Allergic Rhinitis?

[Lloki]

So, I've got a GP appointment this week as I've had issues with my sense of smell for a long time now, and although I could smell some things it did seem to be getting worse. I thought this was since I lost my sense of smell when I had covid a few years ago, but not entirely sure.
However, I went to smell the candles in my house again, the ones I couldn't smell the day before and I could smell them and loads of other things I tested!! I was so confused. I then got slightly sniffly, like I do often and tested again and couldn't smell them at all again, but I didn't feel hugely congested.
When I have gone to smell things on a daily basis I can't smell anything or a very faint smell but I don't feel congested at all!

During the summer I was getting fed up with waking up in the night with congestion and a runny nose and every morning having to blow my nose and just feeling irritated, so done some googling and found allergic rhinitis, I thought this was just another phrase for hayfever, and didn't do anything about it as thought I just have hayfever this year and it would pass, but I still have congestion and now reading that it can be allergies to dust or pet dander.
I also started getting random bouts of my eyes stinging and becoming extremely watery, which again I thought was just a bad bout of hayfever this year which I have never had before, but this is also still happening.
I am now putting this together with the sense of smell issue and trying to work out if this is what I have.

I have always been a 'sniffly' person, I always used to get people ask me if I was coming down with a cold and I didn't know why, when I look back at videos I've filmed I am always sniffing but I didn't realise it.
I thought this was dairy related, as cutting this seemed to stop it, and I don't think I sniff all the time anymore, but maybe there is still an issue.

I feel like I am allergic to everything, I have greatly restricted my diet as I react to gluten and dairy, have had acne all my adult life. I get blotchy skin when I eat tomatoes, or drink wine, wine in general makes me very congested and sneezy
I'm now down the high histamine rabbit hole!

I'm not sure what to ask of the GP this week, if it is allergic rhinitis, I don't think they can pin point what is causing it can they?
I've also wonder is there such a thing as allergy testing that I can be referred for?
Could it be food related?

It can't be pollen can it, as I have been totally congested this morning. I suppose it mainly happens in the night and in the morning so could be the dust mites or pet hair, I have a cat and dog.

Any advise would be great, particularly on what GP's can actually do.

I have something similar.They will probably prescribe the gold standard treatment.Dymista nasal spray plus saline nasal spray or irrigation plus eye drops. They may refer to an allergist consultant for skin tests. Most common is multiple allergies to house dust mould pollen pets. There is not much you can do to avoid all these but washing bedding no carpets dehumidifier etc may help a bit. Pseudoephedrine helps but is not supposed to be taken every day

Forgot to add. The skin test they prick you with about 20 allergens and see which you react to.about 50% of people with allergies don’t react and a lot of people react to a lot of things you can’t easily avoid-but if you are lucky they may find 2 or 3 allergens you can avoid

I've had this for years and manage it with a combination of OTC antihistamines and decongestants these days. Many years ago I was on prescriptions for noth bit seem to have become less sensitive. My main triggers are cats and dust but every so often I'll get a major reaction and have no idea what to.

Perennial rhinitis has much the same symptoms as hay fever but all year round, and the allergen could be anything really - pets, house dust, mould spores, perfume, a vase of flowers, anything.

I can relate, waking up at some unearthly hour, very aware the irritation in your nose means you're going to spend the next hour or so blowing your nose and eventually breathing through your mouth as the tissues in your nose become inflamed. It's not nice. I never went anywhere without a packet of cheap supermarket antihistamine tablets in my pocket because I'd also get an attacks at various times during the day.

Your GP should send you for skin tests to rule out allergic reactions to dust mites, etc and if nothing conclusive is found they'll probably prescribe a daily antihistamine tablet.

I currently have a repeat prescription for Fexofenadine, which works very well. You can buy a lower dose version over the counter if you want to see if it helps.

I’m severely allergic to dust mites. It takes a lot of effort to manage it successfully. I have to have specialist covers on my duvet and pillows, this has restricted where I holiday as I need to be to take these with me. I have to wet dust the house weekly to remove dust mites and my husband hoovers the curtains, sofa etc with a specialist hoover.

We moved house this week so I’m having a flare up. I’ve found ad hoc sessions of acupuncture are significantly more effective at managing the rhinitis than the daily medication I was prescribed, which was heavy dose of antihistamine in the morning and at lunch, a steroid spray at 5pm and a medication to open my airways at night.

Thanks all.
@Ftctvycdul did you get allergy testing for the dust mite allergy?

Why do I get the feeling my GP will be reluctant to send me for testing and instead just tell me to take anti-histamines, I would like to know the actual trigger if that is possible so I can also try and avoid it, as well as take medication when needed, though it seems we could probably be allergic to multiple things!

Yes, the basic test included dust mites. It wasn’t funded on the NHS in my area so I had to go private - a cost of around £200/£250