I'm not the fittest of people, bad diet, not enough exercise and over weight but very rarely ill. About 5 years ago for the first time ever I got hey fever, very mild just itchy eyes hardly even noticed, few eye drops all was good maybe one or three days. Next year nothing then maybe following year eyes again. This week I got what I thought was a cold starting, really sore throat hard to swallow with puffy eyes and today a runny nose.
Why? How can a 47 year old suddenly get hay fever and why this week am I seeing new symptoms, it's not a local thing as I was in Vienna Monday and Tuesday, Essex Wednesday and Cork Thursday and Friday. I've put off taking anything as its not going to kill me and I can't see how a tablet can help, but will it?
Any other sufferers on the forum?
Justin 44
I'm a new sufferer too of a similar age but I seem to get it earlier in the year from tree pollen, I moved to a new flat surrounded by trees which seemed to be the trigger, I thought it was a cold at first and only realised what it was this year, I take cetirizine for those weeks in May/June.
I feel sorry for those who have been lifelong sufferers with worse symptoms.
Ive suffered from it all of my life (I'm 57)
If I dont keep it under control its liable to trigger asthma. I lake Loratadine and Beconase daily in the season, I still suffer some days but Ive got used to it. Its like having a heavy cold with the added bonus of sore and itchy eyes. I used to use eye drops but these days bath with Oprtex if its particularly bad.
If my circumstances were different I would live by the sea - I always feel better there. (Dungeness preferrably)
In the past Ive tried eating local honey as some say this helps - it didnt seem to make any difference.
The good thing is that there are lots of medications and various preparations that will help. I recall when pretty much all you could get were antihistamines with side effects that made you hungover and very drowsy. Horrible things. As a matter of interest, Nytol which is sold as a non prescription sleeping aid is one of this family - such are the drowsy side effects.
Its a PITA but there are worse things to suffer from.
Last edited by Velorum; 23rd July 2016 at 10:43.
I developed it as an adult too, oddly it seems to have got slightly better over time, I must react to a very specific pollen as I suffer just in June mostly, Beconase and Citrazine helps a lot, occasionally Optrex for the eyes.
Mine started out of the blue when I was 25. It's fluctuated in severity over the years, but in the last 5 years or so, it's become much milder. I now take medication on a very ad hoc basis, where before it had to be daily during hay fever season. Coincidentally, I started liking honey on my toast (not local, just regular Waitrose stuff) round about the same time. For medication, I take Telfast (generic = Fexofenadine), prescription only, works a treat.
My wife used to suffer fron hay fever every year and took various medications in an attempt to alleviate the condition.
She was advised to sit it out for a year without taking any medication as this should allow her immune system to combat the symptoms. Although fairly sceptical she followed this advice, suffering whilst doing so but it seemed to do the trick.
She hasn't suffered since hay fever symptoms since.
It can come and go. It has with me.
Apparently eating locally made honey is the best thing for it.
I started getting it in my early 20s but for at least three years assumed I'd caught a summer cold as I had no idea what hay fever really was.
In the last four or five years I've used one of these with great success.
http://www.lloydspharmacy.com/en/llo...lergy-reliever
I've suffered all my life with it but it seems to have eased as I've got older.
I spent two days in hospital with it when I was about 7. Me and few mates were playing in a field of long wild grass. After an hour I couldn't see and after 2 hours I couldn't breathe. I got high dose antihistamine and oxygen for a day and it was bloody uncomfortable.
I take Sainsbury's own brand tablets whenever I feel it coming on but luckily I only need one packet a year now. My dad swears by homeopathic tablets but they've never worked for me.
I'm not sure if I have this but during spring (or at least for 2 months or so...) I'd get a runny nose and sometimes I sneeze quite a bit. The interesting thing about it is that it happens when doors/windows are largely open and it only occurs during the morning. It'll last for 10-15 minutes or so every few days I think.
I don't take any medications because f*** that s***! That's how you weaken your immune system. Thugg Lyfe!
It's an allergic reaction and it can be very serious. You can become sensitized to an allergen at any age.
You are assuming this is hay fever (grass pollen) but it could just as easily be any airborne material. Some people become allergic to house dust.
I've had it for years (some years far worse than others).
Ice cream helps as it cools the nazal passages apparently. Sunglasses are good too for keeping pollen out of your eyes. A small spray type atomiser is useful to damp the face if really bad.
Keep your bedroom windows shut to keep pollen out.
Dave
Thanks guys I'm glad it's not just me, as I say last few years just itchy eyes no real problem it's just this week that feels like a full cold, still won't kill me (I hope) so can't grumble.
Started at 23, had it really bad for 15-20 years but it has receded massively the past few years. Hardly get through a 20 pack of allergy tablets. This year may have been helped by a steroid nasal spray I'm on for some unknown lung issue.
Take a shower in the evening when you get home as pollen settles when the weather cools, so you could be going to bed smothered in the muck. Also an ionizer might help.
My hayfever started after I stopped smoking at 23-24, seems to be grass pollen which gets me going
I used to use the OTC antihistamines but the cost soon mounts up, then someone on the counter suggested Loratadine tablets as they cover all allergies whereas OTC drugs are geared just towards hayfever
I usually buy a big tub of tablets in spring and they'll do for the hayfever season
My wife is an Allergy Nurse Specialist, I think the term is Allergic Rhinitis and she always advocates preparing for the season with a spray (sorry can't remember which it is) which builds up immunity.
Also nasal douching, again there are particular devices but don't know which ones.
She has appeared on the news too.
http://www.itv.com/news/london/2016-...ver-this-year/
I can arrange private consultations with my wife for a small fee
Here is a leaflet from ENT UK with avoidance tips and medication (first page is page 2 - as it is a leaflet for printing)
https://entuk.org/sites/default/file...%20(09022).pdf
Last edited by LuvWatch; 24th July 2016 at 12:36.
Little tip for everyone who suffers, the cheaper antihistamine pills that you can buy from Boots or Tesco do the same job as the more expensive ones like Clarityn and Benadryl. Don't waste your money on something which does the same job.
Interesting, I used to suffer when I was younger. Got fedup with treatments and decided to just ignore it and put up with the symptoms. The following year I hardly had any symptoms and went for about 15 years with just the odd sniffle for a day or two which was easily ignored. I have started getting a bit worse in the last year or two and needed some Piriteze when the pollen is really bad.Originally Posted by JeremyO
I've heard that people are affected by different types of pollen so suffer more when particular plants are flowering. We have one friend who has a lot of trouble when the oilseed rape is in the fields.
Have also heard about local honey supposedly helping but no idea if it's just an old wives tale.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote