Can Allergies Cause a Dry Nose?
Allergies manifest themselves with a range of symptoms, including headache, hives, post-nasal drip, a runny nose – and a dry or stuffy nose. When you know to which substances you are allergic, you can reduce the discomfort of a dry nose.
Allergies manifest themselves with a range of symptoms, including headache, hives, post-nasal drip, a runny nose – and a dry or stuffy nose. When you know to which substances you are allergic, you can reduce the discomfort of a dry nose. Part of treating your allergies and dry nose also includes avoiding your allergy triggers.
Allergy Symptoms
Your symptoms can include both a dry and runny nose. Depending on what is in your environment, you may also experience a stuffy nose – because of inflammation within your nostrils, the membranes swell, making breathing difficult. Your eyes may itch and water, along with your nose and the roof of your mouth. You may also cough. As your allergic symptoms progress, you may feel internal pressure in both cheeks and in your nostrils. Your ears may feel full; when you swallow, they may pop. You may also develop dark circles under your eyes, states FamilyDoctor.org.
Common Allergens
If you do not know what substances you are allergic to, you do not know what you should stay away from. Some of the more common allergens include mold, which grows where dampness is common. These areas include bathrooms, basements and outdoors – rotting vegetation may contain mold. If you have a compost pile, the moisture and heat within the compost encourages the development of mold. If you are allergic to mold, you feel symptoms most during wet weather or times of humidity.
If you are allergic to grass or trees, the pollen that they produce can cause you to develop allergy symptoms, including a runny or dry nose. Ragweed pollen begins flying around during the late-summer months and does not die down until the first frost has taken place. Dust and dust mites can trigger your allergy symptoms. You can find dust mites in mattresses, bedding, any upholstered furniture and carpeting in your bedroom. Your pets shed, not only fur, but dander, which is the protein in their urine, saliva and skin.
Treatments for Dry Nose
Treatment for allergies and dry nose should start before your exposure to substances to which you are allergic. These treatments include cromolyn sodium nasal sprays and steroid sprays. You can buy cromolyn sodium sprays over-the-counter while your doctor must prescribe a nasal steroid spray. As with nasal sprays, antihistamines can help reduce the severity of your allergies and dry nose, but you must begin taking them before your allergens are present.
Decongestants – nasal sprays, pills and nose drops – are also helpful, but should only be used for up to three days as they are habit-forming. If you use them for more than three days, you may develop rebound congestion, which is not a true congestion. Your nasal cavity simply feels as if it is congested.
Avoidance of Allergens
Avoid allergy symptoms and a dry nose by staying inside when pollen counts are high. If you must go outside, change clothing, shower and wash your hair to remove the pollen. If you own a pet, give it to a non-allergic family member or do not allow it into your room if you decide to keep it. Bathe your pets weekly.
If you suffer from a mold allergy, keep mold infestations down by taking shower curtains down and cleaning them with a mixture of chlorine bleach and water – half water and half bleach. Scrub the shower curtains with this mixture and a stiff scrub brush, then wash the curtains in hot water and bleach.
Remove carpeting, upholstered furniture, stuffed animals, feather pillows and drapes in the house. Replace carpeting with wood or linoleum floors. If you can't get rid of all carpeting, clean the carpeting that remains using special cleaners.