Difficult allergy symptoms but doctor and test say there are no allergies?
Hello,
Iam just wondering if anyone has had allergy test come up negative, to pretty much everything, but you still have allergy symptoms. My mother (53) has itching in her ears and throat, coughing fits that go on for hours, and nose bleeds. She's had quite a number of allergy tests and the doctor always says it's no big deal. A test she had 5-8 years ago did say she was allergic to dust, pollen, dander, certain weeds and trees, and over the years the symptoms have become MUCH worse and we wanted to find out if maybe she has developed new allergies, so she had a new more comprehensive test done and the doctor told her she had no allergies, only irration.
We are wondering if there are any different tests we could do or if avoidance is the only option (my mother is unable to take drugs on a regular basis as she has polycystic kidney and liver disease)
Also, could her symptoms be a cause of some other problem that we may not know of, the nose bleeds are quite a concern.
Thank-you
Liz.
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Hi Liz,
I can speak from what I know from my personal experience/knowledge of allergies, and then will write back after doing some research into your question.
I have been seeing an allergist twice per week for the past year, and from my understanding, allergy symptoms include itchy nose and eyes, as well as upper-respiratory symptoms (sneezing, for example). When I had a lower-respiratory illness (coughing, for example), my doctor said I had bronchitis and some other stuff...this was not allergies, but my allergies exacerbated my symptoms.
I do not believe symptoms of our body's reaction to airborne allergens include consistent coughing, nose bleeds, or even itching inside ears.
The allergy test that your mom took may be legit...my doctor did say that our body's reaction to airborne allergens (pollen, dust, etc) do change over time, after 5-10 years (which is the time frame you listed).
I will look into this more, but wanted to at least tell you that your doctor may be right, that your mom's symptoms may not be airborne allergy related. I'll see what information I can find.
Lastly, were the nose bleeds a concern of her doctor's? How long have these been occurring, and is there any rhyme-or-reason to them (ie, change in temperature, consistently blowing nose, etc).
Liz,
After looking into the cause of nosebleeds, I found this information and it sounds like nosebleeds become a concern if:
- last more than 20 minutes
- are difficult to stop
- if they happen spontaneously (not from a logical reason, like from blowing nose too hard, sudden change in temperature or humidity, an injury, etc)
- most nosebleeds are not of concern and occur from the septum. If a nosebleed is beginning deeper in the nose, it is less common and could be caused from hardened arteries or high blood pressure.
- frequent nosebleeds are also a concern in older adults, and should be checked out by a doctor
- is your mom taking blood thinners, such as aspirin?
I found this information at the Mayo Clinic
Does any of this describe your mom's symptoms?
I have just read this response. First, I am encountering the same problem. All allergy symptoms - itchy eyes, itchy runny nose and sneezing and yet come up negative for all allergens. My symptoms are clearly seasonal and clearly allergy related. I am trying to find out why the tests would be negative. However, nose bleeds are OFTEN linked to allergies. My daughter consistently get nose bleeds when her allergies are in high gear and we have been told by the GP, ENT and allergist that this is a common side effect of the allergies.