Hay fever

[Northerner]

I'm sure I must have developed this. I'm a bit sniffly indoors, but over the past couple of days, and this morning, as soon as I go outside my nose feels very irritated andon the brink of a sneeze and my eyes feel sore and stream with tears! 😱 Back indoors and things settle down again to a background sniffle.

Is it possible to develop this aged 56 after having no problems throughout my life? Anyone else found this? It's horrible!

 

[AJLang]

I have no answers for you but wanted to sympathise.

 

[Northerner]

I have no answers for you but wanted to sympathise.

Thanks Amanda - nothing to what you are dealing with, so {{{HUGS}}} right back 🙂

 

[Robin]

My husband started to suffer from it in his fifties. It started off with a reaction to all the fields of Rape around here, which I suppose wasn't around when he was a lad, but now it seems anything can trigger him off. conversely, I had it very badly until my thirties, when I seemed mostly to grow out of it, and it's only occasional,and very mild these days.I find Loratadine tablets sort it out, (branded as Clarytin but much cheaper if you buy the generic form, most supermarkets do them as an own brand, and Galpharm ones in the pharmacy or on line are cheap), as they are non drowsy.

 

[AJLang]

Thanks Amanda - nothing to what you are dealing with, so {{{HUGS}}} right back 🙂

Aaaah thank you Alan. hugs very appreciated 🙂

 

[Northerner]

My husband started to suffer from it in his fifties. It started off with a reaction to all the fields of Rape around here, which I suppose wasn't around when he was a lad, but now it seems anything can trigger him off. conversely, I had it very badly until my thirties, when I seemed mostly to grow out of it, and it's only occasional,and very mild these days.I find Loratadine tablets sort it out, (branded as Clarytin but much cheaper if you buy the generic form, most supermarkets do them as an own brand, and Galpharm ones in the pharmacy or on line are cheap), as they are non drowsy.

Ah, thanks for that Robin, I'll look for them in the shops 🙂 Never understood spending ten times as much on branded versions of the same medications!

 

[casey]

I am the same Alan. Developed Hay Fever at 49 years old. I buy Cetirizine tablets in Wilkinson, they cost 80 or 85 pence for a pack of 14 tablets which last for 2 weeks and recently they are selling packs of 30 for around £2. They work really well for me.

 

[Northerner]

I am the same Alan. Developed Hay Fever at 49 years old. I buy Cetirizine tablets in Wilkinson, they cost 80 or 85 pence for a pack of 14 tablets which last for 2 weeks and recently they are selling packs of 30 for around £2. They work really well for me.

Sorry you have it as well casey, but glad I'm not going mad! 🙂 Thanks for the info, they sound nice and cheap. Don't have a Wilkinson's near me, but will try local shops 🙂

 

[Bloden]

I developed hayfever in my 30s - some years it's mild and sometimes it's full on for short periods - I used to sneeze so much I'd get the giggles! I take a daily tablet called Ebastel Forte Flas and use eye-drops when necessary. I also avoid very grassy areas when out walking the dogs from May to September. Sorry to hear you've got it Northener - it's a pain!

 

[Robin]

I am the same Alan. Developed Hay Fever at 49 years old. I buy Cetirizine tablets in Wilkinson, they cost 80 or 85 pence for a pack of 14 tablets which last for 2 weeks and recently they are selling packs of 30 for around £2. They work really well for me.

Cetirizine ( branded as Piriteze, but again, cheaper in th generic form!) work well for my daughter, but they make her feel drowsy, so she only uses them if she's still sneezing at bedtime!

 

[Sally71]

I've had hay fever for most of my life, and it's mainly grass pollen that gets me so the season is May-September. Bizarrely I find that when I'm outside I'm fine, unless I'm standing in a field which is asking for trouble!, but then it's when I come inside that all the eye itching and sneezing starts!

I don't take any tablets because I don't find them very effective. The best one for me was Triludan (terfenadine), which used to knock the symptoms completely dead for a good four hours. Unfortunately that was banned in the 90s because there were certain circumstances under which it could affect people's heart rhythms. Since then I've never found anything else that is anywhere near as effective so I just don't bother

 

[Northerner]

Thanks Sally 🙂 I'll probably just put my toe in the water with whichever of the possibilities has been suggested here 🙂 Eyes have continued to feel sore, through the day and I think pollen levels have been high so hopefully this is the worst of it 🙂

 

[Sally71]

Morning and evening tend to be the worst times of day, as that's when the pollen is rising up into the air and coming down again. During the day on a nice day it goes up above you and doesn't irritate quite so much. On a rainy day it doesn't rise up at all so is less bothersome too!

Another funny thing - my hubby suffers too, and at the same time of year as me so must be reacting to grass pollen also. Yet we NEVER have an attack of the sneezes / sore eyes etc at the same time, normally when one of us stops the other starts!

 

[KookyCat]

I've had hayfever since I was a kid, but this year is what's known as an apocalyptic year apparently when those who don't normally suffer will have symptoms. Something to do with pressure and winds 🙄

Oh Sally I used to love Triludan it's was marvellous. My best tips is a red nose machine, you stick it up your snozzle three times a day and hey presto hayfever symptoms abate. It's the same principle as red light therapy for arthritis, I was very sceptical at first but I've used one for years now and don't need pills at all ( unless I was stood in a field whilst they were mowing, at which point I'd need an inhaler and pills and probably a mask), just use eye drops when the grass cutting obsession reaches its peak. I have to get cream for the rash I get when they're cutting grass which is apparently called a "hayfever rash" very literal

 

[Northerner]

Morning and evening tend to be the worst times of day, as that's when the pollen is rising up into the air and coming down again. During the day on a nice day it goes up above you and doesn't irritate quite so much. On a rainy day it doesn't rise up at all so is less bothersome too!

That's interesting, I sort of assumed that it would be worse during the day. Explains why I was so bad this morning.

I've had hayfever since I was a kid, but this year is what's known as an apocalyptic year apparently when those who don't normally suffer will have symptoms. Something to do with pressure and winds 🙄

My best tips is a red nose machine, you stick it up your snozzle three times a day and hey presto hayfever symptoms abate. It's the same principle as red light therapy for arthritis, I was very sceptical at first but I've used one for years now and don't need pills at all...

Seems I am living testimony to the apocalypse! 😱 Going to try and dig out some old Comic Relief red noses, the proper ones look a bit steep given that it may not last. (Love the way the description asserts that you can 'use discretely any time, anywhere' )

To paraphrase the classic Martini advert 'wear a bright one, look a right one' 😉

 

[Northerner]

I've bought some loratadine from Tescos, so let's see if they help. I'm not quite as bad as yesterday, but haven't been outside much.

It's just occurred to me that a few days ago I was complaining of having dry, sore eyes - now I've got dry, sore eyes when I wake, and then streaming, sore eyes during the day! 🙄

 

[Bloden]

My best tips is a red nose machine, you stick it up your snozzle three times a day and hey presto hayfever symptoms abate.

Thanks, Kooks. Just added to my wish list. Don't like taking tablets and not convinced they do anything frankly!

 

[KookyCat]

Mine is this one
http://www.international.boots.com/en/Boots-Allergy-Relief-Device-Batteries-Included-_1207448/

That one on Amazon is very pricey Northerner, I actually got my Boots one for a tenner when they had an offer on so worth keeping eyes open if it persists. I don't like pills either Bloden, never have, plus a lot of hayfever meds make me drowsy even when they're supposed to be non-drowsy.

Discretely using in public is not an option, because it literally lights up your nose! My nephew uses one because he has asthma and that gets worse in hayfever season and it helps him. Course it's quite comical when you first start using them coz they can make you sneeze and you can imagine the hilarity if you sneeze one of those out your snoz

 

[Sally71]

Well the sneezing and itchy eyes were driving me to distraction last night so this morning I finally gave in and pinched one of hubby's antihistamine tablets (Tesco's own Loratadine). And I have to say, so far it has worked rather well - I have the vaguest feeling of something not quite right at the back of my throat, but other than that I think I've only sneezed once today and my eyes feel fine. So I might have to amend my opinion of antihistamines!

Hope they work for you too Northerner!

 

[Northerner]

Well the sneezing and itchy eyes were driving me to distraction last night so this morning I finally gave in and pinched one of hubby's antihistamine tablets (Tesco's own Loratadine). And I have to say, so far it has worked rather well - I have the vaguest feeling of something not quite right at the back of my throat, but other than that I think I've only sneezed once today and my eyes feel fine. So I might have to amend my opinion of antihistamines!

Hope they work for you too Northerner!

Sort of, I think - I certainly feel better than I did before taking it, but still a bit sniffy and eyes a bit sore - could be cumulative from the past few days I suppose. Hard to tell if they've made me drowsy as I didn't sleep particularly well last night and have been up since 5:30 🙄

KookyCat, that certainly looks a much more reasonable price and might be worth considering if the pills don't work 🙂 I don't like taking pills either, and put off taking the one today after being scared off by the whole anaphylaxis side-effect warning 😱

The good thing is that this doesn't appear to have affected my BG levels like a cold usually would.