r/nonallergicrhinitis

Good morning everyone. This is my first time writing, after having done a test to exclude 300 different allergens I've found that I don't have any allergy.

I visited an ENT doctor and he said to me that I have a little deviated septum and a synus pseudo-cyst that is growing inside my upper left sinus.

I'm writing all this to you because I have rhinitis that starts in the morning as soon as I wake up, I realize that my mind is a bit foggy and that I'm having more trouble than usual. As the day goes on, I start to sneeze a bit and then it gets more and more intense..My nose is so itchy and even though I blow my nose a billion times it actually feels like water is just coming out of my nose, not really thick mucus...

The funny thing is that all this lasts exactly one day. I wake up in the morning, there is a peak during the day and in the evening everything resolves and I find myself with a very red nose By blowing it during the day.

I have seen this thing has gotten significantly worse over the years from when I was 18 and now I'm 27...

I really can't draw a line and understand what the main trigger might be, because it really happens randomly.

Last Wednesday I arrived in Corfu, everything went well as always I always ate everything and went to bed early and sometimes late...AC always on dry air everyday

35 degrees outside...and then randomly today I woke up like this...

I don't know what else to do

I hope in one of your advice

I’ve been dealing with what I assume are “sinus problems” for 15+ years, and I’m honestly getting tired of just living with it.
My main problem is that my nose is almost always blocked, and I’ve gotten so used to breathing through my mouth that I don’t even realize how much it’s affecting me. It’s pretty consistent throughout the year rather than being seasonal.
A few things I’ve noticed:
I don’t really have facial pain or sinus pressure.
My nose, eyes, and throat generally don’t itch, so I’m not sure if allergies are the main issue.
I don’t notice my symptoms getting worse after eating.
I don’t get frequent sore throats.
I’ve been having small amounts of blood when I blow my nose recently.
I wake up tired and usually have a dry mouth because I breathe through my mouth while sleeping. I do snore a little.
This has seriously affected my singing. I’m a singer, and when my nose is blocked I don’t even want to practice. If I have to perform, it’s difficult to breathe properly.
Nasal spray
I’ve been using Mucinex Sinus-Max Nasal Spray Decongestant (oxymetazoline) whenever I have to perform because it temporarily opens my nose and allows me to breathe better.
The last time I used it was about two weeks ago. Since then, I’ve noticed that my nose has been bleeding whenever I blow my nose. It’s not a major nosebleed, but I see blood when I blow my nose.
Because of that, I don’t plan on using the spray again. I’m also wondering if using it could have caused rebound congestion or contributed to the irritation/bleeding.
Other things I’ve wondered about
When I was younger, I spent a lot of time under a fan for probably five years, and I always wondered if that somehow contributed to my sinus problems getting worse. I know that might not actually be the cause, but I’m mentioning it because I’ve tried to figure out what started or worsened this for years.
I’ve also tried different things over the years, including NeilMed saline sinus rinses, but nothing has provided a lasting solution.
I currently also work around sawdust/woodworking dust and don’t consistently wear a mask, so I wonder if that’s making things worse. However, my sinus problems existed long before this job.
My eyes/vision
Another thing I’ve wondered about is my eyesight. I didn’t need glasses when I was younger, but as my sinus problems seemed to get worse, my eyesight also became worse and I eventually needed glasses.
I don’t know if the two are actually related, so I’m not claiming that my sinus problems caused my vision changes—it’s just something I’ve noticed and wondered about.
What I’m trying to figure out
I’ve dealt with this for so long that I’m not even sure what the actual diagnosis is.
For people who have had chronic nasal congestion for many years, especially without much itching, sneezing, or facial pain:
Did you eventually find out what was causing it?
Did an ENT find a deviated septum, enlarged turbinates, nasal polyps, or chronic inflammation?
Did allergy testing help?
Did you have a CT scan or nasal endoscopy?
What treatment actually made a long-term difference?
Has anyone had surgery and found that it significantly improved their ability to breathe?
Could working around sawdust be making it worse?
Has anyone experienced rebound congestion after using oxymetazoline?
I’m especially interested in hearing from people who had constant congestion rather than seasonal allergies.
I’m tired of just accepting this as normal and would really like to figure out what’s actually going on. Any experiences or advice would be appreciated.

Currently on day 4 post op of a radiofrequency turbinate reduction. How long did you have a runny nose if you’ve had the procedure done? It’s probably the most annoying symptom so far. I had to also have a valve fixed from a prior nose surgery while they did this. Hoping for relief from the runny nose soon

41/m. I've struggled with NAR and fragmented sleep for 20 years. I was recently diagnosed with mild sleep apnea which is probably why I have the fragmented sleep. I'm wondering if my NAR is a contributing factor in all of this. My nose is always congested. I use Flonase which usually helps for a few hours but then I'm back to mouth breathing.

A doctor has prescribed CPAP but I've read this can be particularly difficult for people with NAR and sometimes not help at all. The machine will cost me $750 and I'm wondering if I should first see an ENT to see if there's anything they can do for my sinuses instead? NAR is something I've just learned to live with this so I'm out of the loop as to whether there is anything they can even do for me.

For years now I’ve been struggling with what I think is non allergic rhinitis. Every now and then, around like a week or so, I get cold symptoms like a full blown cold (runny nose, watery eyes, headaches, sinus pressure) and then the next day it’s either gone or almost gone. It typically occurs most weekends but recently it’s gotten worse and is now occurring more often, sometimes even twice a week and for two days instead of one. I’m even waking up every single day and having a runny nose and most of the time it’ll go away but sometimes it doesn’t

I’ve been to and ear nose and throat specialist and they weren’t much help. I had a scan and they found out something in my face is inflamed and produces like excess mucus or something. I’ve tried medication like montelukast (I am currently taking fexofenadine every morning and if I don’t then I will most likely experience cold symptoms that day), I’ve tried nasal rinses, nose sprays (which I feel like just make it worse).

There was even one instance last year where on a holiday, I forgot to take my fexofenadine immediately after waking up and ended up having an on and off cold throughout the entire trip. I think it’s caused by like being nervous or excited for something which is odd.

I should also mention I moved to the US from uk 2 years ago and idk I feel like it might’ve gotten less since idk if it’s cuz I’m not able to go out everyday or idk.

Does anyone know if this is definitely non allergic rhinitis and if there’s anything I can do to help it because I’m getting so fed up! Or if you would recommended balloon sinoplasty or any other procedures I’m willing to do anything. If there’s any tips on how to even lighten it anything would help thank you!

My ENT told me that I have swollen/inflamed nasal mucosa when he looked inside my nose and said that is the reason why the bad bacteria in my nose like Staph. Aureus have populated so much and are causing a chronic 1 year long infection which antibiotics don't help.

Any information or advice is appreciated.

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I'm 22f, Looking for professional input before I commit to a posterior nasal neurectomy.

Symptoms:

Chronic vasomotor (non-allergic) rhinitis — persistent nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, and postnasal drip.

Treatment history:

I've had inferior turbinate reduction surgery in the past, and more recently underwent ClariFix cryotherapy — both had zero effect on any of my symptoms. The ClariFix procedure was also unexpectedly very painful despite local anesthesia.

Questions:

Given that ClariFix (cryoablation of the same posterior nasal nerve) had absolutely no effect, is there still good reason to expect posterior nasal neurectomy would work? Does cryo failure predict anything about surgical outcome, or are the mechanisms different enough that it's still worth trying?

Is there a real risk of symptoms getting worse after this surgery rather than better?

How common is dry nose / nasal crusting as a side effect, and how severe/long-lasting is it typically?

Is dry eye a realistic risk with this specific surgery, or is that more associated with other procedures (e.g., vidian neurectomy)?

Given ClariFix already failed, would you consider this surgery a reasonable next step, or would you look at other options first?

Ive been addicted to nasal decongestant for years and i constantly catch viral colds and flus. One or two per week. I have young children but the severity and frequency of the colds is not normal. Does anyone else suffer this weird side effect. My nose never runs anymore and i dont sneeze. I never get sinusitis or infection in sinuses anymore because they are constantly dry.

I am hoping others can share how they have dealt with this specific problem.

I am a stomach sleeper, head twisted to a side. For at least the past decade, literally dozens and dozens of times every night, the lower nostril clogs shut, this forces me to wake up, I turn over to the other side, and wait for it to unclog via gravity to go back to sleep. Over and over again. Sometimes it only takes a few seconds to unclog. Sometimes many minutes or even a half hour plus. I can only sleep once this happens. But that sleep lasts only until the new lower side clogs again. And the process starts again. So I flip flop like this in bed throughout the night.

I strongly suspect these micro-arousals explain why I feel so damn fatigued in the mornings (extending through the day). I cannot remember the last time I felt anything resembling 'refreshed' in the morning, and this is after being in bed for ~9 hours on average, with ~7.5-8 of those being technically asleep.

I do NOT have sleep apnea. I do NOT have any problems during the day. There is NO left vs right side bias. Afrin works like magic even with the smallest squirt, but I am aware of its issues so I try to not use it that much (~ one day per week on avg I 'treat' myself to a tiny amount when a clog has taken especially long without clearing via gravity). I am otherwise very fit and in fine health.

Turbinate hypertrophy is what all ENTs are telling me and I am close to pulling the trigger on a surgery to address this. But there is no data for success rates for cases like my own.

I can't be the only one! Please share your experience and if surgery or some other approach has fixed this problem for you.