Throughout the almost 6 years i spent living here, this year might have the worst allergens yet. Last week, it started to warm up here, starting on Tuesday onwards, before it got cold again on weekend. The warmth means spring has kicked in. The sick spring..So on Tuesday night, my throat was literally on fire, i had a hard time swallowing my own saliva. On Wednesday, i had to sleep with 3 pillows because of severely congested airway, that equivalent to a 63-year-old woman with a known case of interstitial lung fibrosis and heart failure with atrial fibrillation who was admitted due to pulmonary embolism. And my family med doctor was right, no one could sleep on 3 pillows, they'd break their back if they do that. And this week, i have my usual rhinorrhea with cough and sore throat every time i step outdoor. It's not as bad as last week btw, i guess my body takes time to warm up too..
Today, i had seminar on hypersensitvity, and i read the notes before the lecture. I rarely do that, but i just felt like it yesterday. Annnnnnd, after 6 years, only now i know that olive pollen is released in early spring, that is mid March, up to May. That precisely the period i'd be having my rhinitis and conjunctivitis! Oh if only i read/attend this lecture 2 years ago..(Lesson: READ/ATTEND/FOCUS ON THE LECTURES!)
As it is an allergy, it needs second exposure for the attack to develop. The first exposure prepare the mast cells with specific IgE receptor, so when the next exposure occurs, the mast cells will just run amok and degranulate and release all the inflammatory mediators. That will take some time, and maybe explained why i didn't really have symptoms in the first year.
The best treatment is avoidance, but since the allergens are in the air, and they are extremely tiny, there is no way for me to avoid them. And because it really bothers me, i asked my doctor how to manage my own case. His answer: Antihistamines should be helpful. Nasal corticosteroids is the best. Then i told him my brief history how antihistamines didn't really help, they just made it bearable, but i still have to blow my nose until it bleeds to clear the airway, he said, i should doubt my diagnosis. And then he said the phrase i scare the most: Come see me at my clinic. I can tell you everything there..
O.M.G.
That means allergy tests! I cursed my last prick test, i certainly do not want to repeat that!! Cursing in front of my own doctor who might be the one interviewing me and giving me marks..erm, not to mention, he's also the HOD of internal med dept, and is well known to be malignant during the exam.. There is this RAST test, not as awful as prick test but still..needle is not my forte. I cringed at glucocheck, i cried the whole 5 times of blood tests in my life, i took forever to prepare but still ended up crying at those IM jabs..I'm good with needle as long as it does not enter my skin. (not that i'm good handling them, i mean i'm not scare doing procedures)
Maybe i should just let it go..and suffer it the last time.More the reason to study hard, and graduate this year. Enough is enough, hayfever/pollen allergy/whatever thing i have in March-May in Jordan!
Today, i had seminar on hypersensitvity, and i read the notes before the lecture. I rarely do that, but i just felt like it yesterday. Annnnnnd, after 6 years, only now i know that olive pollen is released in early spring, that is mid March, up to May. That precisely the period i'd be having my rhinitis and conjunctivitis! Oh if only i read/attend this lecture 2 years ago..(Lesson: READ/ATTEND/FOCUS ON THE LECTURES!)
As it is an allergy, it needs second exposure for the attack to develop. The first exposure prepare the mast cells with specific IgE receptor, so when the next exposure occurs, the mast cells will just run amok and degranulate and release all the inflammatory mediators. That will take some time, and maybe explained why i didn't really have symptoms in the first year.
The best treatment is avoidance, but since the allergens are in the air, and they are extremely tiny, there is no way for me to avoid them. And because it really bothers me, i asked my doctor how to manage my own case. His answer: Antihistamines should be helpful. Nasal corticosteroids is the best. Then i told him my brief history how antihistamines didn't really help, they just made it bearable, but i still have to blow my nose until it bleeds to clear the airway, he said, i should doubt my diagnosis. And then he said the phrase i scare the most: Come see me at my clinic. I can tell you everything there..
O.M.G.
That means allergy tests! I cursed my last prick test, i certainly do not want to repeat that!! Cursing in front of my own doctor who might be the one interviewing me and giving me marks..erm, not to mention, he's also the HOD of internal med dept, and is well known to be malignant during the exam.. There is this RAST test, not as awful as prick test but still..needle is not my forte. I cringed at glucocheck, i cried the whole 5 times of blood tests in my life, i took forever to prepare but still ended up crying at those IM jabs..I'm good with needle as long as it does not enter my skin. (not that i'm good handling them, i mean i'm not scare doing procedures)
Maybe i should just let it go..and suffer it the last time.More the reason to study hard, and graduate this year. Enough is enough, hayfever/pollen allergy/whatever thing i have in March-May in Jordan!
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