Help with Hayfever

[sallym]

My hayfever has been the worse this year that i can remember. I am taking Pirton regularly, but I still have to spend my time in the garden in small amounts and then have sneezing and itchy fits for 10 mins before going back out. I would really like to try some natural methods rather than popping pills all day. I find they make me so drowsy, but if I don't take them I'm good for nothing all day and going into the garden is a definate no-no.
Do any Grapes have some advice please?

[Starchild]

there is a non drowsy version of piriton called piriteze.

As for natural methods, I would suggest going to boots or holland and barratt and see what they have in the herbal remedy section, just remember, none of the staff are herbalists though and herbal stuff can interfere with over the counter and prescription medicines. Just 'cos it's natural don't mean it's safe.

[scarey55]

I used to take a spoonful of local honey helped a lot although it takes a while to take effect. It must be honey made using local pollen that way you get a kind of homoeopathic remedy and, if you like honey you win on both counts

ps, just found this link that you may find useful

[Capsid]

My wife uses Benadril, works great.

[quark1]

Something I've done for many years now for the nightime.

Make sure bedroom windows are shut and/or curtained during the day - grim on a sunny summer's day but the misery of hayfever can be so debilitating.

Use an old fashioned bedcover (or an old sheet) - remove just before retiring AND turn over your pillow. If you have a partner they will also need to adopt same method!

Pollen rises and falls with heat so any which has sunk onto your bedlinen will hopefully be minimised this way. I still suffer around 4-5am when the airborne stuff begins to fall but this really does help.

Shake bedding items each morning before covering with bedspread. By no means a cure - but it will relieve.

I have also remarked to my son how I seem to be sneezing with thunderous, unladylike! atishoos this year after many a year with just a snivel or two. Have had to resort to some terfenedine (aka triludan) which I was prescribed a long time ago to help with asthma. Can't take too much as it doesn't always agree with me (palpitations). Simply welcome the damp-down days as that will clearly help nature's way without any artificial assistance at all!

[Two_Sheds]

I'm really bad this year (and I thought 07 was bad).
I am taking Piriton/Piriteze (well, the generic 58p version from Asda) and I am still sneezing.
The very worst is the itchy eyes that I get around 6pm (indoors! Even if I haven't been out all day, not even had the windows open). I'm starting to believe that the medication is CAUSING the symptoms.

[sallym]

I used to take a spoonful of local honey helped a lot although it takes a while to take effect. It must be honey made using local pollen that way you get a kind of homoeopathic remedy and, if you like honey you win on both counts

ps, just found this link that you may find useful

Thanks Scarey,
Will try the local honey. Can't stand the taste, but hayfever worse and if I'm lucky I'll get to like it

[scarey55]

Thanks Scarey,
Will try the local honey. Can't stand the taste, but hayfever worse and if I'm lucky I'll get to like it

You're welcome although, like you I also hate honey yeuch,(sp?)

Good luck with it though - I think that hayfever is the worst thing 'specially for a gardener. I also agree with you Two Sheds, hayfever is deffo worse this year - let's hope it isn't a trend

[OverWyreGrower]

I've had to take 3 days off work in the last 2 weeks alone cos of hayfever. It's got so bad that I can't drive, open my eyes properly, or breathe...

I'm taking antihistamines, and also have been taking decongestants every day for 3 weeks.

The doctor has said that he can't do anything else and I'll just have to "live with it"...

I've got a small ioniser which comes to work with me, goes in the bedroom at night etc. It goes someway to help actually. Our bedroom is in permanant stuffy darkness cos I keep the windows and curtains shut all the time.

One of the best things I do is shower and wash my hair every single night, then I'm "clean" from pollen overnight. Not doing my hair much good, but at least I'm getting about 4 hours sleep a night!

[Mikey]

Wow, you learn something everyday, my OH and DD both suffer, though lucky for me I don't. I will try and get some local honey from the farmers market next week.

Cheers

[janeyo]

How local does the honey have to be? The nearest I can find is about 4/5 miles ish as the crow flies. Is this local enough?
MY OH is suffering terribly this year (new house with large gardens and never inside). Last night his eyes actually closed up. I would love to help him with the honey thing.

janeyo

[Shortie]

Yes the hayfever has been really awful this year. I normally get 1 attack in April, but this year after 3 attacks of it I ended up off work for 2 weeks with a chect infection that wouldn't budge (and I still have the flippin' cough!

I'd echo what others say:

Local Honey - it's made of the pollen you're likely to be allergic to and I've been told that ingesting it builds you body's defenses up. Not sure if you need to take it 365 day a year though to keep the antibodies up??

Vasaline around the nostrils is supposed to prevent most it the pollen getting up your nose in the first place...

Aparently removing your 'day clothes' before entering your bedroom helps stop the pollen getting in there and having a rinse down to get rid of the pollen you've picked up outside (gosh, sounds like a Blue Movie starting here!)

Keeping windows shut.

The last few don't help mcuh when you want to go into the garden but I guess the local honey and vasaline might help when you want to venture out?

Let us know how you get on, know we've made you our guinea pig!

[HeyWayne]

Pollen rises and falls with heat so any which has sunk onto your bedlinen will hopefully be minimised this way. I still suffer around 4-5am when the airborne stuff begins to fall but this really does help.

This must be why I don't suffer with it - the pollen never makes it up this far!

You all have my sympathies for what it's worth. LadyWayne wears huge sunglasses which seems to help, and takes Piriton in the evening.

[Shortie]

Oooo good point the HW.. I read recently to wear those wrap around sunglasses (you know, make you look like a fly ) to stop the pollen from getting to your eyes.

What a fab image I have in my head... large ski-style sunnies and vasaline smotthered over the nostrils, lol!!

[sallym]

Have my local honey and started to eat it yesterday ( see Sal shudder at the thought). Will let you know how I get on. Thanks for your ideas.