Health officials from McAllen to Brownsville have warned citizens to stay in their homes in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), but allergy season in the Rio Grande Valley is unrelenting and unforgiving. We are here to help!
Certified physician assistant Jonathan Lerma, trained and mentored by our McAllen ENT Dr. Frank R. Glatz, and the savvy team of sinus relief specialists at the Glatz Group want to encourage those with severe allergy or sinus symptoms to continue to reach out to us so we can help you find relief.
While we will still provide in-person consultations with all the necessary care and precautionary measures taken, we will also be offering telemedicine services. After an initial phone consultation to discuss your symptoms, patients will be able to utilize an online video application for their appointment with the doctor.
The World Health Organization (WHO) refers to telemedicine as healing from a distance. It is a tool that we use to be more accessible to our sinus and allergy patients that cannot come into the office, saving them from the stresses of arranging for travel during a time when staying at home is the best way to avoid exposure to the coronavirus.
With this innovative telemedicine software, we are able to take care of 90 to 95 percent of sinus symptoms our patients experience and develop a treatment plan from the safety of their own homes, effectively addressing their concerns and preventing them from being at risk of COVID-19 exposure.
The way we use telemedicine is normally through a video call, but other ways that telemedicine is used include:
In some instances, medical data can also be drawn through portable telemedicine kits that use computer and mobile medical devices like electrocardiograms (ECGs) or vital signs monitors. High-resolution digital cameras are also an option for physicians to share detailed medical photos with specialists that are miles away.
The last option is robust telemedicine software that makes everything from data storage to live video conferencing possible. In a nutshell, there are many options for innovative telemedicine equipment to meet the various needs of patients today, especially in times like these where some may need it most.
The sinus relief team at Glatz Group take your allergy and sinus concerns seriously, and we are more than willing and ready to help you get the relief you need, whether you are in our office or through innovative telemedicine services.
As we enter another month into the pandemic, the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to affect people in our country and around the globe. In times like these, we must remain calm, be rational, and do our best in being aware of the symptoms and methods of prevention.
While much of the virus’ symptoms may seem like something more common like allergies or the flu, your local McAllen certified physician assistant Jonathan Lerma, and the skilled team of sinus relief specialists at the Glatz Group are here to help crack down the facts regarding this virus.
The symptoms of the coronavirus should not be confused with those of allergies or the flu. While we cannot stress enough that the public must make note of any possible signs of coronavirus, however, similar symptoms can result in confusion about what may be the primary illness. Here's how you can differentiate between allergies, the flu, or the virus.
The American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology lists the following symptoms of allergies as:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that influenza (flu) may lead to mild to severe illness and, at times, can cause death to those who come across it. Symptoms of the flu involve:
The CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) mention the following in their list of COVID-19 symptoms:
The flu and the coronavirus can impact other systems along the upper and lower respiratory tract. If your nose isn’t runny but you notice a sore throat, a cough, a fever, or shortness of breath, that is how you can determine if what you have is related to the symptoms presented by the flu or COVID-19.
Keep an eye on your temperature, as it's highly unlikely that allergies would lead to a fever. They often don't create a shortness of breath either, unless you’ve got a preexisting condition such as asthma.
If you encountered the same symptoms at the same time every year, you're more than likely dealing with seasonal allergies. If that’s the case, we can provide you with the right medication as well as other typical treatment options like Balloon Sinuplasty to help you feel better.
If you catch the flu or the coronavirus, you’ll feel extremely exhausted and achy, so much so that getting out of bed could feel nearly impossible. Allergies can cause your drowsiness, but they won’t make your muscles or joints ache.
With regular illnesses, you can expect to feel better with adequate rest and care within a matter of days, unless you’re elderly or face any underlying health issues where even less severe illnesses can take more time to overcome.
If you have a bad case of the flu or coronavirus, you might get worse when you’re anticipating getting over it. That is when you should seek medical care if you haven’t already. The main cause for concern of COVID-19 would be if you felt a shortness of breath. Individuals can also get pneumonia from the flu, so either way, your best interest is to receive medical attention immediately.
Unfortunately, the beginning stages of allergies, colds, flus, and the coronavirus can be related, and some coronavirus and flu cases can be so minor that they may not cause much concern. That's why you must pay attention to the severity and duration of your symptoms, then find out if you’re part of an at-risk party.
Elderly people, people with asthma or other lung problems, people with heart disease or diabetes, and pregnant women may be more susceptible to contracting the virus and are also among the individuals that are often more at risk of succumbing to the virus.
If you believe you have the coronavirus, you must consider the following:
As there currently is no existing vaccine to prevent COVID-19, the best method to prevent illness is to avoid any potential exposure to this virus. The virus is said to spread from person-to-person, whether it’s between those who are in close contact with one another--within approximately six feet--or through respiratory droplets made when an infected individual coughs or sneezes. Once airborne, these droplets can travel into the mouths, noses, or eyes of those who are in close proximity.
Here are some steps you can take to prevent and protect yourself and those around you from COVID-19:
Wash your hands as much as you can, and use hand sanitizer if you aren’t near a sink or soap. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with dirty hands.
Avoid close contact with those who appear to be sick.
Keep a safe distance between yourself from others if COVID-19 is spreading in your community.
Stay home if you feel sick.
Cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing.
Wear a facemask.
Clean and disinfect surfaces you touch frequently.
Dr. Glatz also mentioned that chloroquine, an antimalarial drug, has been shown to slow down viral replication, reproduction, and maybe early survival. However, don’t see this information as a reason to live in fear. See it as an opportunity to be proactive, hygienic, and safe rather than sorry. The best thing we can do is take the precautionary measures necessary.
As we approach the Spring season in a matter of weeks, most of us are anticipating the beauty and warmth of the great outdoors. Unfortunately, millions of Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies are in for a stormy vengeance of sniffling, sneezing, and itchy eyes the season.
It might be time to start stocking up on tissues for your sinus issues. Today, our local McAllen ENT Dr. Frank R. Glatz, trusted and certified physician assistant Jonathan Lerma, and the diligent team of sinus relief specialists here at the Glatz Group will go into what to expect this season and how to prepare for the worst.
According to AccuWeather meteorologists, those who suffer from seasonal allergies should prepare themselves for a long, intense season this spring. Pollen levels are expected to be above average for a large section of the US, a region with a population of 193 million people that stretches from Texas to Michigan and on eastward.
With more than 50 million Americans experiencing the discomfort of seasonal allergies, it is predicted that this spring’s more-than-average rainfall, coupled with near-average temperatures, will promote the production of grass, weed, and tree pollen.
Those who suffer from grass pollen may have a long, unforgiving season ahead of them into the summer. These weather and growing conditions also mean that the season may come a-knocking even earlier than we normally would anticipate, for the first time since 1986.
The same stands for tree pollen from the mid-Atlantic spread through the Gulf and the Southern Plains. The East and the Gulf coastline should expect a harsher tree pollen season this 2020.
The forecast in those regions will also be a concern for those whose allergies are triggered by weed pollen, since levels are way above average and could continue on right into the fall.
The rest of the country will not be affected as severely, but allergy sufferers in a couple of locations should probably have their tissues ready and available for use.
The best method to handle spring allergy symptoms is to visit our board-certified ENT at the Glatz Group, who can gladly help you develop a treatment plan catered to your specific needs which may require taking recommended medicines prior to the season starting.
Another option that either Dr. Glatz or Jonathan may propose, depending on the severity of your symptoms and how they react to medications, you may want to consider if you qualify for a procedure done in our very own office known as balloon sinuplasty. The purpose of this operation is to make your sinus passages expand, enabling your sinuses to drain more efficiently while they flush away allergens. This procedure functions as a longer-lasting alternative for patients with symptoms that don’t seem to cooperate or simmer down with the help of medications.
Anesthesia is not mandatory for this procedure, and patients are usually able to resume their daily lives after at least 24 hours of recovery have passed.
The best way to choose the treatment that will work most effectively for your particular symptoms is by speaking with our skilled sinus relief team at Glatz Group in order to prepare for the worst allergy season sooner rather than later.
We also highly suggest limiting or avoiding going outdoors at peak times of the day for pollen, which generally can range from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. to dusk. At the same time, warmer, breezy days tend to exacerbate conditions for allergy sufferers.
When it comes to your allergies, understanding which treatment is right for you will depend on the severity of your symptoms and what kind of allergy you are dealing with. When considering medical care, it’s important to understand all of your options and understand exactly how they work in order to make the best decision on which treatment would work best for you.
Let your local McAllen ENT, Dr. Frank R. Glatz and his team of sinus relief specialists at the Glatz Group, provide you with a list of treatment options to manage those pesky symptoms.
The best way to avoid allergies before taking medication is to try your best to steer clear from whatever may trigger your symptoms. This helps to prevent issues before they even begin and curb your need for medications.
Some ways to accomplish this is by getting rid of the source of allergies, whether it be an issue within your home, a pet, or flowers in your garden that add to the problem.
Some people choose not to take medications because they feel as if their symptoms aren’t that serious. You may be telling yourself it’s just your allergies, but ignoring them can lead to even bigger, more painful issues like sinus or ear infections.
However, it’s not a risk worth taking.
There are plenty of safe, over-the-counter medications to alleviate allergy symptoms. These include, but are not limited to:
There are two types of immunotherapy: allergy shots and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT).
Allergy shots, also referred to as subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT), involve getting injections of allergies in increasing doses over time. It will help you become progressively less sensitive to your allergy.
Allergy shots can be most effective for those who suffer from allergies caused by pollen, pets, dust, bees or other stinging insects. This treatment alters the immune system, making it strong enough to prevent the development of new allergies and asthma.
Allergy tablets are a form of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) that treat particular allergies without shots and are placed beneath the tongue. The tablets work in the same way as shots, as they tone down symptoms by helping the body defend itself against allergies. FDA-approved SLIT tablets are designed to treat allergies to ragweed, grass pollen, and dust mites.
However, what sets tablets aside from shots is that they do not prevent the possibility of new allergies and asthma from developing.
If these options do not provide you relief, or your symptoms worsen, you may want to see if you’re eligible for a procedure performed in our office called balloon sinuplasty. The purpose of the balloon sinuplasty procedure is to expand your sinus passageways. Balloon sinuplasty is an effective, lasting option for patients with symptoms that haven’t been resolved with medication.
The balloon sinuplasty procedure doesn’t require general anesthesia, and in most cases, patients are able to go about their normal activities within 24 hours.
These treatment options should be useful, but in order to determine the ideal treatment for your specific symptoms, you can count on the sinus relief team at Glatz Group to guide you in the process for a healthier tomorrow.
Our sinus cavities are intricate structures that protect our nasal cavity from dirt, dust, pollutants, and micro-organisms by producing mucus to, in a sense, help flush them out. While these cavities are usually empty, they can get blocked up to the point where the mucus can’t properly drain, causing congestion with fluid that eventually leads to sinus infections, also known as sinusitis.
Gently touching your face near an infected sinus cavity can be a painful, uncomfortable feeling, but there are specific treatments you can use to alleviate sinusitis before it causes further complications.
Today, our local McAllen ENT Dr. Frank R. Glatz, certified physician assistant Jonathan Lerma, and the dedicated team of sinus relief specialists at the Glatz Group are looking into the causes of sinusitis and what you can do to ease your symptoms.
A sinus headache is oftentimes one of the most common symptoms of a sinus infection. When this happens, you can feel both pressure and pain behind your cheekbones and around your eyes. Other telltale symptoms and signs of a sinus infection can be nasal discharge with a yellow or green color, an unpleasant taste in your mouth, and fever.
Sinusitis is often the result of either a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection. Despite it being a common condition, there are certain people that have greater chances of getting it, usually anyone that has:
It is also worth noting that there are two types of sinus infections: chronic and acute sinusitis. These two share similar symptoms, where chronic sinus infections may last for up to 12 weeks and can recur several times a year. Acute sinusitis is normally a temporary infection that most likely came after a cold and can last around 2 to 4 weeks.
Good hygiene, maintaining clear and moist sinuses, and treating symptoms right away with over-the-counter nasal sprays and decongestants can help lessen the severity and time of the infection. At the same time, procedures like a balloon sinuplasty at your McAllen ENT can help open the sinus cavity openings to help your body flush them out more efficiently.
While it may be difficult for you to figure out if your sinusitis was the result of bacteria, virus, or fungus, there are some ways you can relieve some of the symptoms in the comfort of your own home. Some of these methods include:
In the vast majority of cases, sinusitis can go away by itself, but there are definitely instances when you should see your ENT doctor to treat your sinus infection if self-care options don’t do the trick.
It’s best to see a doctor if you’re still facing sinusitis symptoms after a week has passed, if the symptoms worsen, or if they come back to haunt you more than a few occasions within a year. You should also pay a visit to your doctor if your sinus problems are a hindrance to your day-to-day life and the things you enjoy.
However, be on the lookout for fever, an increase or spread of pain, ineffective over-the-counter pain medications, and an increase in nasal discharge, as these are all signs of your sinusitis worsening. Should this happen, visit your sinus relief specialists at Glatz Group as soon as possible. There, we can help guide your sinusitis treatment and explore if balloon sinuplasty can help you overcome this type of infection in the future, especially if you suffer from chronic sinusitis.
Allergies have an undeniable effect on your mind and body. If your allergies are seasonal, it can cause you discomfort for several weeks each year, and if your allergies are chronic it may have more dire effects on your health.
If you find yourself feeling lethargic at work or school lacking the energy to focus, focusing on lessening your allergy symptoms through a little self-care and allergy medication may be all that you need to begin feeling better.
Today, our local McAllen ENT, Dr. Frank R. Glatz and Jonathan Lerma, a certified physician assistant and a member of the sinus relief team here at the Glatz Group, review a few methods you can use to help you lessen the intensity of your allergies.
Allergies can knock you down whether it’s seasonal or an all-year affair, but you don’t have to be left to its mercy. If you’re feeling especially drained, you may want to consider allergy shots or immunotherapy.
People who go for immunotherapy treatment get injections that include the substances they’re allergic to, in increasing amounts once or twice a week. Its purpose is to desensitize the immune system as time progresses. Immunotherapy is the best treatment if your seasonal allergy symptoms come year-round or when you don't have enough success with allergy medications or natural remedies.
While eating right, taking vitamin supplements, and getting some exercise may provide significant health benefits to your body, it also may affect how your immune system reacts to particular allergens.
For instance, supplements like fish oil can reduce inflammation, and if your sinuses are inflamed and causing congestion, fish oil can help provide some relief. Fish oil can also:
Other supplements like quercetin and bromelain have a chance of decreasing respiratory infections and allergy symptoms. Both are made up of strong anti-inflammatory properties that help with allergy inflammation to allow the nasal canal to properly drain and recover.
Exercise, on the other hand, may strengthen your heart and lungs while fortifying your muscles, joints, and cognitive function, but it also has an effect on how your body reacts to allergens. As working out pumps the blood through your veins, it helps you manage your allergy symptoms and directs blood to the vessels in your nose, which constrict and ease the congestion you may be suffering from. Running can also release epinephrine into your system,
While physical activity isn’t a cure for your allergies, it can help to soothe some of your symptoms. You may have to work out indoors if you have pollen allergies or outdoors if you’re allergic to dust mites, but if you can deal with some of your allergy symptoms during exercise, your body will be healthier over time.
While stress itself isn’t an official cause of allergies, it can cause your body to release hormones and chemicals like histamine that can worsen an active allergic reaction. To make matters worse, springtime is a heavy season for allergies that can leave people feeling miserable, underslept, and overly exhausted, further perpetuating their stress.
Thankfully, there are a few methods we can use to ease our stress and hopefully provide some sinus relief. Some methods to reduce stress include:
Using these calming techniques in tandem with allergy medication and any of the other tips within this article is your best bet at finding sinus relief. When all else fails, however, you have a sinus relief team at Glatz Group that is ready and willing to help you feel much better.
Seasonal allergens throughout the United States usually taper off during the winter months, but in Texas, the opposite is true. In fact, McAllen was ranked the worst city in the U.S. because of allergens in 2018, causing individuals that live here to suffer from chronic sinusitis.
You may have a hard time breathing through your nose, and the area around your eyes may feel swollen or tender. Before trying to google and self-diagnose you or your loved one’s symptoms, however, let our McAllen ENT, Dr. Frank R. Glatz, and his team of sinus relief specialists at the Glatz Group give you the run-down on what chronic sinusitis is, and how it affects you.
Chronic sinusitis occurs when the spaces inside your nose and head--called your sinuses--swell up and are inflamed for three months or longer. This common inflammatory condition prevents mucus from draining properly, thus making your nasal passages congested. In fact, several different causes can attribute to the development of chronic sinusitis, such as:
Be on the lookout for any the following symptoms if you suspect you are currently suffering from chronic sinusitis:
The aforementioned symptoms are not the only key factors to consider during a diagnosis. Other signs and symptoms to consider include:
Chronic sinusitis is often confused with acute sinusitis, as they have similar signs and symptoms. An easy way to distinguish between the two is to remember that acute sinusitis is a temporary infection of the sinuses usually associated with a cold, while the signs and symptoms of chronic sinusitis last at least 12 weeks.
Though you may face several episodes of acute sinusitis before developing chronic sinusitis, fever isn't a common sign of chronic sinusitis. You may get one with acute sinusitis.
If any of these symptoms hit close to home for you or your loved one, you’re probably wondering what the next step to take is. Before our trusted ENT can recommend treatment for your condition, he needs to run a diagnosis along with a number of tests that examine your nose with a small, nasal endoscope that lets him look for mechanical obstruction, redness, swelling, and sinus drainage.
If you or your loved one have tried using antibiotics and found them to be ineffective, you may need to consider treatment. Steroids can be more helpful when it comes to treating chronic sinusitis, as they reduce the swelling that leads to nasal and sinus blockage. Nevertheless, many patients require a more effective solution that provides longer-lasting relief. That is where we come in.
Balloon sinuplasty technology is used to treat chronic sinusitis, especially for patients whose symptoms were not resolved with medication. Not only is it a minimally-invasive treatment option, but it also can be performed by our very own McAllen ENT, Dr. Glatz, right in our office.
Chronic sinusitis doesn’t just affect your nasal function; it compromises your quality of life. Most patients are able to go back to their daily lives within 24 hours after the treatment, making balloon sinuplasty a popular choice for sinus relief.
When you or a loved one’s allergies are all out of whack, you can’t help but search for solutions to help resolve your sinus situation.
However, if you happen to be one of the 30 million Americans that suffer from chronic sinusitis, it can be a challenge knowing who you should turn to. It is critical that you choose the right doctor to help you deal with your situation; one that is comfortable with and fully capable of performing the procedure known as balloon sinuplasty.
Let McAllen ENT, Dr. Frank R. Glatz, and his team of sinus relief specialists at the Glatz Group provide you with some insight on how to choose the right sinuplasty doctor, and why you can expect nothing short of the ‘Glatz Guarantee’ from us!
The first step we recommend you take before making any decision on a doctor is gathering as much information as possible about the procedure. While your doctor should provide detailed information about the treatment, it never hurts to do a little bit of investigation yourself so that you can ask questions or raise any concerns during your consultation.
A generally safe operation, balloon sinuplasty is meant to reshape the blocked sinus openings in your nasal cavity with a small medical balloon. This helps to open up the sinus cavities without having to remove any bone or tissue, ultimately making for a safer procedure.
An ENT doctor makes this happen by using a tube-like contraption that inflates a small balloon inside one, several, or all sinus cavities, thus helping to optimize their drainage function.
The balloon sinuplasty procedure can provide long-term relief compared to traditional nasal surgeries. Click here to learn more about the benefits of balloon sinuplasty and how it compares to traditional nasal surgery.
When it comes to finding the right balloon sinuplasty surgeon, you want to evaluate 3 things:
Board certification is one of the most imperative factors to consider when you’re in the process of picking an ENT. It indicates that the doctor has the necessary training, skills, and experience to offer healthcare in otolaryngology.
In terms of experience for balloon sinuplasty, experience matters when you’re looking to prevent or treat a health condition such as chronic sinusitis. The more experience an ENT has treating a condition or performing a procedure, the higher the chance that everything will go exactly as it should.
It’s important to ask if your surgeon has done the fellowship training related to your diagnosis.
Dr. Glatz brings 20 years worth of experience to the Valley Ear, Nose, and Throat team and was among the first ENT’s to utilize cutting-edge technology when performing balloon sinuplasty and has successfully performed countless procedures.
As for patient care and experience, review patient satisfaction surveys to read what people have experienced in terms of the ease of scheduling an appointment, wait times, office environment, and the office staff’s amicability.
Our McAllen ENT has the experience, skillset, and reliable staff to deliver an outstanding patient experience, while providing outstanding care for individuals of all ages.
Schedule an appointment with the McAllen ENT at the Glatz Group today to see if you’re an eligible candidate for balloon sinuplasty and the Glatz Guarantee! If eligible, this procedure can be safely administered by our ENT doctors in our very own office.
If you’ve been suffering from a constant runny nose, nasal congestion, and drainage running down your throat, then you may have a condition known as chronic rhinitis--a condition caused by nerves that are out of balance and sending too many signals to your nose.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 12 million Americans suffer from allergic rhinitis, which is the inflammation of the nasal mucosa that could be causing your unwanted symptoms. The solution, however, is crystal clear. It is ClariFix.
Today, your friendly neighborhood McAllen ENT, Dr. Frank R. Glatz, and his sinus relief team at the Glatz Group are looking forward to exploring what this innovative treatment is with you, including how it works and how it is beneficial to your breathing.
This clinically-proven, minimally invasive cryotherapy treatment--i.e. localized freezing--goes after the source of your symptoms for guaranteed relief through the use of a cooling probe that freezes a small, inflamed region located in the back of your nose.
As the cold temperature reaches the out-of-balance nerves, the nerve signal pathways become temporarily blocked, making them unable to signal the nose to drip, run, or swell excessively. Freezing this tissue will relieve the inflammation and pain as a result.
This is a promising option for those who suffer through year-round allergies and found traditional treatments like allergy medications and allergy shots, or immunotherapy, to be unsuccessful.
Not only is the procedure safe and cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but it can also be performed right in our very own office. The discomfort is kept to a minimum where only topical or local anesthesia is required.
You might sense a slight pressure along with a cooling sensation in your nose and likely around your molars. It may cause some discomfort, but patients haven’t described it as a painful experience.
Its recovery and down time is also fairly minimal, and may give you long-lasting relief as it typically does for 4 out of 5 patients, according to ClariFix’s website. It generally takes between two to six weeks post-treatment to notice the changes.
It is worth noting that ClariFix is mainly for symptom management. Allergies come from your immune system, and the treatment doesn’t change the way your immune system functions. It will not make your allergies, or a simple cold, go away for good.
To find out if the ClariFix is right for you, don’t hesitate to speak with our McAllen sinus relief specialists here at the Glatz Group to see if it can alleviate your symptoms.
The treatment is not recommended for those who have specific health conditions like cryoglobulinemia, paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria, cold urticaria, Raynaud’s disease, and any open and/or infected wounds, as well as other skin conditions at or close to the tissue area that the procedure targets.
If you or a loved one also happen to have diabetes, sensitivity to cold temperatures, neuropathic disorders, bleeding disorders, or impaired peripheral circulation in the region that requires treatment, it is well-advised that you proceed with utmost caution.
To see if you are eligible for the cool treatment with ClariFix Cryotherapy, schedule a consultation with Dr. Frank R Glatz today!
As gifts continue to pile up under the Christmas tree, your family’s curiosity grows and grows. In just a few days, joy and dreams will be made as gifts are opened. That is, until you see the empty stockings hanging off of the mantel.
Don’t worry. There’s still some time left, so why not seize the opportunity to fill up those stockings with stocking stuffers that are helpful to your family’s sinuses, especially since we live in a city that is considered the worst place for allergies in 2019.
Our McAllen ENT, Dr. Frank R. Glatz, and his sinus relief team at the Glatz Group have thought of the perfect sinus-saving stocking stuffers you can include into your holiday festivities so you won’t have to search for the right present in a hurry!
Listed below are the perfect items any allergy sufferer would love to find in his or her stocking:
1. Allergy-Free Bedding and Pillowcases - This is a practical gift for just about anyone who could use sinus relief this winter! According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, dust mites could be the leading cause of year-round allergies and asthma. Since we spend a decent amount of our time in bed, why not invest in hypoallergenic bedding to alleviate one of the most common triggers of people’s allergies year-round?
2. Air Purifiers - As many people are affected by indoor allergens, an air purifier can go a long way to help your friends or family members breathe better and get a better quality of sleep just by placing the device in their bedroom at night.
3. Shower Steamers - These little shower tablets pack in a lot of sinus relief for those of us who prefer a shower instead of a bath. Some of them mix in peppermint and eucalyptus with an extra kick of menthol to really open up your sinuses and drain out all the mucus.
4. Honey - Honey--especially raw, unprocessed honey--isn’t just a delicious and nutritious sugar replacement, it’s filled with curative properties and is known to help lessen many allergy symptoms.
5. Green and herbal teas - Green tea is great for its antioxidants that not only improve your health but keep allergy symptoms under control.
There are also fantastic herbal teas that are meant to alleviate nasal inflammation, and your sniffling-and-sneezing friends or family members will appreciate this. Drinking the hot tea will speed their nasal drainage by giving the mucous membranes some moisture.
Try searching for the best herbal teas for sinuses like peppermint, chamomile, eucalyptus, wild thyme, and blackberry. Give them a collection to last them longer with different options to select from.
6. Fruit Basket or Edible Arrangements - This is more of an “honorable mention” as it isn’t something that could fit in a Christmas stocking. A basket full of yummy fruits is a wonderful option not for its visually appealing quality, but also for other nutritious purposes.
Edible arrangements are a great gift! Eating apples is said to improve how the lungs function, leaving your friends or family members less at risk to particular allergens. Also, pineapple is made up of the enzyme bromelain that helps lessen sinus infections and irritation.
At the end of the day, the best gift you can give your friend or family member is the gift of health. They’ll appreciate the thought you put into these gifts that may make this allergy season less irritating while they enjoy all the wonder that winter brings.
Help your loved ones end the year the right way with these thoughtful stocking stuffers. But if their sinuses do not improve before the end of the year, our McAllen sinus relief specialists of the Glatz Group are always glad to help. A consultation with Dr. Frank R. Glatz can determine if you are eligible to receive a balloon sinuplasty, a procedure that can help relieve chronic sinusitis.
