Hello,
Without examination,confirmation of a diagnosis is tough but it sounds like sinusitis.All the symptoms that you are having(sinus pressure,pressure behind ears ,post nasal drip,) are symptoms of chronic sinusitis.Sinusitis can be caused by infections of the upper respiratory tract,allergies and deviated nasal septum .
Treatment of sinusitis involves Oral antibiotics (usually 10 to 14 days). They are to be taken on prescription. You can use an over-the-counter (OTC) decongestant combined with an anti-inflammatory analgesic (pain reliever) like Ibuprofen. However, you should not use decongestants for more than 5-7 days at a time. Symptoms can also be relieved by using a saline nasal spray or a nasal spray that contains corticosteroids.
However the golden rule for chronic stuffy nose is steam inhalation.
If inspite of the above treatment there is no relief,then you should rule out allergy to dogs. Diagnosis of allergy can be done by skin ***** tests and patch tests. In this a little amount of allergen is injected into the skin of the forearm by a doctor. The skin is closely watched for signs of a reaction, which include swelling and redness. Confirmatory diagnosis is by blood tests (RAST).Pls consult an allergist for that.
Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional doubts.Kind regards.
I don't know about the head rushing thing, but I do know about the feeling of hair in the back of the throat. To me it always felt like I had been eating cotton balls. Personally, Claritin does absolutely nothing for me. It's like I've taken nothing. Benadryl is more effective for me than Claritin, but I hate how sleepy it makes me.
I have felt the head rushing your talking about in the past, so it might be related to the allergies. I just haven't felt it for quite a while, so I actually forgot all about it. I never did figure out what caused it in my case, but I suspect it was allergies and a sinus issue.
I think that you should see an allergist myself.