ROLE REVERSAL - AHHHCHOOO

I have had allergic rhinitis for as long as I can remember, usually triggered by

• Dust


• Pollen


• Cold


• Hot/ stuffy environment

Most of the time, the symptoms are short-lived. But it has recently gotten worse, partly due to stress at work & partly due to my neighbour who smokes like a chimney.

There are 4 areas at my workplace that I cannot stand:

• Ward (too hot)


• Clinic (dusty air-cond)


• Radiotherapy planning room (too cold)


• Oncall room (dusty air-cond again)

That will be like.....my entire department! Prevention is better than cure, but I can't be not going to work, right?

Went to see the ENT specialist & had scope done (ahhhchooo). I dread having any foreign body in my airways as it will always trigger a reaction. I still remember sneezing whole day after having nasal swabs taken from both my nostrils before my trainee internship (final year) in Waikato Hospital in New Zealand. I had no choice as it was compulsory for all final year students.

Anyway, I am now being diagnosed as having severe allergic rhinitis associated with severe bilateral turbinate hypertrophy (the ENT doc calls it "kissing turbinates"). The pic shows only 1 of the enlarged turbinates.

The symptoms are better with nasal steroid spray & anti-histamine, but the turbinates are still "kissing" each other. To put it crudely, it's like having 2 marbles stucked in the nose :p

I have been advised to have the "marbles" removed for long term relief.