Hayfever in March?

[CLR1313]

Has anyone else’s hayfever started really suddenly this month? It’s either that or I’ve caught a cold (doesn’t feel like a cold though - but I do work with kids so 🤷🏼‍♀️)

I have counted how many sneezes I do every day for the past 3 years and yesterday I did 34 which is excessive! My nose is constantly tickly, my throat is itchy and even my ears itch.

Please tell me I’m not the only one suffering so early?

Def tree pollen - I don’t know where you are but in my area, apparently it’s alder trees which are notorious for the eyes, throat and sneezing issues. I’m on prescription strength fexofenadine and still streaming daily. Someone also told me that town planners typically plant male tress because they don’t drop fruits/seeds etc and make the streets easier to clean. Only problem is that they have higher levels of allergens.

I noticed this on Tuesday. Usually starts a good month later

Yes - tree pollen. Get some fexo

I was actually going to post about it too-

Have had hay fever my whole life and this year is hideous.

I feel really awful-eyes so itchy that I have rubbed new bags underneath, ears itch, throat itches, congested, and sneezing constantly. Feel a bit shivery from it. Gets worse in the evening.

Am alternating cetirizine and loratadine, using nose spray and eye drops. Am taking a benadryl before bed and sleeping propped up.

I actually did an online consult with surgery-hoping maybe they would prescribe something but made me an appointment for next week. I don't even know if there is anything more to be done but I am wretched!

Really? Mine starts in February every single year. There was a very bad year when we lived in East Anglia and there was a birch pollen cloud that came across from Europe with the wind. That's the first year I got prescription fexofenadine and I've been taking it ever since.

@Ilovelowry I think that was one of the Covid years as they were saying at the time that the pollen had greater strength that year due to the lesser amount of traffic. It was all getting free swirl!

Yep, the earliest I get it is mid February but it's in full swing.

On antihistamines for 3 weeks now one and off but fully on since Wednesday.

As others have said - Tree pollen - I get it too.

I don't get hay fever but my autistic daughter has been saying for the last 2 days that it smells like summer and not spring. I'm wondering if what she can smell is the pollen 🤷‍♀️

Get yourself some locally made honey. Bee hives within a mile or two of where you live ( or work if that the issue). I really helps! Garden centres often stock it, or check Facebook.

Obviously you have to eat it to make a difference, but it helps my son and DH with their tree pollen hay fever. Guess it's something to do with the body's immunity and production of histamine

Mine started mid February. The Kleenex pollen tracker showed alder and cypress as high. It is now down to moderate and I am much better. It's never started so early before.

@Ilovelowry

Can I ask you how strong your fexofenadiine is? Wondering if I should get some prescribed rather than OTC if it's stronger. How many do you take a day?

Thanks x

It's 180mg and i take one a day and then at the other end of the day a loratadine or cetirizine. Plus nasal spray.

Yeah I just noticed that I was sneezing a lot and so I started to keep track of how many every day. I log it in my notes app every time I sneeze. I am not particularly crafty, no, but I would like to do something with the data!

Mine is specifically willow catkins. The garden bordering on mine at the bottom has a willow tree in it.

Op, I'm allergic to grass pollen so I've got another month or so... but I didn't have hay fever until I was pregnant for the first time too. That was 18 years ago and it hasn't gone away, sadly.

Thanks, was going to ask as well and will keep in mind

Mine is horrendous this year as well. It’s making me permanently grumpy.

Mine started late January this year. Hazel tree covered in catkins over the road, me sniffling and sneezing, and husband says "but there's no pollen?". I don't know what he thinks catkins are for!

As soon as the beautiful tree blossoms come out…. Hide indoors!!

Yep, noticed the first signs a couple of weeks ago, started on loratidine, this week switched to fexofenadine (it's OTC now, usually sold as 'Allevia'). Will be trying Beconase this week as it's switching up... It's my neighbour's unpruned birch forest... 😫

Yes it’s particularly bad this year probably because, where I live, we’ve not had much rain to dampen the pollen down. I never usually suffer until late May/early June.

I use the pollen app to tell which one is starting up - I’m in London and it’s not too bad for me at the moment, but when the plane trees start it’s horrendous - usually knocks me out for a few days

This.

My eyes were particularly itchy yesterday, and I did think hayfever.

I take a daily antihistamine year round, and use eyedrops morning and night to combat my dry eyes, and that seems to keep on top of it pretty much.