Help! Terminal nasal congestion!

I think the gardens, trees and JACARANDAS around our house are trying to kill me. The effect seems to be growing over the years. And the nasal sprays, nasal irrigators, saline sprays, decongestant sprays and pills, netti pots, etc. are just making things worse with their side effects, cost and habituation.

Anyone found a solution that works for them? I am thinking maybe room or whole-house filtration, but I wouldn't know where to start nor where to get it.

Any experience-based suggestion would really be appreciated.

So it's not just me. When it started in December I thought it was allergies, then when it continued for nearly a week in winter Canada I thought it must be an infection. The only thing I found that worked well was oximetazolina spray but after 20 hours the congestion quickly comes back at least as bad and, of course, you should not use it for more than three days. I keep the windows closed and the air is filtered. For a while I had to get up in the middle of the night to use the netti pot so I could breathe through my nose. For the last week I have been able to breathe at night after the gunk settles, even without respira mejor strips, but I do wipe a bit of Vicks vaporub around the inside of the nostrils.

There is a nasal spray for allergies, the name of which I cannot remember. Might ask a good pharmacist. Not addicting and doesn't wear out after repeated use.

One teaspoon daily of unprocessed raw honey really helps me manage my allergies.

The honey does the trick for many folks, especially if it is local honey. It may also help to get off all of the various decongestants and simply use a glycerine/water nasal spray like NASALUB.

Smartalex wrote:One teaspoon daily of unprocessed raw honey really helps me manage my allergies.

Sounds like good sense and worth a try. Where do you get your unprocessed, raw honey?

I get real raw honey from the cheese shop on the north side of the mercado building in Chapala.

Smartalex wrote:I get real raw honey from the cheese shop on the north side of the mercado building in Chapala.

I get mine from Deena Hafker at the Tuesday market in West Ajijij (to the left at the end of the first row as you enter. She sells a lot of organic veggies from her place, too and has the beekeeper near. What is important is that you buy LOCAL honey since the local bees as sucking up the nectar from the plants that are giving us grief.

Other beekeepers are probably all over the place selling here and there.......just be sure it's local honey.

Alright then - honey! In addition, I was hoping someone might come up with a magic machine that takes the crap out of the air that makes me sneezy and STUFFY.
Anyone know of anywhere nearby (lakeside or Guad) that you can get one that really works well? I am getting near desperate.

If you are desperate - then it is going to cost you $$$. I was prescribed a CPAP machine for sleep apnea (paid for by private insurance). I no longer have sleep apnea, but the machine is very good for treating nasal decongestion, especially at night. A lot of people (including my Respiration Therapist at the time) swear by these machines during allergy time.

There are used, reconditioned machines. I have successfully bought from this company http://www.secondwindcpap.com/ but be aware that Mexico does not allow the import of medical equipment. I was skeptical of this until customs rejected some spare parts I had ordered for the machine (but had allowed all other orders).

In my case, the allergies were much worse when I first arrived in 1997, now slowly each year these allergies became less sever. These days some 18 years later, what was a very bad reaction has turned into a slight irritation.

So at least with me, my system slowly adjusted, and its no longer much of a problem at all.

I had similar problems a few years ago until I used Sinus Buster. It worked like a charm. I don't know if it is available in Mexico.

Afrin nasal spray (oxymetazoline) is the single most addicting product known to mankind. Never use it. Period. Rebound nasal congestion is 100% guaranteed. It makes your natural nasal glands lazy and stop working. The only way to get off it is one nostril at a time.
NaSal or Ocean nasal spray is not addicting. They are both normal saline (0.9% salt or NaCl) solution. Prepare your own by adding a level teaspoonful of table salt to a pint of boiled water and allow to cool.

In Mexico, the remedy for most any malady is " Tequila con limón " Here too this is true. Make a double shot of this with a little salt IN the glass. Put 5 drops in each nostril, then drink the rest "en un golpe" or in one gulp. Repeat until relief i experienced!

gm

My CPAP machine dies the trick. But they are expensive in Mexico and some people cannot tolerate sleeping with a mask on.