Only one nostril constant irritation and sneezing

I tried a number of suggestions from this forum yesterday, to no avail, as well as Zyrtec-D and Nasonex. Today I tried a different tack and it cured the problem IMMEDIATELY:

Allergy eye drops.

I use the Visine Allergy drops. All the redness went away, the eye watering, nose running and sneezing all stopped almost immediately too. HALLELUJAH!!

Hope this helps!

I recently had the same problem. Left nostril and I'm right handed. What worked for me (although perhaps the misery had finally run its course) was ecalyptus oil. I applied it with a qtip to the inside of my left nostril and had almost immediate relief. I'd had the problem for about 2 days and tried a lot of the remedies others suggested with no luck. I developed it after a streuous bike ride. No allergies that I know of. This was perhaps the most ridiculous health issue I have ever had and so disruptive! So glad its over. Oh--a natural inhaler I had also helped. It's similar to a Vicks inhaler, so more ecalyptus.

I'm going to make a lot of people on this thread happy. Here's what you get: GUAIFENESIN DAC ORAL SOLUTION. Make sure you ask your doctor for that exactly - the red liquid. Start out with one teaspoon and take another half teaspoon if you're still dripping in a half hour. It will dry you up so you can go about your life until your nose calms back down. It has it's own side affects to be sure, but it definitely beats the constant sneezing and dripping and you can get some sleep. As to the actual cause I think it's some type of nerve problem - but there's no cure for it.

I had to come here and post. I was having the exact same thing everyone here was mentioning, but after reading three pages, I never saw a single remedy. After the suggestions of nasal spray, icy hot and everything else mentioned, I found one that seemed ti kick it quick. Apple Cider Vinegar! What you do is bring a 1:1 ratio over the stove to a simmer and inhale the steam. I don't know what it is, but the cultures or something in the vinegar do some amazing work on whatever it is tickling your nostril.

After reading and still getting very much frustrated with no relief, my mom swears by Apple Cider Vinegar and as a last resort, I tried this. Take ten big inhales. It burns a little, but soothes the pain. Did it again in the morning, and had only a slight flare up this morning, but nothing more.

All the best and I hope this helps you all.

I have had these "feather-in-the-nose" symptoms on and off for years. After reading what everyone has written, here are my thoughts.

1. Common to many of us is the deviated septum. I never knew I had one until a year ago - so you may have one and not know it.

2. Inflammation seems to play a role. BOTH allergic and nonallergic rhinitis cause swelling. Getting overheated could make it worse. Does exercise increase blood flow? See where this is going?

3. There's also the idea of nerve involvement. Nerves gone wild!

4. The Turbinates referred to in the thread are bulges in the nasal cavity. If they swell up, and you have a deviated septum so your nasal passages are narrow, then they may rub against each other and cause irritation.

THEREFORE...

Therefore, everyone probably has different experiences with the various cures because the issue has various sources. But not an infinite variety of sources. Allergic vs. nonallergic, for example. Perhaps nerve vs. tissue swelling. And all that irritation from the overactivity.

My personal experience: sometimes Advil works. Sometimes it doesn't. After I read this thread I put some ice on the outside of my nose and got enough relief that I could function.

And here's an interesting story that might provide a clue: Once, during an attack, I was hit by a Nerf football right in that little groove below the nose. It hit me so hard I saw stars! But when I recovered from the shock I realized that the attack had disappeared. Was that an acupuncture point? I've never been able to reproduce it.

So...quell the inflammation, calm the mucous membranes down, maybe stop the air flow which dries out and irritates the sensitive tissues. But I have no idea how to make the nerve endings happier. Perhaps acupuncture?

Thoughts?


sources:
Allergic Rhinitis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergic_rhinitis
Nonallergic Rhinitis: http://www.webmd.com/allergies/nonallergic-rhinitis
Turbinates: http://www.expertarticles.com/article/Health-Fitness/The-Turbinates-What-You-Should-Know.html

Like some others, joined this forum specifically to read and discuss this subject as it has become a very real problem for me. Background: I am a tender, youthful ;) 42 year old female, slightly underweight, low blood pressure with no chronic health problems. Only have had one sinus infection and it was following a nasty bout of the flu in 2005. I did have a nasal papilloma removed in MD's office in 1998 and then another removed that required general anesthesia in 2008. I have lived in several states and currently live in Monterey, CA.

Began having mild nasal allergy symptoms about 8 years ago while living in South Carolina but manageable with OTC remedies. Eventually I got a prescription for Flonase which also seemed to help. about a year ago, while living in Tampa, FL went out to run one evening as I hadn't done so for a long time. Only ran about 1.5 miles and as I was cooling off walking back home my nose began to run. By the time I got into the house, it was dripping like a faucet and I was sneezing uncontrollably. The entire next day I basically didn't leave the house because of the sneezing and I had to keep kleenex up my nose as it just constantly ran. It took probably close to two weeks for the symptoms to resolve completely. Of course, now I am terrified to go running.

Pretty soon after that "attack", I started waking up in the morning and my nose would be running for a couple of hours before clearing up for the day. No medications seemed to help this any and there was no rhyme or reason for which days it happened and which days it did not. Out of a week, there were probably 3 days it would happen. I bought new pillows and dust mite covers for them hoping it would help but I don't think it made much difference.

Once we moved here to CA, I saw an allergist and was skin tested with both the 50 or so pricks on the back and then the additional 23 subdural injections on the arm. The only reactive spots were the histamine ones so I was diagnosed with non allergic rhinitis. I have only nasal type symptoms so my allergist said it is virtually impossible for this to be any kind of food allergy. In general, my sinuses have been very unhappy since we left Florida as the air here is so much more dry. Yes, I actually miss the humidity in Florida!

Since I have been here in California, I have had multiple episodes of the dreaded poking sensation very high up in the medial aspect of my left nostril. As soon as it starts, I start the sneezing and it hurts to breathe on that side. (another right handed person, for the record) It is miserable and leaves me being a mouth breather for several days until it clears up. It really is beginning to affect my quality of life and I absolutely hate it. This most recent time was last Wednesday and that was when I found this discussion thread. I did the vinegar/water steam breathing and that helped it for a little while but I really am hoping to try to figure out what brings on these attacks so I can attempt to minimize or avoid it. I would love to see what is going on up there but it is so high that there is no way I can see it. I have always used aquaphor to moisten my nostrils as they are frequently dry. I put a little on a q-tip and spread it around. Yes, I know it may be bad for lungs, but have to do something. I have also tried the saline thing and tried to flush out whatever the irritant is but have been unsuccessful thus far.

Almost every time I have had an attack, I have been outside or in my vehicle when it started. I also have it more frequently when I am in Salinas where my job is. This is a big agricultural area and I almost wonder if it isn't something related to that that is setting me off. The other suspicion I have is about use of ibuprofen. I have always used it frequently for headaches or menstrual cramps (sorry for the TMI, guys) but I recently read that anti-inflammatory medications have sometimes caused non-allergic rhinitis symptoms to flare up. Last week, I had been taking ibuprofen for a few days regularly for cramps right up until the attack happened. I am planning to switch to only Tylenol for pain relief for awhile and see if that doesn't help. Has anyone else ever heard of a relation between anti-inflammatory meds and rhinitis? Any of you who have these attacks that think there may be a link?

I feel kind of glad that I am not the only one with these symptoms but I do feel bad that other people are having to put up with this nonsense.

TRY THIS:

I used a cotton ball soaked in a drinking alcohol (I used rakia, but you could try with vodka as well) and stick it in my nose. It was burning for about 5 -8 seconds but then it stopped and there was a nice warm feeling. I slept with it and the next day was fine. Leave your other nostril open, otherwise you will end up breathing from your mouth and end up with a sore throat.


Good luck and I hope I helped!

Post Edited (legioner) : 1/25/2014 2:25:41 AM (GMT-7)

Its good to know that at least I'm not alone in this annoying problem! Annoying in the most extreme and disruptive way. I read all of the comments and looked for hours for a solution, getting ideas from a few of the comments here and finally I decided to try one of my own. Now I know it may seem weird to some, but I was willing to try about anything.
I had some antibiotic cream WITH pain relief, the less expensive Equate brand. I actually got the idea from the solutions here and thoughts on the problem being something to do with oversensitive nerve endings. I took a tiny amount and swabbed it up in my nose where the itching seemed to be coming from. And lo and behold, it WORKED! Don't get me wrong, its not a perfect solution, my nose still runs some and it doesn't completely solve the itching and tickling sensation but it has numbed it to the point that I can ignore it! I think in part that it works because it coats the area or covers the nerve ending and maybe part is because of the pain relief cream. Something called pramoxine is in it, which is an itch reliever.
Anyway, I don't know if this will work for everyone, but I did want to share that it did work for me, and hopefully it will help someone else.

Post Edited (LilRed2014) : 1/29/2014 11:51:47 PM (GMT-7)

Hi, I am similar to you all in symptoms, and very grateful to have allies in all of this. My problems generally arise after sustained heart rate (ie vigorous run, good crossfit, etc.). I try to keep myself from sneezing because I feel that sneezing makes everything worse, and when I start sneezing, it becomes constant. Still, it's almost non-stop runny nose (left nostril; right handed) and a tickle for at least 12-24 hours. I have tried things like Vaseline (which have seemed to offer very temporary relief, but never really works. My problem with applying things like Vaseline, balm bag or eucalyptus oil to the inside of the nostril is that I have a constant flow of clear or white snot coming out an it just doesn't seem to apply itself well.

Heather, I do take an anti-inflammatory (meloxicam) fairly regularly but didn't when all of this started. I have created a list of possible solutions and began with the apple cider vinegar. I am impressed that it worked so immediately. Having been through this many times, I almost expect it to wear off soon (since I have tried so many other things all for naught) so I am still looking into other possible solutions, but want to thank everyone who has contributed. Remember that there are probably thousands who have read this post just like we all have who haven't responded.

I look forward to other options... based on all of the other posts, I am still very interested in anyone's success using any of the following:

-Nasal Crom Nasal Spray
-Ipratropium Bromide Nasal Spray
-Goldenseal (natural antihistamine)
-MSM (Methyl-sulfonate-methane... natural antihistamine)
-Guaifenesin DAC oral solution

Thanks again.

Add me to the list of sufferers! I actually call this the "cat stapled to my face" syndrome, which is what it feels like to me. It happens regularly for me after a high-intensity workout. It always happens to me on Thanksgiving, right after I finish the local 4 mile "turkey trot" race. I host a annual post-race party at my house and the last two years have had to excuse myself from my own party, take two Benadryl and call it a day (at noon).

A chronic allergy and asthma sufferer, I can honestly say this reaction feels more physical than allergic. As if something irritating has lodged itself at the top of my right nostril. The sneezing and running are insane, and pretty much the only thing that relieves it (other than knocking myself out with Benadryl) is to have my hand on my face, which seems to stop the insane vibrating feeling in my nose.

I have an unrelated appointment with my allergist in a couple of days - I will ask her if my septum looks normal or not. When this happens, it definitely feels like parts of both sides of the nostril are touching just a teeny tiny bit, causing the irritation.

I am just coming back to update...as I posted before, I stopped taking ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory) about two months ago. I haven't had the poking sensation attack since then but my daily non-allergic rhinitis was still affecting my general quality of life with near constant sinus pressure, congestion, runny nose, red eyes. I am still not taking ibuprofen though I don't think tylenol is nearly as effective.

My doctor prescribed a nasal mist called dymista which is a combination anti-histamine and steroid medication. I've also gone back to taking generic zyrtec daily. With this regimen, my allergic symptoms have become much more manageable and I seem to be able to function pretty regularly again.

So strange about the workout thing as my very first episode with the poking sensation occurred within minutes of going for a run. Now I am terrified to do any real exertion as the first attack was so bad I couldn't leave the house the next day and symptoms did not 100% resolve for more than a week!

I would love to see an MD read this and weigh in here as there are so many similarities in symptoms and circumstances.

I read the thread. Tried eye drops and everything else. Nothing. The I tried Nasacort. Worked very well. Eyes stopped swelling, nose stopped running. Only issue was it was expensive. But to me well worth it. Take my word for it. Worked very well.

Part 2

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=7&m=3234179