Can nail cosmetics allergy cause symptoms such as headaches, burning nose, clogged ears, and chest tightness?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 23-year-old female. I have asthma and hardly use an inhaler. I went to the nail salon and got stuck waiting for three hours. I started to get headaches after the first hour. Then the pressure began to build in the face, and the nose burned. I felt sick and thought I was going to pass out or vomit.

After I left, my sinuses just kept getting fuller. I used a neti pot to stop burning in my nose. My ears clogged, and the snot turned yellow and green. The following day, one side of the nose was running clear snot with pink in it and then changed to green with pink. Today is the third day my ear is clogged, and worse, I constantly hear whooshing sounds. The chest is tight and feels harder to breathe with light pressure in the back, and the phlegm tastes awful when coughed up. It is white and thick, kind of like Elmer's glue.

Should I go to the doctor and get antibiotics?
Also, should I be worried about acetone or nail chemical allergies?

Kindly help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

It looks like you initially had some allergic reaction to a chemical, maybe acetone, and there is suspicion of a superimposed bacterial infection. You can use over-the-counter antihistamines, like Allegra, once or twice daily with Flonase nasal spray. But kindly go to the doctor if you have a fever, chills, ear pain or discharge, difficulty in breathing, or shortness of breath despite using an inhaler or if symptoms do not get better with antihistamines or nasal spray, as in those cases, you may need antibiotics to clear the infection.

I hope this helps.

Thank you and take care.