Year round cold and sinus issues what could it be?
I'm almost 20 years old now and no matter where in the world I am, (ive been all over the US and a few other countries.) No matter what environment, like dry desert, humid, high altitude low altitude it doesnt matter, my nose is pretty much stuffed up and running or plugged 9-10/12 months a year so pretty much the whole year .. including now, im over seas in 120 degree weather and it still stuffed in the middle of the summer. I even have a bad cough that comes and goes about twice a year. I am in the army, so I'm always working out so i dont know what to do to counter this, it really makes working out hard when your stuffed up 24/7 specially when its time to run. What could it be / what can I do about this? A constant stuff nose and a cough that comes 2-3 times a year and lasts weeks to months long.
You're right to suspect allergies. According to recent research there are a lot of allergenic weeds and grasses in the Middle East, and pollen carries far on the wind. Even if you're somewhere w/ almost no plants, there may be airborne pollen. The base doctor can prescribe Claritin, Alavert, or Xyzal. If it helps, then you know your problem is allergy related.
Allergies also make you susceptible to sinus infections, so even after you've left the things that you're allergic to, the infections might linger. If you sometimes run a fever in the evening you might have a chronic sinus infection in addition to your allergies. Infected sinuses are very hard to treat b/c they don't get much blood flow so antibiotics aren't carried there as much.
Also there are other allergies in addition to pollen and molds. It sounds like some of your problems are seasonal and some aren't. A person could be allergic to dust mites or even a common food. (Maybe you eat this food more often in warm weather or something--like ice cream if you're allergic to dairy.) In a place w/ a whole bunch of people living together who can't bathe much, dust mites, which live on discarded skin cells, are probably high, and there's not much you can do about it other than get meds that reduce your symptoms. There's also a syndrome where a person's nasal passages are just over-reactive and act allergic w/o an allergic trigger.
I would have suggested looking into some supplements that reduce allergic responses if you weren't over in Afghanistan. Concentrated omega-3 fish oil capsules really help many people (except for those w/ fish allergy). Avoiding egg yolks is very important; yolks have a lot of the stuff used by the body during an allergic reaction to make the biochemicals that cause the symptoms. Some plant substances like rosmarinic acid, astilbin, luteolin and quercitin can be helpful depending on cost and availability. When my sister started on fish oil, laid off egg yolks, and took some of those plant flavonoids her allergy season dropped from April - October down to only August & September--the height of ragweed season.
Have you been checked for a deviated septum?
Unfortunately, I suspect that unless you collapse during training, the military won't take your breathing issues seriously. Still try at least to get Claritin, Alavert, or Xyzal prescribed for your allergy symptoms even if you don't know exactly what you're allergic to. Maybe they can issue you a Qmask if plain dust is a major problem for you. (The Afghanis traditionally pull their headscarves over their lower faces when the wind is blowing.) You deserve some relief.
When you finally get home on leave, you can get a thorough allergy work-up.
I'm sorry to hear about your suffering, and that is what it is, suffering. It sounds like allergies to me and I doubt it is a cold. I have the same issues 365 days a year and like you, have lived in a variety of climates. Actually mine was worse the twelve years I lived in the Mohave Desert of Arizona. In my case it seems to be dust and mold year round and beginning in August and lasting up until about October there is some kind of pollen that is especially bad for me.
Your doctor should be able to prescribe something that should give you some relief. I've managed mine with over the counter meds for the last twenty-six years. You have medical coverage as a member of the Army so go talk to the doctor and stop suffering. I know how it is to be so stopped up you can't breathe and it can be somewhat claustrophobic. Best of luck.
This sounds very much like a terminal sinus problem due to overactive sinus glands or mucous glands for which there is no real cure.
You can certainly reduce the problem a bit by steering clear of mucous generating dairy products.
If you drink about 30 ml of lemon juice every day diluted with a lot of water you will probably notice some improvement after a few weeks or a few months.
maybe you got rhinitis. Look it up on wikipedia. With it, you get to have colds for almost no reason. Lasts for days or even weeks. Usually there's no phlegm, it's all saliva that comes out from your nose. you are allergic or irritated to any kind of dust, or smoke. then you're nose gets itchy or irritated most of the time. there's a time you can't hardly breathe because your nose was so stuffed. get well soon!