West Ventura News

Problems with your sinuses can often be  triggered by allergies, which can be caused either by seasonal changes or by pets -- or both.

"We frequently do allergy testing in the office as part of our workup because when you see a patient with chronic sinus inflammation, you do not know what is the cause," Dr. Glenn Waldman of Bella Vista ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery told West Ventura News. "Allergies are one of the potential causes. Allergies will cause swelling and inflammation in the airways, especially in the nose and sinuses. Depending on how bad your allergies are, that can reflect how bad the swelling and inflammation in your nose and sinuses are. If that's a part of the picture, it's a component that needs to be addressed as well.”

More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI). 

In  adults, chronic sinusitis most often is linked to nasal swelling, which can cause facial pain and is caused by allergens, according to Harvard Medical Center. 

In the U.S., as many as 30% of people with allergies have reactions to cats and dogs. Suffering a reaction from cat is about twice as common as suffering a reaction from a dogs, according to the Asthma and Allergy Association of America.

A pet allergy can contribute to persistent cold-like symptoms. Symptoms of pet allergies are very similar to seasonal allergies: sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, and facial pain due to nasal congestion.

Unfortunately for sufferers, the idea of "hypoallergenic pets" is a myth, according to Mayo Clinic. There is no true allergy-safe pet. In fact, it would more accurate to say that people tend to be more allergic to certain breeds of dogs and cats than others. Even hairless cats and dogs can trigger allergies.

Scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found that more than half of U.S. households have a dog, a cat or both, making pet allergies very common.   

A study from 2011 published in the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy found that the level of dog allergens in homes with hypoallergenic dogs was no different than the level of dog allergens in homes with other types of dogs.

If you're interested in evaluating your symptoms, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.