HN Explorer

Ask HN: Has one symptom affected your life adversely?

12 points by trifit ↗ HN
I have sinus issues causing snores disturbing my partners which is causing us to sleep in different rooms. Looking at what can be done but I might need plastic surgery to fix my nose. Anyone else have tales of woe?

16 comments

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Kelteseth
I have a house dust allergy. It caused my eyes to burn at night, and multiple trips to my ophthalmologist (eye doctor) only resulted in temporary help via cortisone eye drops. In the end, what really helped was washing my bedsheets one a week and lüften every day.
trifit
Sorry to hear that, must be tough, does it trigger breathing issues? Yeah I would also recommend changing your air filter in AC more frequently or buying an air purifier.
Kelteseth
No breathing issues, just burning eyes and constant sneezing. Yes, I bought an air purifier from Ikea that helped.
ghoshbishakh
I have the same thing. And it is happening today. It is tough.
noobermin
I have recurrent skin issues: eczema, simplex chronicus, and in my early twenties, I was diagnosed with lichen planus, which is even worse in that is nonhereditary and autoimmune, and thus there's literally no none cause and there's also nothing I can do about it except treat it. This post is actually quite a coincidence because I am having a severe bought of the lichen planus right now. Basically my skin itches almost everywhere, and I have to fight the urge to scratch it lest it get worse. When I have boughts I'm just more irritable and less attentive because probably 25% of my mind is devoted to fighting my urge to scratch at all times. It's also ironic because if I stop everything and just sit still, I become more cognizant of the itchiness and become more miserable, so I have to keep somewhat active to just keep my mind off of it. Generally, I have to fight the urge to just stay put when I'm off work and not like work out or do chores because despite the malaise, being completely still or sleeping it off just makes things worse. Thus, being more irritable, I have to partake in my daily activities but with a rather grimacing face.

It doesn't help that for an unrelated condition I am now taking medicine that can cause hypersensitivity, and me and my wife have been wondering whether the current bought is an allergic reaction to the medicine or "my life" as usual.

trifit
Hey that sucks. I imagine it’s like having chicken pox daily.

I have no advice besides you should get an allergy test maybe something in your environment or diet is causing this?

All the best. Glad you have a supportive life partner who is with you on this issue.

h2odragon
Don't you just love it when people ask you if you've tried cortisone creams?
Chandiran
As someone who also has lichen planus, I resonate so much. Its pathetic that most treatments are also very topical and don’t solve the underlying issue - which we don’t even know about. Recently I’ve been trying to experiment with my diet to see if its linked to the gut in some way…
surprisetalk
> Looking at what can be done but I might need plastic surgery to fix my nose. Anyone else have tales of woe?

Have you tried a CPAP machine? I completely stopped snoring once I started using one.

schwartzworld
Snores are a symptom of sleep apnea, which is under diagnosed. Have you considered a sleep study?
ghoshbishakh
Migraine attacks and allergy causing runny nose and unstoppable sneezes.
kmos17
Raising your head using pillows might help if you currently sleep mostly flat or with a low profile pillow. It’s surprisingly made a huge difference in my partner’s snoring and was very easy to try.
dinkleberg
Have you tried using nasal strips? I don’t snore, I just use them to improve my breathing when sleeping when I’m stuffed up, but apparently they help with snoring. They aren’t inconvenient, and seem to improve my sleep quality quite nicely. Honestly, the feeling of improved airflow is so nice, I wish there was a better solution for 24/7 wearing.
testTED
Strengthening this comment because to those who haven't used them they look useless.
giantg2
So far no symptoms of mine affecting my life. However, multiple family medical issues cause near daily concern.
cpersona
Psoriasis. I let it prevent me from enjoying life from my very early 20s through to last year in my early 40s. I finally decided to take medication and had a summer with shorts and t-shirts in at least a decade. Psoriasis has had knock on effects that I still struggle with, but the medication has given me the ability to see past this one issue and address others.