Hay fever

[triplesalco]

Fully prepared to be flamed if I'm wrong!

My niece takes a lot of time off school due to her hay fever, attendence is around 80%, she is 15.
When she was younger if was awful, hospitalised due to the asthma attack that comes on due to it.

She hasn't been hospitalised for the past two years though.

I popped over there today and my niece is in garden wearing short shorts and bikini top looking beautiful and tanned but she's not at school because her hay fever is really bad today.

Can you sunbathe if you have hay fever?

It may be different for other people - however when my hay fever is bad enough to take a day off work, I have to keep all the windows shut and wear goggles to try and stop my eyes swelling shut.

I couldn't be in the garden!

If her hayfever was so bad that she couldn't go to school, she really shouldn't be in the garden.

When I get it I'm stuck inside, windows closed.

It depends OP. Both my DCs have asthma. The eldest the same as your niece. Has been hospitalised before due to the asthma attack it brought on. But she is also very active, loves school and would be climbing the bloody walls if she couldn't have a bit of garden time.

Same with my DS actually, for a different reason, ASD - and needs energy outlet. His hayfever is quite bad at the minute. DDs antihistamines us working in her but his aren't working on his. I think its to do with the different pollens as to how it affects people differently.

I'm guessing it's an excuse. 80% attendance is pretty bloody awful. And she won't be getting hayfever all year. School refusal?
Hayfever can be disabling and awful. It needs proper treatment. The same with asthma. I'm doubting this is the case here though.

I couldn't be outside if mine was bad.

I found acupuncture really helpful. Might be worth mentioning it to her.

Thank you all.
i can understand wanting to be outside but I would've thought that would be a walk, not laying on a blanket reading a magazine.
I love her and it's so upsetting to see her not try. I'm really concerned about her exams.

If I try to say anything to her parents I get "she's very intelligent, she knows what she wants to do" and they seem happy with that.

I might just mention that I saw a post on mumsnet that could've been written about you!

I couldn't even have a walk of mine was bad. Inside. Windows shut.
I suspect she's truanting and they are lying about it. If she really had such terrible hayfever they would be searching for remedies before she has to hold down a job. And GCSE exams are in prime hayfever season. Time to get it sorted.

Part of me is hoping that she's not being deliberately deceptive and is actually scared about an attack but either way I think she needs outside help. Just have to find a way to get my dsis to listen.

My hayfever has got better over the years but as a teenager was really bad. Closed windows, cold compress over eyes/forehead and all the hayfever drugs under the sun. No way I could have been outside. Could it be that she's worried about the asthma returning so takes the day off almost as a precaution as soon as she feels the hayfever coming on?

That's what I am hoping!

I'm inside today with the windows and curtains shut and lots of face washing. Is she taking any tablets to help with the hayfever, I've found lots of OTC ones to be successful in relieving some of the symptoms (not all)

Ds has severe asthma and hay fever is one of the triggers. If it was bad enough he couldn't be in school then no way would he be well enough to be outside

I beg to differ that you can't get Hay fever all year. The seasons are not as definite as they used to be and the growing season is longer. Allergies can be all year round starting with tree pollen Jan/Feb. Current medication is pretty useless for some of us. Immunotherapy is being trialed but it is not suitable for multiple allergies. Asthma can, as I am sure you are aware, be life-threatening. Several children have died in schools from an asthma attack.

I know she's tried some otc but doesn't like them. She says she copes with nothing.

Today she looks fine. No red eyes/nose etc.

I posted this to see if I was being nasty aunt, as I don't have personal knowledge of hay fever. Also I wanted someone to tell me she's not playing everyone.

I think I will guide them to this thread - you lot will give them a virtual slap and I thank you all!!

She copes with nothing but suffers too much to go to school? Bullshit!
I understand how crippling asthma and hayfever can be. I have the added joy of eczema that makes me want to peel my own face off. OTT meds do nothing for me. My GP has been able to help.
For whatever reason she just doesn't want to go to school.

I can suffer badly with hayfever. Even on days where it isn't playing up I'm wary of spending too much time on the grass. A day off with it would mean, swollen painful eyes, feeling as if I've got a heavy cold, sinus pain, possibly bad throat. Windows would all be closed and I'd be in and out of the shower.

Her hayfever cannot be too bad if she's sunbathing. In the years before I got my hayfever under control (I swear there is something in good-quality apple juice that calms symptoms right down, effervescent vitamin c tablets help a lot too), I never got a tan - because I was always hiding inside!

You can sunbathe with hayfever if it's under control with medication. But if it's under control then she's not having a bad attack so should be at school. When my hayfever used to be awful I feel is much better to be inside at school than outside at home. So she's skiving.

O/T can I suggest Avamys from the GP for those with really bad hayfever. It's changed my life!