Allergies....anyone else suffering right now?

[Duojett71]

I usually just get the Fall allergies with all the ragweed down south, but starting last year I began getting the Spring allergies.
Last year it was more of a minor annoyance....but this year the Spring allergies have hit me harder than the Fall allergies ever have.
Sinus passages keep swelling up, sneezing all the time, sinus headaches, runny nose and I want to carve my eyes out they itch so
bad....Right now my eyes are red and swollen all around. They allergy eye drops are only minor relief. I am taking some over the counter
allergy stuff at night....I have the Zicam nose spray....which I am afraid of growing dependent on, and I am doing the Nety Pot nasal
rinse in the morning and at night, using the Breathe Rights.....and it still sucks...

Any of you guys going through this.....any suggestions?

[Gunner4Life]

Oh hell yeah, bad. I just take a Zyrtec... It doesn't really help me for when I get that insane itch deep in my ear that tickles your inner ear and your throat.

[Duojett71]

yeah taking the Zyrtec on and off....the thing that sucks is most allergy pills that are worth a damn make you
drowsy....and I can't be like that at work.....the other part that sucks is that its really early....not even Spring yet
and the worst is yet to come....

[MarkTFlyingV]

I'd focus on strengthening and regulating your immune system rather than chasing the symptoms around. You gotta do what you gotta do to get through the day, but your immune system absolutely needs a couple key things your diet and lifestyle don't provide sufficiently. Needn't be a big regimen or a handful of pills. How about:

Vitamin D3 5000IU per day, one tiny softgel, dirt cheap, brand doesn't matter
Vitamin C - 1-3 grams per day, divided doses, I use those EmergenC drink mix packets, one gram each, a couple a day
Magnesium - capsules, oxide or chelated or a combination, 250 mg, take 2 with food twice per day
Zinc - get 30 mg caps, they're tiny, take 1 with food twice per day
Fish oil softgels - get the double or triple strength, you want at least 1000 mg of combined DHA/EPA. That'll be from 1-3 softgels. If you can double that, all the better.

There's a pretty good shotgun formula by Source Naturals called Wellness Factor, a lot of people swear by that. Herbs, vitamins, minerals a little of everything.

Then there's a combination of a plant nutrient called quercetin with an enzyme from pineapple called bromelain. Every health food store has a couple bromelain/quercetin formulas, they're often referred to as a 'natural antihistamine', although they work through a different mechanism than the drugs. They won't make you drowsy.

[cvansickle]

Nasonex is my friend!

[Dinosaur David B]

Claratin D 24 hour, or sometimes just Claratin (generic version) usually works for me, but the problem this time of year might be running the heat -- which dries out the air a lot, and overall lack of moisture.  Amy has severe allergies, so we have to run a humidifier in the house.  If you ARE running a humidifier, you need to clean it weekly to keep mold and spores from forming and getting shot into your air. Those can kick up your allergies.

I also recently changed the filter on my heat/AC intakes. You're supposed to do that seasonally so the dust and cruft in your air doesn't recirculate through the house when you're running heat (or AC). I put in one that is supposed to catch the most allergens.

[Agrippa]

I´ve got an allergy to perrier, daylight and responsibility !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXwlorEn1lY

... and to piezo pick-ups, solid state and modelling amps.

There´s NO remedy to alliate the symptoms !

[Duojett71]

Claratin D 24 hour, or sometimes just Claratin (generic version) usually works for me, but the problem this time of year might be running the heat -- which dries out the air a lot, and overall lack of moisture.  Amy has severe allergies, so we have to run a humidifier in the house.  If you ARE running a humidifier, you need to clean it weekly to keep mold and spores from forming and getting shot into your air. Those can kick up your allergies.

I also recently changed the filter on my heat/AC intakes. You're supposed to do that seasonally so the dust and cruft in your air doesn't recirculate through the house when you're running heat (or AC). I put in one that is supposed to catch the most allergens.

Yeah I almost went and got a humidifier on Monday....but then I thought...."well we are coming out of the dry season", but I think that was a mistake.
I think I will pick one up this weekend. I did change the air filters in the house. I did not know they made air filters that are good for most allergies. I will
have to search those out. Good advice.....thanks!