Allergies

Who else is suffering? How are you dealing?

iv got them here too brt take prescrip meds and over the counter also

I have allergies, Usually just scratchey eyes, sometimes a sore throat. My mom gets generic claritin (sp) D.

I take allegra, and use a saline rinse in the mornings. Google the whole saline rinse thing. It works great!

i just suck it up as a man should and keep on going

YEAH......not as easy for some. kinda like asthma, some have it worse. Infact, If you have allergies as bad as I do, you will get asthma from it eventually.

been sucking on a spoonful of honey lately ... seems to help quite a bit

i gotta take shots, meds, and go to a allergist every 6 months. my sis is so highly allergic to nuts that even just the residue bein in the air can kill her. shes came close to needin the ambulance called a few times

BINGO! Natures cure for most allergy problems (pollen related) is local honey. I spoon full a day in your oatmeal, tea, or just straight will help dramatically in the long run.

Local raw unprocessed honey will do wonders for allergies. Bee pollen and propolis as well. Along with an increase in energy and overall feeling of well being too. Vitamin C is excellent for lung function with asthma sufferers.

wife has them bad takes otc meds and shes ok most of the time

Okay have some questions. I am 30 years old and just told by my doc. that I have mild asthma and prob. allergies. Now I have been battling sinus infections and what they think are allergies for the last couples years (they have never out right called them allergies until this year and than still arent sure, I geuss?). I even had sinus surgery earlier this year to help with this. I dont get the sinus infections as often but they seem to be a little worse when I do get them.

Now the question is can you develop asthma at any time or have they just been missing it or is it something else?

Hello, using my husband's acct here...as a longtime sufferer of pollen allergies and eternal student of herbal medicine I can tell you what herbs work for me, and work better than the 3 prescription meds combined that I was on (which were Zyrtec D, Nasonex and Singular---did next to crap...believe me I've tried most all of them).

Goldenrod (Solidago ssp. ...Solidago canadensis considered official but most considered interchangeable)
Poor golden Goldenrod gets the flack for causing fall allergies because people see it flowering everywhere. However it is insect pollinated therefore the pollen is not going up your nose and in your eyes. What flowers at the same time as goldenrod is ragweed, which has green flowers, goes unnoticed and the ragweed pollen under a microscope looks like it'd tear you apart limb from limb. Freaky little things. Goldenrod is great for spring and fall pollen allergies, and dog and cat dander allergies. It really helps with the eye itching. Tea or tincture of leaf/leaf and flower. Goes without saying, but don't drink goldenrod tea after you've had a few beers...you'll feel gross.

Ragweed also is good for allergies I hear (haven't tried)...you tincture the tops before the flowers open and use the tincture the next year. I've heard you should always try just one drop first, then a couple more to make sure you don't have a sensitive response, and keep dosing small (~15 drops). I'm a little wary of trying it personally but if nothing else was available I'd use it.

Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)
Gardeners pull gobs of this from their flower beds. This I think may be the most underused and ignored medicinal plant ever. Leaves used. Used in the middle ages to clarify and preserve beer as well as improve flavor (hence the old time name Alehoof) before the Protestants promoted the sedating Hops for beer preservation. Ground Ivy is great for sinus infections (can be used in place of Goldenseal), post nasal drips and is cooling, so I love adding it to my allergy tea, or to take a tincture. Ground Ivy also removes soft heavy metals from the body and was used for painter's poisoning back in the lead paint days.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
A must for asthmatics. Mullein leaf is fantastic for lung inflammation, constriction and subsequent wheezing.

Peppermint is also great for soothing inflamed sinuses.

Quercetin (found in yellow onion skins) is sold concentrated in tablet form (very expensive) but is amazing at stopping a histamine reaction. Get the tabs with bromelain (pineapple enzymes) for easier digestion of the tablet.

Local bee pollen. And local honey, as has been said. I find the dark fall wildflower honeys to be best, as they contain more antioxidants than light honeys, plus have goldenrod nectar in them which I talked about first. The nectar from plants that comprises honey is medicinal...I've heard (not tried) that taking poison oak honey (which is supposedly delicious and buttery) will keep you from having an allergic reaction to poison oak.

My current favorite regimen for pollen allergies is to take quercetin as I can afford it and local bee pollen, and a tea or tincture of ground ivy and mullein. The quercetin seems to eliminate my need for goldenrod, but if there is no quercetin around you can bet your buns I'm taking goldenrod or my eyes will be very unhappy.

Nettipot before bed so the pollen doesn't sit in sinuses all night...if I forget this step, I regret it in the morning. Showering the pollen off before bed is a good idea too. Why take that crap to bed with you and have your pillowcase rub it in your eyes.

Similasan makes a great allergy eye relief drop that's good to have on hand for sudden eye itching or washing a load of pollen out of your eyes that say, blew in your eyes from your open car window off of your windshield...

Food allergies are a whole different beast and that's too much to type here.....probiotics are a good start.

Happy coexisting with the pollen! Hope this helps