Solving Mystery 'Allergy' Symptoms

MIAMI (CBS4) - You know the symptoms – sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes – sounds like allergies, right?

Nope. Millions of people are actually suffering from something else and are misdiagnosed.

Allergist Dr. Shelia Bonilla said patients often come to see her with what they believe is an allergy or persistent cold. They tell her they've been taking Claritin or Zyrtec, or some over the counter drugs, and they're not helping.

Bonilla said her patients often suffer from what's called rhinitis which is not an allergy at all; it's an inflammation of the nostril and sinuses and its symptoms are the same as colds and allergies.

"You've got a runny nose. You may have a feeling of a lump in your throat like a post nasal drip, drainage from the sinuses and you may have sneezing," said Bonilla.

Marcia Kreditor said she's suffered from sinus problems for the last four years, waking up in the middle of the night with severe congestion and dryness.

"They did some surgery and there was no difference whatsoever and I was like great. The surgery was horrible, it was a horrible thing to go through," said Kreditor who then decided to go see Dr. Bonillia.

"I treated her with an antihistamine for the nose and a nasal steroid, and she felt really better," said Bonilla.

"It's been exactly a week and I can breathe. I can go to sleep and my nostrils don't clog up and I'm breathing," said Kreditor.

So how do you know if you're suffering from rhinitis?

"They are more bothered by smoking or perfume even detergent, they're foul-smelling," said Bonilla about people suffering from rhinitis. "They say even traffic bothers them."

Bonilla said unlike rhinitis, which can be brought on by a change in the weather, allergies are often triggered by dust, pollen and pets.