allergies/asthma

[OakLeaf]

It's not so much the congestion that gets me (I can live with that), it's the constantly itchy, watery eyes.

If you have drug coverage, see if you can get a scrip for Patanol. I still have breakthrough symptoms even with immunotherapy, antihistamines AND leukotreine blockers, and last year I wound up with a raging case of conjunctivitis. The stuff is expensive, but it works.

I also take the old fashioned sleep inducing antihistamines at night. It helps me get on top of the symptoms and lets my sinuses clear a bit.

[Eden]

I only get the itchy, watery eyes at the absolute height of the pollen. My worst symptom is the post nasal drip that makes me cough - and cough and cough and cough until I want to puke....

[OakLeaf]

My worst symptom (assuming my asthma is under control) is the fatigue and general mental fuzziness. The rest of it is just discomfort, really, to me.

I do think everyone with known allergies who hasn't already done a food challenge should try it. It costs nothing and if you identify some food allergens it can really save you a lot of misery. It's the total allergic load that gets you. I basically manage my food allergies, but when the inhalants are high (and also before a goal event) I clean up my diet, and it makes a world of difference.

[fetchspot]

OakLeaf

Have you read anything about Oral Allergy Syndrome? About food allergies related to the typical pollen allergies. That may help not having to limit foods when you are out of that pollen allergy. That is why I like the maps to let me know which pollens are high where I am located.

fspot

[malkin]

We have a local allergy site sponsored by a medical practice.
I saw one of their allergists a few years ago and it was one of the best 'going to the doctor' experiences I have ever had.

I sometimes use one of the way too expensive nasal steroid sprays too.

[Crankin]

I use Flonase almost everyday, all year round (the steroid nasal spray). I recently ran out of it about a month ago and since I am in the process of switching PCPs, I decided to wait until I go for my physical. Bad decision. About 2 weeks ago, I started incessantly sneezing and feeling achy. Then the headache came. Now, I don't get headaches, even with sinus infections. I started the saline rinse and Claritin, enough to make me feel OK when I went nordic skiing last weekend, but by Monday I felt horrible. I ended up going to the walk in clinic at CVS, where she took a look up my nose and sighed... got my Flonase and 10 days of Bactrim, as she really felt it had developed into a bacterial sinus infection.
The moral is: don't run out of my Flonase! My symptoms started just when I was hearing reports on the news about early allergy symptoms because of the warm winter. I wanted to stop taking this because of my osteoporosis, but my doctor felt for such a small amount going into my nasal passages, it's not worth my suffering. In a way, he was right. Once my allergies start, I leave myself open to asthma, bronchitis, sinus infections and all kinds of other bad stuff. While I usually can stop taking it for a few months of the year, now is not the time.

[OakLeaf]

Also, why the heck is the worst pollen weather, also the best weather for drying laundry???

I'm doing the workout clothes, socks and dish towels, but blankets are just going to have to wait.