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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Is there an effect of diabetes that might cause blocking of nose?

    I used to have periodic hay fever but this seems to be permanently twice nightly
  • Find a professional to answer your question

  • Peta Tauchmann

    Credentialled Diabetes Educator (CDE), Diabetes Educator, Registered Nurse

    I have a special interest in Type 1 Diabetes, optimising insulin therapy and Insulin pump therapy. I focus on the private sector including private clinics and consulting roles.   My … View Profile

    Hi,

    I am not aware of any complication of diabetes that would cause this type of problem.  However keeping your diabetes in control and being healthy will also help your hay fever.  Hay fever is caused by the release of histamine when the immune system becomes irritated. So if you are feeling run down or tired, or your diabetes is not in good health, then the immune system may be more vulnerable to irritation. 

    Drink plenty of water each day to help keep your immune system in balance, and see your GP if you are worried about this problem. 

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    Thanks

    Jayne Lehmann

    Credentialled Diabetes Educator (CDE), Diabetes Educator

    As a Credentialled Diabetes Educator, I help people with type 1 or 2 diabetes to manage the physical and emotional side to feeling healthy with … View Profile

    If you check your own blood glucose levels do they see to go up when you have the hayfever symptoms at all? Consider doing some extra checks if you have a blood glucose meter.

    Sometimes medications can cause a side effect of hayfever like symptoms. If you take any diabetes or other tablets, ask your pharmacist if any of them could be causing your hayfever symptoms.  It would also be good to talk to your doctor about the symptoms. If it isn't the medication and is likely to be hayfever, there are lots of treatments available to help you get the symptoms under control for a much more comfortable day.

  • Christine Guirguis

    Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbal Medicine Practitioner

    Christine Guirguis studied at the University of Sydney and the University of Technology Sydney, obtaining degrees in medical science and health sciences in acupuncture and … View Profile

    One of the common sub-categories of people which present with Diabetes is what is called a pattern of dysfunctional fluid metabolism in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The symptoms of this subcategory may include excessive fluid secretions from the eyes and nose, as well as bloating, and swelling of the extremities. Loose stools and or mucus in the stools may also be an issue. The underlying issue is that Fluids are nor being transformed, absorbed or eliminated properly by the body. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the root of this problem is suboptimal digestion and gut function. Fix the digestion and you’ll fix the running/congested nose that we often refer to as hay fever - although it has become constant. 

    Acupuncture has been shown to effective in treating hay fever in a number of clinical trials and its effects have confirmed when systematic reviews have been conducted, so it makes sense to look at this problem from this perspective. 

    There are a lot of things you could start doing to improve your digestive function from a TCM point of view, and some of the things that will have the most powerful impact are things you can do yourself, like having regular meal times, and avoiding cold, rich or sugary foods. More detailed advice, acupuncture or herbal medicine can be sought as well. 

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