[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]
What use are allergies, anyway?! I mean, what differential-survival-and-reproduction advantage do they confer?! (Or are they just another instance of God’s cruel sense of humor?)
[/QUOTE]
Just an evolutionary fuck up–immune system responding to something it doesn’t need to respond to. Then there’s the theory that allergies are our own damn fault for being too clean.
Hey, NinjaChick–maybe the best thing you can do for yourself is get yourself infected by hookworms.
In combination with the medications (which is sounds like you and the student health people are working on), something that helps for a lot of pollen allergies is plain old washing.
Since you know that the juniper pollen is your big problem at the moment, physically eliminating the pollen from as much of your environment as possible is key. Wash everything. Do not wear clothes outdoors more then once if possible, and if you are going to wear jeans or sweats or caps etc. more then one, keep them sealed in a trash bag or a tote (deidcated to outside stuff) while you are in your room. If it’s cold try to wear sweatshirts or sweaters that can be washed each time rather then a regular jacket that likely isn’t washed much at all. Wash your bedding (especially pillowcases and nything you pull up over your face) as much as is possible. wipe down all your funiture, and floors (if vinyl etc) every couple of days and vaccum anything that can’t be wiped off.
Shoes off and outdoor clothes off as soon as you come home, and take a damp paper towel and wipe off your backpack or books or whatever you may have carried around with you. And as previously mentioned shower as frequently as is practical. Try to go to bed clean.
you may also want to keep your dirty laundry (espeically stuff you wear outside) in a trashbag or a sealed plastic tote until the pollen production slacks off.
This kind of vigulance can be a pain in the ass (and expensive) for a college student, and obviously it won’t be perfect but keeping your living environment (especially where you sleep) as free from the evil pollen as possible will help.
And the peak pollen season for trees is only a few weeks.
I have nasty pollen allergies, and used these types of techniques to help when I was in college. Unfortunately, if you have a roomate, it would help if they would be willing to work with you as far as containing clothing etc. even if they don’t have to wash their things the way that you do.
[QUOTE=fessie]
Not necessarily. Read this: My House is Killing Me. My daughter was diagnosed with asthma last January so I did some research and talked to our home inspectors - they recommended Mays’ book.
By following his advice, I’ve managed to keep our use of meds way down this year - my daughter hasn’t been on Singular this time around and only needed her nebulizer (pulmicort and albuterol) about once a month, when she caught colds. I’ve only needed Advair a half dozen times.
…
[/QUOTE]
Let me clarify, for me there is no avoiding dust mites. Because all the stuff you’d have to do to cut down on them I do not have the time or energy to do. It’s a vicious circle.
And nobody sympathizes with you. “Oh, it’s just allergies.” Look - a cold lasts, what, a week? Allergies are all the time.
I’m with you!
[QUOTE=Wile E]
Let me clarify, for me there is no avoiding dust mites. Because all the stuff you’d have to do to cut down on them I do not have the time or energy to do. It’s a vicious circle.
[/QUOTE]
Seriously? Maybe you already know this, I don’t mean to argue, but just putting your pillows and mattresses in those allergy-proof bags might do a world of good. They’re not cheap, around $7 for the pillow bags, $20-40 for the mattress bags, but it’s not a repeat expense, they last a good while.
Changing our furnace filters more frequently (like once a month) has been another good one for us, they run about $12 each.
[QUOTE=niblet_head]
I feel you, though. I hate spring so much. My major symptom is fatigue. No real sneezing, or itchy eyes, or sinus pressure. Just the never-ending desire to put my head down on my desk and become unconscious. Ever been past the point of exhaustion but not allowed to go to sleep? Makes ya kinda cranky.
[/QUOTE]
THANK YOU… and YOU, too, elfkin477 – I thought I was the only one who felt this way.
Other than slightly teary eyes, a little stuffiness, I don’t have many of the obvious symptoms, but damn, I feel like I could sleep 24/7.
OK, time for bed :x
Has the OP tried injections, and if not, why not? They really do work, if you are an informed patient and help your allergist track what exactly you’re allergic to. Fierra was taking medicine every single day and under the weather a lot, and after 3 years of shots, she only takes shots once a month, and is totally medicine-free, even in the bad seasons. It makes a huge difference in her quality of life.
Even tho I did read the tile, I saw this-
as
Which made absolutely no sense.
Perhaps because my head is full of Oak Pollen.
sneeze
[QUOTE=fessie]
Seriously? Maybe you already know this, I don’t mean to argue, but just putting your pillows and mattresses in those allergy-proof bags might do a world of good. They’re not cheap, around $7 for the pillow bags, $20-40 for the mattress bags, but it’s not a repeat expense, they last a good while.
Changing our furnace filters more frequently (like once a month) has been another good one for us, they run about $12 each.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I got the covers on the mattress and pillows. I also have a very dusty house and when I try to clean I have allergy attacks, hence the vicious circle.
[sub]Sometimes it’s a viscous circle, too, if I produce enough mucus.[/sub]
[QUOTE=NinjaChick]
Has anyone here tried Singulair? Apparently it works “differently” than most other allergy meds, and I might ask the student health office to write me a prescription for it.
[/QUOTE]
I took Singulair for years and it worked quite well until I finally built up a resistance to it. I am allergic to pretty much anything I can snuffle up, so Singulair should work on juniper! 
Kathy
[QUOTE=Una Persson]
Has the OP tried injections, and if not, why not? They really do work, if you are an informed patient and help your allergist track what exactly you’re allergic to. Fierra was taking medicine every single day and under the weather a lot, and after 3 years of shots, she only takes shots once a month, and is totally medicine-free, even in the bad seasons. It makes a huge difference in her quality of life.
[/QUOTE]
I haven’t, nor have I ever seen an allergist. There’s a whole bunch of reasons but at this point, it wouldn’t be covered by insurance, and even if it was, it still wouldn’t make much financial sense - I’m only in this part of the country for about a year more, and then I (hopefully) will be moving someplace nice and urban where they’ve paved over all the nature and there’s far less pollen in the air.
Last night I managed to actually sleep, lying down, and continue breathing somewhat regularly, so that’s good.
Ninja - if you can swing it, you might want to see one. My troubles started in Austin, but I’ve now lived in Omaha and Chicago and traveled many places (including to the campus of your school!) and my suffering has not lessened. Just an FYI in case you win the lottery, or something.
[QUOTE=CalMeacham]
An allergy is one of the worst things ever?
Allergies are some of the worst things ever?
Allergies, although plural, is one of the singular worst things ever?
Allergies is or are the worst things ever?
Another reason to be glad I don’t have allergies.
[/QUOTE]
Fuck Allergies.
fixed
I saw my new dermatologist yesterday – I think he’s about 22 years old (sigh) – and mentioned my itchy eyes. He wants to send me for an opthalmology consult because he thinks I have ocular rosacea. Anybody ever heard of that?
It’s hay fever, dammit. Fargin’ rookie.
I’ve been miserable all winter because of sinus headaches and infections. Or at least that’s what I was diagnosed with. And put on antibiotics for 4 times since November. Until I visited my ENT yesterday to get the results of my sinus CAT scan and learned that I don’t have any frikkin’ sinuses. Frontal sinuses, at least. Nada. Zip. Nothing but bone. And all my headaches are in my forehead. So should I be happy that I don’t have sinus headaches or unhappy that I have headaches of totally unknown provenance?
And allergies suck balls. Extreme hay fever is exquisite suffering. You have my sympathy, **NinjaChick ** and other sufferers.
Allergies,
These are my balls.
I wish for you to suck them.
[QUOTE=Zebra]
Allergies,
These are my balls.
I wish for you to suck them.
[/QUOTE]
Well, I for one don’t really want allergies to suck my balls. Frankly, I’ve always found having my balls sucked rather painful. But the fact remains that allergies do, regardless of my preferences, suck my balls.
[QUOTE=cowgirl]
I suffered miserably from hay fever and dust allergies until I pretty much entirely gave up dairy products. Now I can quite reliably bring on a sneezing fit by eating a slice of pizza.
I know, I know. I love cheese too. But my naturopath said to me “I personally don’t care if you eat dairy or not. Just try giving it up for a week and see what happens. Then you will know if it has consequences for you, and you can choose whether to eat it or not.” So I tried it, and I’ve never felt better. YMMV.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, yeah, yeah… every time I go to a new doctor or allergist or nurse-practitioner or whatever I get the “Try giving up dairy for a week!” Or two. All that happens is I miss my favorite breakfast and I’m still an allergic mess.
I guess the one thing I’m definitely NOT allergic to is cow’s milk…
But does anyone believe me? Of course not. Nevermind I have allergies for nearly 45 years, I’m obviously too much of a fucking moron to have any clue about MY OWN BODY.
My recommendation? Go to an allergist WHO HAS ALLERGIES. Those are the only people who have helped me. When I was referred to a dermatologist and given a list of same I asked “Which one of these suffers from eczema his or herself?” and THAT’s the one I picked.
I fucking HATE allergies. HATE HATE HATE!
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]
What use are allergies, anyway?! I mean, what differential-survival-and-reproduction advantage do they confer?! (Or are they just another instance of God’s cruel sense of humor?)
[/QUOTE]
There is some evidence that susceptibility to allergies overlaps with greater resistance to intestinal parasites, but it is not yet definitively proven. As sanitation improves and people have fewer gut worms the incidence of allergies in the population goes up. That’s all I got.
Personally, if it would drive this shit into remission I’d consider providing a home for a tapeworm or maybe a couple of roundworms or such. No problem.