Rod,
I’m sure you’ll get tons of advice on this. I think it’s because you are exposed to local strains of pollen so have not yet developed an immunity. Best to see an allergist I suppose for a season or two.
BTW, I you really want to enjoy a Delaware Valley spring, consider a trip to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square:
http://www.longwoodgardens.org/

Don’t know if you’ve had our wind, but here in Baltimore we had days and days of breezy conditions and this has blown up a lot of allergens in the air. My asthma has been reacting accordingly. A week ago I suffered a severe attack while I was asleep, woke up with the wonderful knowledge that I had quit breathing and had to fight to get my breath back, then coughed for a long, long time, and stayed home Saturday feeling like something the cats leave in the litter box.
Still, it’s not as bad here as in Florida where mold is the state fungus.

local honey is said to help – try looking up beekeepers in your area

Have local RAW honey every day, at least a tablespoon. Local = within 25-30 miles of your address.

The neti pot. I suffered with seasonal allergies for years, but could not bring myself to use the neti pot, despite the urgings from my holistically inclined friends. It seemed like self-induced water-boarding. Finally, in snotty desperation two springs ago, I gave it a try. I’m a believer.

Rod – no suggestions for the non drug route, as I have tried them and found them wanting. I use Allegra now for seasonal stuff – it works pretty well and is non-sedating. You’ll need a prescription for it. YOu can try Claritin or Zytec, which are OTC and also non sedating. (Zyrtec actually made me drowsy, FWIW)

I’ve heard this too about the local honey, just recently, and from many sources. I’m going to give it a try. Even though I’ve lived in this part of Minnesota for years, I’m suffering and it can’t hurt.

Have you tried something like Loratadine (the ingredient in Claritin and Alavert and other allergey medicines) which doesn’t cause drowsiness? I’ve heard from friends on the East Coast who use it that such OTC medicines can keep allergies under control without causing fatigue and drowsiness.
Good luck, hope you can find something that works for you.

Well bee products may help, but probably the main cause of your allergies (and mine) is the pollen from wind pollinated plants (trees, weeds, grass). Plants that are pollinated by insects generally have too big of pollen grains to be carried by the wind. So unless you are out there rolling about in a bunch of flowering bushes, bee products will probably of little use.
Right now the big problem is the tree pollens. Once June hits it will be the grass pollens, and in the fall the weed pollens. We have July as a reprieve. I’m considering getting a cortisteroid shot to get me through the next month until my wedding. I really, really don’t want to be feeling this way at the altar. That said, the cortisteroid shots only last about a month and shouldn’t be taken too often–maybe once a year when symptoms get really bad. However, I am looking into the immuno-therapy. It does require several years of commitment to injections (starting at about once a week then a few years later going down to once a month) but they really do help. My mom had horrific allergies in her twenties, went through the shots, and now can get by on a regular otc antihistamine. The downside is the cost; probably not covered by insurance. However, considering the misery that I’ve been in lately, I think I’d give my right arm to think and breathe clearly.

Rod, I just posted a suggestion but it ended up in comments moderation, perhaps because I mentioned a product. Might have seemed like spam.

I’ll second both the neti pot and local honey. It’s either that or start
on prescription meds.

What Artie said – neti pot. Has completely taken away my usual need for Flonase and the like.

I’d avoid Benadryl, as it makes you drowsy and foggy headed, and is bad for your liver. So, Netti pots. Honey. Saline spray. Essential oils, espcecially Pepermint.

Shoot me for this but here goes the ‘cure’ from Dallas, your former land of allergy sufferer ground zero sit-in demonstrations: The possible ‘cure’ for seasonal allergies that are pollen, etc. airborne related yadayada is to actually get out and expose yourself TO the elements instead of avoiding them at every turn. In the 1990s, I developed allergies in the fall and spring when I was in the corporate world removed from nature. But, after I left, and more importantly…after I became routinely involved in the course of my life in the outdoor worlds…, allergies essentially waned & seldom happen.
Leading me to believe: One of the reasons so many people have so many allergies these days is that they spend most of their time indoors and they take medications for ANYthing & antibiotics at the first sniffle. None…I repeat NONE… of which I ever do. I who grew up asthma this & bronchial that have developed my own immunities. Which I suspect is (are we listening, Crunchy Cons?) Nature’s Way.
Bottom line: Hot house flowers are more fragile that those that sprout in the open air.

Rod, if your allergies are that bad, don’t fool around with home remedies. Go to an allergist. I was treated by one for many years, and I have virtually no problems now. I had to get shots to desensitize me to the things I was allergic to (pollen, dust, feathers, molds, tobacco smoke). It really worked.

I want to mention to folks that the Beliefnet site, or at least this blog, has been under a massive spam attack this past week. I’ve not seen it so bad in ages. I think this is one reason why the Captcha software is holding up so many posts that ought not be held. Thanks for your patience. I’m trying to free them up as I see them. Please understand that this is something that’s beyond my control.

Ah, laddie, going to a Celtic festival will always cure what ails ye and there hopefully you can down a couple of Jamesons and then, you won’t felel a damn thing.
Who’s playing?
It got up to the 90s in Dallas mid-wel but a nice front swept through and tossed things into the mid-50s last night. It’s actually a perfect North Texas day today with the Dallas Arts Festival in full swing at Fair Park.
You should probably check your local cedar/pollen count in a daily basis. And this rule is good: if you can SEE your air, you shouldn’t breathe it.
Sliante/shalom.

I second Catherine’s suggestion of desensitization shots by an allergist– Libby’s symptoms were lifelong and severe, and were totally cured.
Also can’t beat a Neti pot for symptoms– and I am scarcely New Age (;-)

I have a friend who has had really severe pollen allergies in the past and was advised to go see an acupuncturist (sounds strange, I know). She decided to give it a try and she hasn’t had a single allergy symptom since she went….that was 5 years ago. Might be worth looking into. She only went once, but the accupuncturist told her she may have to come 2-3 times initially.

I too had/have terrible seasonal allergies. I did the shots for much of my childhood and early teens. I lost patience with that, but it did do some good. Now I take claritin (loratidine) every day of the year. I don’t need them in the dead of Chicago winter, except that cats are one of my allergies. Try it. It’s not sedating at all, doesn’t really interact with any other drugs and these days it can be had dirt cheap. I look on Amazon and usually someone’s selling the Members Mark brand for a fraction of what you’d pay in stores. When I first started it was prescription and $3 a pill! Yeah, it’s a drug, but it’s just about the most benign one I’ve ever used or studied.
I also use some natural stuff. Three grams of vitamin c each day. Quercetin is good stuff for allergies as it stabilizes the mast cells before they release the histamine which makes you miserable. Fish oil is a good idea too. It can help lower inflammation in general, stopping the immune cascade even earlier in the process.
Most people are also Vitamin D deficient in this country, and it turns out its important for appropriate immune regulation. Can’t say whether it will help allergies directly, but it’s thought that it might be important in whether people develop more serious autoimmune conditions, (like MS). More docs are now checking blood levels and pushing 2,000 to 5,000 units a day.
The bottom line is don’t blow it off or take half-steps. You will be miserable and unproductive, and you will tend to get sick much more often, and taking antibiotics and other strong drugs much more often than you would like.

The past few days I’ve had hay fever and it’s been unpleasent. But the worst part about it is the knowledge that pollen grains are a plant’s reproductive cells. I mean talk about rude!

Dude, I know what you said about the captcha thing, but what gives? I just posted what I think is some useful stuff for allergy sufferers, and I didn’t use any bad language at all! Check your “held for review” folder on this one. It’s mostly for your benefit, but maybe worth sharing with the rest of the class.
I’d try re-editing it and re-submitting, but I honestly don’t know where to start with this one. The captcha’s sense of discretion is about on par with TSA. Everyone is suspicious, (except for the Muslim guy with the wire in his shoe, a one-way ticket and his name on the “no-fly” list!)
[Note from Rod: Kenneth, I don't know how many times I have to keep saying this, but I have no control over this! I am sorry that it's happening. It's happening to me too. I hate it, but I can't do a damn thing about it. The system is under a massive and sustained attack from spammers, and all I can figure is that it's extra-sensitive. Please just be patient, and let me know when you've had something held. -- RD]

Rod, your allergies would probably be just as bad here in DFW. Owing to the relatively long, cool spring we’ve had (sorry you missed that!-73 for a high today) the tree pollens and grass pollens all burst into the atmosphere at the same time–leading to what some area doctors have called the worst allergy season in decades.
My symptoms have been triggering back-to-back migraine headaches (which isn’t unusual for those who get regular migraines). I still won’t take allergy meds, OTC or otherwise, as a) these *also* trigger migraines and b) having endured allergy shots as a child and been on prescription allergy meds as a teen, I’d rather have my brain clear and in pain than fogged and relatively painless (and minor pain medication like aspirin doesn’t cause that “disconnected from reality” feeling that most allergy meds do, anyway).
Adding to the advice you’ve already been given, I’d recommend:
1. Hydration. More important than ever, especially if you up the caffeine intake to fight the pain. Offset that caffeine with plenty of water.
2. Heat, cold, or alternating to fight head pain. I tend to use ice, but if you’re sensitive to cold you might prefer heat instead.
3. This one may sound odd, but I’ve just recently found it useful: I’ll apply some Vicks vapor rub before bed, just as I would if I had a bad cold. It seems to help; I don’t wake up in the morning with such bad symptoms.
4. Ginger seems to help. You can get it and take it in capsule form, but I like Yamamoto’s Ginger Green Tea–very potent and spicy, a lot more so than any other ginger tea I’ve ever tried. I just went and found some online to order while I was writing this–I’m out of it, and miss its help during allergy season!

Kenneth, I just posted a comment that got held, too. I think the system’s just unusually touchy today.

There’s always hookworms … see http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2009/07/22/are-hookworms-the-next-claritin/
What could be crunchier?

seriously – neti pot. I suffered for years – meds didn’t really help even went through desensitization so finally in desperation I tried the neti pot – cannot tell you how muich it helps and what a relief to no longer have to use all those allergy meds
the honey (local) helps over time to develop a resistance but for immediate relief – neti pot.

FYI: I had zero problem(s) w/the Beliefnet captcha system… Indicating that, per my earlier post: I am correct that you need to get out and immerse yourself in the great outdoors in which case you will glow with allergy-immune fatherhood.

Organic (raw) apple cider vinegar. A teaspoon in water 3 times per day.

Radiolab did a story on hookworms being used to treat autoimmune diseases. I’d rather stick with the hayfever.

Go see an allergist and get yourself on monthly allergy shots. I did that and my allergy symptoms disappeared. This is the real way of solving the problem. Don’t mess with OTC drugs.

Do NOT take bee pollen. That is one of the most dangerous myths in the world of home remedies. You can land in an ER with swelling throat or worse.
Otherwise, a combination of what people above mention. OTC meds other than Benadryl – a store brand equivalent of ChlorTrimeton at night because while it is very effective it still causes drowsiness.
Neti pot, water, and exercise even though you won’t feel like starting.
Some people do well with 1-2 cups per day of yogurt or kefir, but if you are in a dairy fast try pro-biotic capsules or drink kombucha if you can stand it (ginger flavors tend to be pleasant). The pro-biotics take awhile to start having an impact so should become a regular habit all year.
Vitamin C in the packets called Emergen-C make a fizzy drink and the C is non-acidic so high doses don’t upset the digestion.
Also you may do better with pollen allergies if you get off any foods to which you are allergic. Several friends have seen their allergies disappear when they stopped eating wheat or corn – these were medically diagnosed allergies, not random experiments.
It’s been a bad spring in Minnesota, too. Sympathies, sympathies.

Hookworms, like Pat said! I just heard the “This American Life” episode featuring a story about a man who completely got rid of his allergies and asthma by acquiring hookworms on purpose. I’m pretty sure it’s the same guy mentioned in the link Pat provided. (I think the TAL episode is called “The Enemy Within.”) I keep telling people about it because it was such an amazing story. It’s not an affliction for me–good luck Rod.

The mid-Atlantic and mid-South are infamous for pollen. But the pollen is record-level this year. You will probably always have allergy issues in Philly in spring, but it shouldn’t be THIS bad every year.
If it’s really making it so you can’t get through the day, go see an allergist. Allergy shots should help. Really.

By all means, see an allergist. But to cope until you get an appointment, from what I know, non-drowsy, OTC loratadine should be a big help. Works as well for some people as the drowse inducing first gen. allergy meds such as Benadryl.

Nasonex or Flonase have always worked great for me. You do need to start using them at least a week or so before the pollen gets going, but they completely knock out all my symptoms: scratchy throat, itchy ears, congestion, runny nose, irritated eyes.

I’ll add a suggestion of judicious use of Afrin or generic equivalent. You can’t use if constantly, because after 4-5 days in a row, it can actually make matters worse, but it’s a wonder for getting in a good night’s sleep or getting you through a day when you absolutely need to be clear headed.

Yes to allergy shots. I used to have asthma, and started getting the shots, and hadn’t even realized my nose itched all the time until it stopped. Everybody around me is complaining about the worst allergy season they remember, and it’s bothering me not at all.

My doctor, who always tries to avoid medicating his patients, put me on a diet eliminating cheese, wine, beer, and yogurt. In addition, he told me to cut out most carbs.
Well, it works, but the diet isn’t fun to go on.

My allergies which have been horrible for years have been almost non-existent in the past couple months. The only thing different that I’m doing is increasing my consumption of leafy greens and antioxidents. I have a smoothie every morning made of the following:
1 Cup Soy Milk
1 banana
Large handfull of leafy greens (Swiss Chard, Spinach, Mustard & Collard Greens, Arugala)(Costco has an organic premixed perwashed large container of it for only $3.79).
Frozen Wild Blueberries (from Trader Joes)
Frozen Strawberries (organic from Trader Joes)
1/2 Cup OJ
1/2 Cup berry juice (palmegranite, cranberry, etc)
2 teaspoons ground flax seeds
This makes enough for two, so I share it with my wife.
My wife thinks I’m just imagining it, but I swear, my allergies are all but gone, and my energy level and ability to think clearly have improved.

Okay, Rod, here’s my two cents. My seasonal allergies disappeared completely when I quit eating wheat. I was also snored terribly at night and my friend, who runs a sleep center at a local hospital, said without a doubt that I had sleep apnea. Most of those symptoms went away, too. So, now I’m completely off claritin (or anything similar), can smell again, and can mow my pasture without needing to wear a pollen mask and run for the shower when I’m done. Our family is also off all milk products, too — so wheat and milk are BAD in our house. My wife is also gluten free and a great cook, so she’s done a wonderful job filling the void with great breads, pie crusts, and so on. She makes a great pizza, by the way, with gluten free crust, almond-based cheese and, this time of year, incorporates pine nuts, homemade pesto and some of our fresh local asparagus. So no wheat doesn’t mean you have to suffer…
Good luck,
Mike

The pollen is AWFUL in the Mid-Atlantic this year. I grew up here and never suffered from allergies when I lived here, and this year it’s been horrible.
I try to keep very hydrated and drink spicy ginger tea – yogi tea brand from trader joe’s. The tea really helps me. On a day like today, cold and windy and pollen-laden, it’s a lifesaver!

You could always try probiotics! Our son’s allergies and his Eczema have been helped so much from taking the Vidazorb chewables. Hope this helps – it can be so miserable.