Doctor Day Today

For the past week, I’ve been under the weather due to changes in season. Well, actually, this has become an annual thing due to my allergy (allergic rhinitis).

1) Allergic Rhinitis 

What is allergic rhinitis?

Allergic rhinitis, otherwise known as hay fever, is an inflammation in the sinus that occurs when our immune system reacts to allergens. Symptoms include nasal stuffiness, sneezing, itchy nose, and watery eyes. If it gets worse, additional symptoms include dry cough, sore throat, headache and clogged ears.

 

What causes allergic rhinitis?

As someone with allergic rhinitis, when I  breathe in an allergen like pollen, mold, animal dander, smoke or dust, my body releases a chemical called histamine. Histamine is a chemical my body releases that helps get rid of foreign matter inside — in this case, the allergen. Since the body is on defense mode with the help of histamines, inflammation then happens on the sinuses, which produces more mucus; thus, giving the vibe of runny nose, sneezing and other allergic symptoms.

 

Triggers for Allergic Rhinitis

It started when I was still in college. I have weak immune system and during ber months, changes in season make the trees and flowers release more pollen into the air. I didn’t know it by then, but I remember, I was bed-ridden for almost a week because my allergy led to complications in my respiratory system. I was having difficulty breathing, and with runny nose, my normal buddy would be a tissue or a clean handkerchief. I thought it was just simple cold and cough, but when I checked with the doctor, I discovered I had allergic rhinitis.

 

So then, I bought medicines and had my bed rest. After a few days, I was back on track and became productive once again.

 

But then…

 

Through the years, every time the season changes every October to November, I realized my allergy will kick in. I’ve consulted with several doctors regarding my allergic, and had variations in my medicines. One thing is for sure though, my over-the-counter for a year would be different the next year. I guess my body becomes immune.  That’s when I realized it’s important to have a consultation with a doctor every time this allergy starts to manifest.

 

Another info my doctor told me: allergic rhinitis can also be triggered by either of these: extreme heat, extreme cold, extreme stress and smoke or jeepney exhaust. If I get to situations with these, more likely, I’ll be experiencing my allergic symptoms in no time. So, what do I do?

Strategy for Relief

There will be times it’s easy to ditch this allergy, but mostly, it’s like these symptoms wanted to stay and camp out on my body. So I normally try to avoid the triggers. For medicines, I always have to consult the doctor just to make sure I’m not immune to my medication, but in case of emergencies, I always have these available in my wallet:

Antihistamines, Decongestants, Antibacterial tablets 

I won’t be mentioning any brand, as it is important to check in with your doctor. But just in case, these info might help as well.

 

2) Tooth Extraction
I can’t remember the last time I had tooth extraction. So, when my dentist mentioned I’ll be scheduled for one because really, my tooth hurts, it made me nervous.

My dentist gave me antibiotics a week ago to consume before my schedule. I actually forgot to take in some days and when I mentioned it to my dentist, she specifically scolded me, saying I have to complete the cycle; otherwise, it won’t be effective. I was tired taking so many medicines I just agreed to what she said.

Anyway, I’m on the dental chair, and I’m scheduled for three tooth extraction. My dentist started the procedure by giving me anesthesia and there, for almost two hours, my dentist was able to extra two teeth. One in the upper part and one in the lower part. I still have another one scheduled, but I waved the white flag as I feel so tired with the procedure. I guess I’ll just come back tomorrow.

With these procedure, I realized two things:

1. Take good care of your teeth while you’re still young.
2. Take good care of your teeth even when you grow up.

 

As you grow older, your teeth will form part of how you look, and with a deformed teeth, you’ll have less confidence about yourself. Well, I have sweet tooth and when I was younger, every time there are candies available, I would always grab one and forget to brush my teeth afterwards. Now that I’m older and always checks with my dentist to ensure my teeth won’t hinder my productivity, I realized it’s quite expensive and might be too late to salvage parts that will not grow any longer. 🙁

 

So, as I’ve been to the doctor for most of today, here’s my realizations:

1) Rest is important. 

No matter how busy we are, our body can only do well until a certain exertion. So, it is really important to have those complete sleep and play once in a while to avoid expensive medicines. Our body gives us signals it’s time to slow down your pace and enjoy every moment of our life.

 

2) Follow your doctor. 

If your doctor advised you finish taking your medicines for seven (7) days, do it. It is to make sure your body will respond effectively and not take on more complications.

 

3) Exercise.

I’m not fond of exercising because my goal is to gain mass. Whenever I exercise, I feel a lot lighter, and away from my ideal  body weight. However, one of the benefits of exercising is that it increases the strength of your immune system to any diseases. I remember when I was in college, one of the reasons I have less attacks for my allergic rhinitis is because I started swimming. Twice a week back then, I would be under the water. After several months though, I felt much more stronger and much more alive. Now that I’m working, I realized exercise is much more needed to keep our body healthy.

So now, I’m on my way to bed and taking my time to rest. One good thing about being sick though is that I have more time to rest and read. If you are reading this, I hope you take time to take good care of yourself no matter how busy you become. Why? Because we only have one body and God wants us to rest too, just as He rested on the seventh day. 🙂