Allergies affecting the feeling in my face, especially cheeks

I have this weird condition of feeling stuffy and a sensation of fullness in my cheeks...sometimes it gets almost numbing, but not to the point where you cannot feel anything. Below my eyes and to the left and right of my nose is where it is the worse (I guess it can be called the cheeks), and sometimes the area gets a bit red (not flushed though, as I don't feel warm or hot). I have no idea what this can be, I'm assuming an allergy since I've always had bad allergies since childhood. Also, my legs itch too...don't know if they are related but thought I'd add that in to. I feel it come on in the morning as I wake up and get worse later in the day, I don't think it is a food allergy. Also, I have post-nasal drip and am allergic to dust mites...but I am taking allergy shots for the dust mite allergy, but this problem of mine has been occurring even before I began taking them (6 months into), this is the reason why I began them.

Anybody know what can be causing this, a sinus infection, or possibly high histamine (I don't exhibit any of the psychotic disorders though) or anything? I'm desperate now, this is very discomforting to feel all day.

Post Edited (iamscrewed) : 4/11/2007 6:49:27 PM (GMT-6)

Hi and welcome :) Have you been to the doctors yet for this? Are you prone to dry skin? What happens when you put lotion on these areas? It's best to be seen by a doc to get this straightened out if you haven't already done so. I wish you luck :)

Please change your screen name since it's not appropriate for this site........thank you :)

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^~~Sherry~~

No, I am not prone to dry skin, and I have tried putting on topicals before...nothing happens. It is something internal I am figuring, probably allergy related.

Your symptoms are rather odd. I've never heard of allergies causing a numbing to areas of the body before but I guess anything is possible. Do you have any nasal stuffiness to go with the post nasal drip? Do you feel any lumps in that area? The reason I'm asking is that I've heard that nasal polyps can sometimes cause these odd symptoms. A sinus infection can be the culprit too.

And thank you for changing your screen name :)

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^~~Sherry~~

They are kind of weird, but look at what I found online:

"Facial numbness. This may be due not to pressure changes in your middle ear, but in your sinuses. As with the middle ear, the sinuses are "air pockets" which at times may get "cut off from the outside world." The sinuses do, of course, have natural drainage channels, through which air enters and mucus exits. If you have had nasal congestion from a cold, these tiny channels may have swollen shut. I am particularly suspicious of your maxillary sinus (which is the sinus immediately below your eye, to the side of your nose.) A nerve that provides sensation to the middle portion of your face, the infraorbital nerve, traverses the maxillary sinus. If blood flow were altered to this nerve, you would notice numbness of the middle part of your face, including your cheek, upper lip, and upper teeth. (If your forehead, lower jaw, or lower teeth were numb, then I am baffled. These areas are supplied by different nerves which do not cross sinuses.)"

Hmmm interesting. I think any numbing on my face would drive me insane! lol I would definately say that a doctors visit might be in order.

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^~~Sherry~~

I have been having a achey, dull headache type pain that is on the side of my nose, near the inner corner of my eye for about 3 weeks now, lots of sinus drainage.  I am very prone to sinus infections.  I had a weird bug crawling feeling last year in the spring that would go across my nose, was sent for brain Mri, showed extensive sinus thickening, in the frontal and ethmoid sinuses.  I never had numbness though, but all kinds of weird sensations, usually in the maxillary area, I think sinuses can cause alot of weird feelings.  I know that when they are bothering me, I feel awful everywhere.  I have been sneezing my head off today, burning in my nose, and the pain is gone, maybe its breaking up.  Sinus/allergies sucks thats for sure!!!  Take care, hope you feel better.

Forgot to add also, I get alot of crackling noises in my nose, in the area that hurts, right next to my eye. 

Thanks for the replies guys, I really appreciate them. I am looking to schedule an appointment with my allergist soon, but in the meantime, Jenny R, why did you have a Brain MRI for sinus problems? Is that a common practice?

sorry about that, I had the brain MRI because of the weird feeling on my face, and the results came back as "EXTENSIVE" sinus thickening.  I am going on 6 years now with this weird feeling, I had the MRI done 5 years into it.  I never had insurance before that time, so finally after complaining to my PCP for 5 years, he sent me for one.  Take care!!!