How do you deal with allergies?

[Cindyloo]

Oh my, where to start? Maybe with our pollen count today in Atlanta: 5934
(130 is considered extremely high). Everything is yellow!

I have taken allergy shots for a year and am almost to my maintenance dose. They have helped a good bit along with the Singulair that I take. The pollen makes my eyes feel and look terrible so I use prescription Patanol drops. I might occasionally take OTC Alavert if I need something more. Medications affect people very differently so you may just have to try some out to determine which don't make you zonked out. Good luck!

[Aint Doody]

I took the shots for a little over 5 years. At first it was 4 shots twice a week. When I got to maintenance, I gave them to myself--4 shots only once a week. I was allergic to about 90% of the things they tested me for. The shots have helped me immeasurably. I know they don't work for everybody. I'd taken an antihistamine every day of my life for over 20 years before starting on immunotherapy. I "graduated" last fall. Since that time I think I've had 3 Allegras. I'll never be totally allergy free--I can't even imagine what that's like. But if the shots help you and you can stick it out, it's well worth it. --Hah, I said stick!!!
Susan

[makbike]

I live in hayfever hell here in the Bluegrass. I get an allergy shot once a week (I've been taking them for nearly 15 years and they have made a world of difference). Every day I take Singulaire and Allegra and I use Rhinocort as I needed it (typically when pollen counts start to climb). I now only have 1 or 2 sinus infections a year and I feel 1000% better.

[Crankin]

Well, I've taken every allergy and asthma med in the world and none of them stop the eventual sinus/bronchial/asthma/sometimes pneumonia I get every year. I get a fall "thing' yearly. This year it didn't come until Feb., since it was so warm here in New England. I have been on Nasonex since the summer. It didn't stop the whole thing at all. In fact, once I start sneezing a lot of times in a row, I know it's gonna happen and all I can do is rest and hope it stays viral, not bacterial. Allegra works for me, but keeps me up, so I don't take it anymore. Sudafed doesn't really affect me badly, if I only take it for a couple of days when I'm sick. Singulair made me feel weird and so did Advair. Plus, I don't like the side effects of the Serevent part of Advair, like "possible increase in death from asthma" . I am now weaning myself off of a 2 month course of Qvar, a steroid inhaler for asthma. It did work, but it took awhile and I felt like s---- during my first couple of rides. The only thing that works well for my asthma is albuterol and that is supposed to be a "rescue" inhaler. I have been taking before rides, just in case.

I have had 3 rounds of allergy shots; the first when I was a kid, the second during my senior year in HS, and when I was in my 30s. Each time, I would have an asthma attack after the shots. I quit them rather quickly.

Actually, I am much healthier in New England than when I lived in AZ. There, I was on a nebulizer every 4-6 hours for the last 2 years i lived there. The dust spores are wicked and dust is the one allergen I know i am really allerg-
ic to. Plus, the air pollution in the Valley is awful in the winter. So, I guess i just live with it and try to baby myself a bit if I feel symptoms coming on. It doesn't stop me, but there are times when i have pushed myself over the edge with training too hard, the allergies kick in, and then it develops into something bad...

[teigyr]

I've been reading this with great interest. I always had sensitivity to smog and smoke (lived in Southern California until about four years ago). The doctor said I had/have exercise induced asthma. I learned what my triggers were and refused to take medication because I didn't like the way it made me feel.

I moved up to WA state and all of the sudden it felt like I was catching a cold every month! I started getting sinus infections when I had never had one before. Honestly, I'd only feel good a very short period of time after antibiotics because those don't make me feel good either but then I'd immediately get "sick" again.

My last doctor, when I asked about the "perpetual cold" state, started asking me questions and then asked if I ever thought I had allergies. I hadn't. He recommended Alavert which makes me feel SO much better!

So from what I'm reading, allergies can cause sinus infections? How do you not get sinus infections, take allergy medication every day? For those who live in very cold climates, does wearing something over your face help? (I'm assuming people are like me and have difficulty breathing when it's cold.) I don't mind the Alavert so much but still would rather not take inhalers or anything like that. I don't really have any allergy advice because I've only really known I had allergies for a month or so. Except for the sensitivity to smoke/smog but I figured that was just sensitivity and should be avoided anyway.

[Celeste]

I used to sneeze all the time...I mean multiple times at once and countless times a day. All that sinus irritation, for me, would lead to sinus infections fairly regularly.

Now that I use the Nasonex (and have for about 7 years) I rarely sneeze at all. I can't tell you what a relief that is!

However, I will also get sick if there is too much cold or wind in/around my ears. Riding in the car with the driver side window down on a nice day will get me sick really quick. In colder weather I have to cover my ears when riding my bike because of this. But that is my take on it and the way my body seems to be.

[Wahine]

Acupuncture can help some people.

[sarahlou]

I have had allergies on and off for many years. When they are bad, my eyes nearly swell shut and I can't think about anything except how miserable I am. I have never taken medication for the allergies except for the odd benedryl. I tried local honey (the idea being that the bees are pollinating the plants you're allergic to and that their honey will act like a homeopathic vaccination) it helped to some degree but takes awhile - as in days to a week or more for your body to adjust. The thing that helps me the most- in fact I pretty much swear by it- is going dairy free for several weeks at the peak of allergy season. This can be hard (I love toast with butter and a slab of cheese) but really is the only way for me to fight off the allergies. I think it works because dairy causes excess mucus and this mucus traps more pollen which makes the allergies start up- so by getting totally rid of dairy in the diet, the pollen trapping mucus factor is down. I have no medical credentials to back my idea up, but it truely does work for me and it may work for you too. The key is to be totally (not even a dash of milk in your coffee) dairy free. The good news is that you don't have to do it forever, just when the allergies are acute.
I hope this helps.