If you suffer from hay fever can you help me out please?

[iMatter]

Ds2 (13) has suffered from terrible hay fever over the last 3 summers. It makes his life a misery even with the full gamut of prescription drugs and his brown inhaler. He was hospitalised last year with a bad asthma attack and ended up wearing clear glasses every day to try to reduce the symptoms.

We live very rurally (in a National Park) and are surrounded by trees, farmland and have a big garden and paddock. Pollen is everywhere - for example my car is covered in it. Both my dc go to school in our nearest city but even though his school is right in the middle of the city he really suffered last year. I think perhaps it was all the oil seed rape the bus drove past on the way to school.

Anyway, he has been having acupuncture since March and so far so symptoms of hay fever at all. Nothing. Nada.

The reason for my post is to ask if you have hay fever has it kicked in yet? Are you suffering? I can't believe that with the amount of pollen around we have escaped but it does seem to be the case. I'm holding my breath big time but would really appreciate hearing your own experience so far this year.

None of the rest of us suffer and most of dc's friends have been away for Easter and/or live in the city so it's hard to compare.

We live in the south of England if that helps.

TIA

Yep, mine has been getting worse for the last month or so and pretty awful the past three days, although I can get it under control with nose sprays and the like!

I'm in the midlands.

might depend on the type of pollen - I'm allergic to grass pollen so no real effects yet, but my colleague is affected by tree pollen now. He'll be fine by the time mine starts!

I agree - dh suffers when the grass pollen is out but isn't bothered by anything else.

Ds suffered from April all the way through the whole summer last year and I kept thinking he'd be fine when the next pollen came on the scene but he wasn't.

Maybe last year was particularly bad but I have to confess I'm really hoping the acupuncture has helped!

I usually suffer at this time of year, but nothing so far. Acupuncture can't cure hayfever so it must just be a coincidence - hopefully he's grown out of it.

Yes it has been awful- especially Friday. I am v allergic to birch pollen

Yes it's kicked in the past month

Yes, badly affected. I cannot sleep without the window open (peri ) and for about the last week I have been waking around 4am gasping to breath. I have asthma that’s usually controlled but hospitalises me occasionally and whatever has been triggering the hay fever is ramping up the asthma . I’ve assumed it is some kind of pollen, tree pollen I guess. I’m testing out different antihistamines at night to see if any help.

Has he been tested at an allergy clinic to find out what his particular allergies are? I was referred by my GP years ago (to St Mary’s Paddington) and found it really useful. I’m suffering right now and I’m allergic to plane trees and grass pollen but it’s usually more or less over by July. Hope the acupuncture keeps working.

DS is allergic to birch and grass pollens amongst other things and has been bad for past month and missed school for it (he's starting immunotherapy at St Thomas' soon as it's so severe).

He is 13 and we live in SE England so sounds to me like it's working. Hope it continues to do so

Thank you so much for your replies.

I read up on acupuncture and hay fever and decided to give it a go because of the positive (anecdotal) reports relating to children.

I broke my wrist really badly last year (total smash up) and when I was suffering with really bad pain weeks/months afterwards my (NHS) physio organised acupuncture for me and it was transformative.

I decided to try it for ds's hayfever but I have to admit I wasn't sure it would work.

Hopefully it's helped so I'll keep my fingers crossed (until September...)

DD (who has had immunotherapy), DS and I are all suffering horribly at the moment. Sneezing, bunged up, very sore eyes etc etc etc. I really hope it works for your DS.

I’m SE and was hospitalised 2 years ago - truly feel his pain 😩. Mines been ok only a few days of having to take drugs. I woke up this morning though absolutely buggered and have taken all my drugs 😳.

On a different note, oil seed rape and birch are my foes and this has moved into an anaphylaxis allergy to stoned fruit so please be careful of cherries etc. If he has a mouth itch it can progress...... to say I’m a bit gutted about this is an understatement - I loved cherries 🙄

Ask for him to be referred for immunotherapy. I had it a few years ago and my allergies are so much better plus I'm on fexofenadine.

I’m about to book some acupuncture sessions for me for hay fever. Had it back in the 90s and really improved with it. Also had it for bad pmt. it does really depend on the practioner as I’ve tried with different people and it’s not been as good.

I’ve been really bad this weekend, have spent the entire gorgeous weekend inside.

We had an ambulance out for ds(12) on Saturday night, as he had an asthma attack brought on by hayfever.
He's fine, just needed nebs and oxygen until the steroids kicked in, so people don't worry.
The paramedic said we were the third he'd been to that night for the same thing.
Were in Scotland, and poor ds has been suffering for the past fortnight ish.

Nothing yet but I think mine is caused by grass.

I have been using the eye drops though as they work better for me if I start using them regularly before hayfever season.

I've been very sneezy for the last few days. It was only when the sore eyes kicked in last night that I realised that it was my hay fever. I've never had it so early in the year before.

My GP advised that I start taking antihistamines months before hayfever season. It has really helped in the past few years. I still get slightly red eyes on very bad days but no asthma attacks

I am not in the UK but hay fever season has kicked in just recently (winter lingers here).

When I see a ten day weather forecast with no frost I start taking Flonase. After the initial period of twice a day dosage I go to once a day augmented by eye drops. On really bad days I take a quick relief antihistamine pill too, usually at night as they knock me flat.

I developed hay fever as an adult right before my DS was born. It's such a pita. Hate it.

I take 2nd generation antihistamine prescribed by the docs. They really help much better than normal tablet but work much better if taken around Feb before allergy's kick in.

Hopefully it will work for your DS. Hay fever is awful.
I’m rather up north and suffer from grass pollen so usually take meds since May. We were a lot outside last few days because of the weather and I was sneezing so started taking Benadryl already. I also heard advice about starting meds before the season kicked off and tried this last few years. It felt better but maybe they’re just my easy years.
I found that washing hair and changing clothes straight when you came home helped a lot.

you need to keep car windows down and have the filters in the car air con replaced.
no flowers indoors. showering/hairwashing before bed and no outside clothes in bedroom...
(many more things you can do)

I am affected by tree pollen.
For the last few years I've been eating the really local honey and this has definitely reduced my symptoms.

Rub vicks vapour rub all around inside of nostrils
If eyes are itching rub a layer along top of cheek bones
Both the above help with snotty nose, blocked nostrils and itchy eyes. You stream for a couple of mins then you get used to it and it's massively better!

My hayfever has just started in the last few days. Drugs usually don't work for me (the only one that did, Terfenadine, was withdrawn) but Beconase nasal spray does and my hayfever is terrible when it rears its head - it is really debilitating if I don't take the spray.

Beconase is not recommended for people under 18 but you could try asking your GP if your son could try it, or whether there are any similar nasal sprays that might work (Flixonase is another one). It stops my itchy eyes as well.