I have spent my entire life with a stuffy nose. My parents and pediatrician put their minds together questing for an allergen. I was eight at the time. They tried eliminating foods, and unfortunately wheat wasn’t one of them. The conclusion: I was allergic to the filling in my stuffed animals as well as down and feathers. The adults agreed that taking away my stuffed animals would be emotionally upsetting, so I lived without down pillows. My congestion never disappeared despite the sleuthing efforts.
The constant congestion was great opportunity for painful sinus infections to fester. I took countless antibiotics to battle the persistent sinus flareups. I dreaded getting a cold because I always ended up with a sinus infection, which meant more trips to the doctor for antibiotics, more money, and more pain. I was in a terrible cycle with no end.
There is a happy ending to this story. Forty-five years later...three days after I stopped eating gluten, my nasal passages were clear. I could feel cold air on my throat when I breathed in. I was amazed! This was an entirely new sensation for me. I went about sniffing in over and over again for the next few days. My nose was as clear as the arrival of crisp fall Maine air. How could this be?!!!
The simple answer is that my immune system no longer spends time fighting gluten. When I ate gluten, my body produced antibodies that would result in inflammation causing swollen nasal passages, congestion, and sinus infections. Now congestion and sinus infections are symptoms of the past. Aaaahhhh!