wear a lots of clothing . If a go to the grocery store , I run along the aisles becuase I don't want to get sick . I stopped going to restaurants. Can you offer any help as to what it might be, what has caused it and what can be done? I so desperate, please help. Thank you

[Goose1]

Just surfing for info. on my allergy to cold air, also, and noticed your request for help.  I read an article recently that said people can acquire this allergy through a blood transfusion.  I assume you had one with your surgery?  I've had this problem for about 45 years and have found no help from medical establishment.  The most interesting thing I've found lately is a form of nasal spray that is made from hot peppers, called Sinus Buster.  It really seems to help, except it doesn't help my eyes.  I'm also researching a nerve block procedure called SPG Block.  It uses lidocaine.

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

What is your age? Are you allergic to any specific substances? Have you had allergic reactions in the past?

Do you have any symptoms of sinusitis or rhinitis?

What other medications are you on currently?

You should get an ENT evaluation and get a CT scan of your sinuses done if advised by your ENT specialist advises.

Till then you should try some steam inhalation, saline nasal drops and see if it helps with your symptoms. But it would be best to avoif air conditioned environments till the cause of your symptoms is established.

Let us know about what your doctor advises and if you have any other doubts.

Keep us posted about how you are doing.

Regards.

[Marina12345]

Hi, I have very similar problems. After a short exposure to the air condition, I get pain in my nose and throat and if I stay more I get sinusitis-like and flu-luke symtoms for the next 2 days. Generally, I'm allergic to dust and mold, so since air condition systems very soon become a source of both, it could be allergy. But I tried all kinds of anti-allergic drugs including inhaled ones and nothing helps. I'm desperate...
Marina

[margiemorgan]

Is there a such thing as being allergic to the air conditioning, because every time we turn the air on in the car, house or anywhere our grandson, nose starts to run, sneezing, wheezing, coughing, drolling,We am giving him a asthma treatment everynight, but only helps short term. Should we have him tested.

[Sandiella]

Hello Dears,

First of all, I am from Scandinavia so English is not my native but I hope you are still able to read my story.

I have been having some allergic symptoms in certain office buildings. I have a lot of common allergies, such as dust, strong chemicals, pollen, animals etc. But these symptoms which I get in certain office buildings  certainly differ from normal allergy and antihistamins are not efficient to them.

My symptoms: they begin after 30min-2hours, very dry and sticky eyes, dry nose, nose almost bleeding, dry and sore throath, sore bronciali, difficult to breath, flu-like symptoms, funny feeling in the head like brains were not working properly, difficult to concentrate, weird cough. After 2 to 3 days when not in these buildings symptoms completely gone.

At first I thought it was mold which causes this. But I have been studying a lot about it and it is not mold. It is an air conditioning.
Especially when the space is small and low, so the blowers are too close. When it is a bigger and higher place, no symptoms usually. Sometimes also then symptoms, if the AC is very strong.

I have found no medical cure to this. And I have tried almost everything from medication to acupuncture and ayurverda. Only thing that helps some amount is DUACT, which is antihistamin+pseudoefedrin and it reduces the swelling of mucous. So it helps breathing and reduces pain in bronciolis. But it does not help properly, but it makes beeing somewhat more reasonable.

So, my country is SO small that I really had to start to find some info in English and luckily I found at least some people who are also suffering from this.

I have to say that this really affects my career. I have been forced to change working places quite often, because of this. And now again I am in the difficult situation.

And of course when it is just a problem of very few, no one cares. Doctors don`t care and can`t help. People are angry at work places if I complain something like this. You know the additude.

I am also quite desperate. But I am lucky in that sense that I am usually fine in restaurants, cafes, airplanes, cars etc. But can I use them in the future if I can not work?  ;)


How is it going with Your work life?

[NandoFG]

Hi everyone,

Here are my 2-cents: I live in Lima-Peru, and I also suffer a bad case of cold-like symptons whenever I am around an AC even for a short while. I feel that every year these symptons are getting even worse. I have found that the best cure for this is to put a hot water bag over my chest every night after I come back from the office (yeap, that´s where the dreaded AC is located!)..try it, the cold-like symptons will go away in less than 30 minutes, but unfortunately they will reappear next day once I step back into the office.

Cheers,

[drbob914]

Lately, I have become very sensitive to A/C.  When the cold air blows down my neck and back I begin to get a cold and tingly sensation down by back.  It lasts for hours.  I have tried Aleve, Advil and Tylenol to no avail.   If I get a good nights sleep, I wake up feeling OK.  But, if I come in contact with cold air it starts all over again.

I too am desperate.

[rajatkochhar]

Hi ,

I am 26 years old and for last two years have been allergic to anything that is cold .
I feel like Air conditioning is killing me . My body temperature rises within 10 minutes of exposure to AC , nose become congested , breathlessness , headache and many other related problems starts to develop .

I cant eat anything cold even at 40 degrees .
Winters cause more problems . So its not particular to AC its to cold temperature .
Normally I take lot of sunlight to adjust my body temperature .

Life has become a joke of sorts , both at home and at office .
I've tried homeopathy and ayurveda but none has helped .

Please help if someone has some information .

Thanx

[shisu]

I lived at North Bihar in india till i was 25 , i noticed that pollen exposure in that area is very high and due to this reason i was having allergy for almost 15 yrs [from age 10 to 25]. The symptoms were the same as due to cold air. I was also prone to cold air allergy. But from past 10 yrs i am residing at western UP/NCR  region in india. Here i don't find pollen exposure and not affected in winter against cold air. I would tell from my experience that if you are able to avoid the allergic conditions for a prolonged time , you may be able to recover from it.

[joleana]

please help,when i'm exposed to the air, dust, cool air, or etc...i began to get a feeling In my throat fell like a dust ball, I began coughing, none stop,i cant stop coughing until mucus comes up from  somewhere.
then the AC , my head began to throbe ach, I began gettin stuffed up with cold and mucus right away,I began coughing, I feel like Im looseing
my mind, because everything hit me at once!! I cant visit family because
of the AC, cant stay In the stores for a short period of time, cant ride In the car with family because of A C. some one please  help Im on my way to commiting  ????

[StuffyNoz]

I have this problem as well, just like you describe...Cold winter temps always bothered me and what cause me to be sick with what I considered a cold for my whole life, but now in the last 1 1/2 it has gotten this way with AC to the point it really is affecting every area of life....I went to the movies the other night and had the cold air blowing from the ceiling in my face and was so sick yesterday, I thought I was dying....I finally had to bath with hot water and put hot washcloths over my entire face for about thirty minutes to bring it under some control.....What I learned last year from the ENT's and an allergy doctor was that it is called Vasomotor Rhinitis....my ENT has said that allergy can also make it worse....the turbinates in your nose most likely are swollen and they are not allowing the cold air temps to adjust to warmth before you breath it in....we have what is called turbinates, in our noses that are supposed to warm whatever temp our noses breath....I did notice when I started taking allergy injections in June, that it did seem to get a little better, but haven't had a shot for three weeks due to the grass seeding season here in VA....it caused me to have some wheezing in my left lung.... what I learned last year by way of a CT scan was that I had a deviated septum, and a nasal spur.....I saw about 3 different doctors on this subject and all had a different opinion of how or if to do correction surgery.....it seemed like they didn't want to do anything if I wasn't being treated at their office for allergies....I am scheduled to have this surgery on 9/8.....and hope it makes some difference....of course I will continue with allergy shots if I can....I did have a change in my environment just before all this got worse 1 1/2 yrs ago....changed residence, moved to a place they call allergy central.....
but on another note, my father had this same problem with AC and my sister has it as well.....I never knew what my father meant when he said he couldn't have AC in the house, I thought he was being stubborn.....my sister started telling me about 10 years ago, AC made her sick.....now at 52, it has affected me.....and like you, I cannot seem to live in a world of people who need cold blowing temps in the summer...when the AC is turned off, it gets better....so it almost makes me wonder if it a genetic thing with Vasomotor...which I pray it isn't, because doctors say there is no cure, and they give very little credence to the issue.....I can't imagine how I will be able to function in a world that seems to be turning the AC down further and further...there was a time when people tried to conserve energy, but stores, and all businesses in this town either having faulty ac units or they don't care about the electric bills anymore....either way, it makes it miserable for those of us with this....I would suggest going to a primary care to get a CT scan to see if there is a deviated septum issue....from my research into this, they can cause a lot of problems and make you a sick person....

[Terry95]

I was in Mississippi and Chicago this summer a teacher conferences....I was freezing and miserable most of the time....same thing in my city, New York.....Also I start coughing.

I am seriously thinking of beginning an anti-air condition movement. ..and Keep in mind that most places that have aircondition are not regulated...meaning..you either have to freezing and turning it off and sweating (which) I'd rather do..but the point is this makes the energy companies wealthier...since it has to be on all the way....you can't adjust it...Anyone interested in starting a movement against this madness...and what about going green.??

[tam4givin1]

I am 50 years young, the last few years I have had shortness of breath when I go out in cold. Then this year in March I started coughing any time I go to most doctor or  hospital buildings and when air is first turned on in other peoples cars. Here it is Nov. and I still have it! My throat gets dry yet my body produces a lot of thick clear sticky mucus that I can not get coughed up. A nebalizer treatment at one doctor let me cough up loads of flem (phlegm) but at home it does not work. I think they used a different med but the treatment is not recorded in my records at all so I do not know what they used.
allergy tests in 80's showed allergic to all kinds of things, dust, all trees, grasses, animals, molds, etc. tests done this month show allergic to dust, coach roaches (do not have any in house at this time) and some molds. I have had sinus problems on and off for years but nothing horrible except when pregnant. I have post nasal drip almost all the time. nose gets very dry and congested when ever I go any where outside or shopping, etc but able to blow it out. Only medicine I take every day is for hypothyroidism. I have been to 2 lung doctors, one said asthma, med's worked for a couple weeks then quit working,second one said allergies, sleep apnea, then throat problem sent me to allergist and ENT, ENT said he has no idea and he has had a few people who he sends to everyone and they never figure out anything to help, wants me to see a throat specialist just to get a second opinion.
I have had breathing tests done 4 times always showing normal, a sinus CT scan showing deviated septum but all sinuses clear and good even thou I have much pain in face. (dental problems?)
Have tried all kinds of sinus, allergy, asthma med's, nothing works more than a few days or weeks.
I can not avoid air conditioning. I am going thru change! I get very sick if I get hot. And the cough goes on..(song to the beat of And the beat goes on by Sunny and Cher)
I have all kinds of sensitivities to environmental things like chlorine, cleaning products, perfumes, diesel and some plastics with a lot of petroleum.
I have all kinds of medical things like:bowel problems, ears have fluid all the time, legs and feet swell real bad one worse than other one, nerve damage in back, leg, arm,wrist,  joint pain, weight gain,skin problems, tongue growth, feet and finger growth (thyroid med has brought blood tests to normal but I still have all the symptoms of hypothyroidism) teeth separating(all the symptoms of Acromegaly yet growth hormone is low not high) symptoms of brain tumor (head aches, forgetfulness, short and long term memory loss) but am to claustrophobic now to get MRI.
I have not had any blood transfusions
Does anyone else get horrible cold nose?
Is anyone else producing thick clear mucus?
Has anyone been tested for Cystic Fibrosis? My sons had all the symptoms when young, tests kept coming back in gray area, I have read many things that say today he would be diagnosed as having it yet they will not test me because I am not loosing wight I am gaining. I have found many people on Internet diagnosed with it that are gaining but docs will not listen.

[tam4givin1]

Wow, StuffyNoz has some wonderful information! I am wondering where you live and what doctor diagnosed you! Vasomotor Rhinitis sounds exactly what I have. 8 months, over 25 doctor appointments including allergists, Pulmonologists, and a ENT None of them ever mentioned this!  Many hundreds of dollars (thousands if you include insurance pay outs) not only deductibles but tests some repeated 5 times, wrong med's, and home machines,(and then the drives to Nashville for some of those docs, ...including a 7 hour day at Vandy's great(LOL) allergy center) I have once again had to find out on my own research what it is! I hope and pray I ministered to all those medical people in a Godly way! (I got quite angry after 7 hours and a few real rude people at Vandy allergy, but there is a time for everything) I now know Nashville very well!
Now, what is causing my Acromegaly symptoms?????????