Allergies that were there pre-COVID became more sensitive, and others appeared that may have been there all the time but did not trigger attacks of asthma, sneezing, skin outbreaks, etc. Plus, I suspect there are new ones. Get tested, Wendy, and go with the results. You'll feel better.
Examples from my history thatmay help: ice cream in the summer used to be a favorite treat - and sometimes would produce the need to clear my throat, drink water, etc. I considered this just part of life. No biggie. Today, just a bite of our locally-made ice cream or Cherry Garcia could bring on coughing spasms, wheezing, the whole allergic reaction bit.
The sensitivity to dairy that I experienced pre-COVID wouldn't dso that. I could eat all the Mexican food or Italian food I wanted. Cheeseburgers? Yum.
Not any more.
Even tiny amounts of cheese as a part of those dishes will set me off.
Going further, anything that can attack my immune system, post-COVID does at magnum levels - and can mess me up for quite a while. Afterward it takes a long time to recover and I'm susceptible to whatever else is there to attack the suppressed immune system.
A cold isn't just a cold - it's a bad cold, every time, and that compromises the immune system so that the shingles kick up. The shingles recovery period leaves me open to an upper resipratory or sinus attack - the circle goes round and round.
I'm learning to treat symptoms instead of looking for a cure, learning all I can, and passing along whatever I've learned that might help others. The allergic reactions need a broad-based pushback across the whole spectrum.
I've written quite a bit here about NAC and guiafenensin.
I'm also upping the intake of cetrizine (OTC antihistamine that has a drying effect and no rebound when it wears off) as needed when the sneeze-wheeze reaction starts, and staying away from nasal sprays except Xlear, which is citrus-based and tends to be less irritating that Flonase, etc. but only use that one for a max of three days.
NielMed Sinus Rinse saltwater treatments very beneficial. Flsh that gunk outta there!
Result: Sinus and bronchial symptoms are now under better control, and I'm a bit more lively.
Nutrition things that have helped:
Zinc: I take extra, but keep it under 50 - 60 mg per day total (read all your labels - it interferes with copper metabolism at higher levels, and copper deficiency produces fatigue. When a nose-throat-sinus attack is under way I'll boost it, and ease off when it's over.)
Quercitin: part of tbe B vitamin family and boosts resistance to allergies. I take the NOW brand 800mg with bromelain 165 mg for absorbtion most days (good to lay off one or two in every ten days and then resume, according to one source I've come across; I'll ignore that during pollen season or when winter molds and virus bugs are around - I've found quercitin to be a decent preventative.)
L-Citrulline 750 mg, again, for me, NOW brand, one daily for sure, two during episodes when energy level is low. Again, preventative and not symptomatic. I'm trying to boost stamnina, energy level. L-citrulline is the naturally occuring amino acid in the body that converts to arginine, which in turn produces nitric oxide. Citrulline maleate is a synthetic and popular with bodybuilders, cheaper; I stick with the L-type.
Also:
Multivitamin: Amy Myer, as directed. Balanced to immune system levels where megadoses of certain components are needed, and that's me - and I suspect, all of us with post-COVID symptoms. Plus, greater absorbability. I felt the difference within two days when I switched from other brands, long before my first bout of COVID. I'm convinced that sticking with it has been a good thing. I was taken off of all meds during both bouts of COVID and felt an immediate boost when I went back on Amy Myers.
D and Magnesium: I add extra magnesium to get to 400 mg/day, with extra magnesuim glycinate at night to get me there. My benchmark: Magnesium dreams good, no dreams, not enough magnesium. D3, 2,000 units/day minimum extra during summer, winter when I'm completely housebound, more - maybe 6,000 or in the extreme, up to 10,000 for a short period. If my D levels check out OK when blood is drawn I'm OK with my self-medicating regemin. Depression is my benchmark. PostCOVID is depressing enough and that's unavoidable, but not getting enough D3 makes it worse. Too much D has toxic effects. I'd admonish anybody to read up on it and not get carried away. Do your own research.
Minerals: Doctor's Best brand, calcium bone maker complex as directed. Cal-mag-zinc ain't enough. We need more, especially postCOVID. Trace minerals = important. I now use pink salt, FWIW. Again, still searching, trying to weed out the internet miracle cures and stick with what's well-researched.
I've rambled for too long. I hope some of this helps somebody; we're all like beggars under the table, showing others where we've found crumbs.
I'll share mine with you and God bless us, every one.