Okay, WHAT is making me sneeze?? (New Orleans, Atlanta: allergies, live, congested)

[thepointykitty]

As some of you know, my husband and I just moved here three weeks ago from Atlanta. I was experiencing some "normal" allergy symptoms in the weeks before we moved but, as soon as we got to New Orleans, all that disappeared. (I can't remember a spring or fall when I've gone without allergy symptoms for that long.) I assumed that most of the aggravating plants had already bloomed here. Also, I'm used to Atlanta where everything is covered in pollen for weeks, and I really haven't seen that here.

Anyway, I've been completely symptom free up until three days ago, when my nose started running a lot and I got a nice, steady post-nasal drip that made my throat a little sore. It's just annoying - there's no infection or anything like that. My husband has had itchy, watery eyes for the last three days, too.

Does anyone have similar issues here or know what it might be? Not that I can really do anything about it, but it would be nice to know if it's a particular plant and if there's an end in sight (or if the sh*t blooms all summer, lol!)

Thanks ;-)

[Pook77]

Same here. If you have seasonal allergies, that's what it is. Pollen count has still been very high and I also have problems with live oak trees - they're everywhere around here! My husband and I have been rather miserable for a couple of months now. I finally broke down and saw an allergist which made things a bit better and he also said the even people without allergies are having problems. Looking at the pollen count on weather.com, it ranges from high to very high on their meter. Last year, my allergies lasted until the end of May but they weren't as severe.

[WestbankNOLA]

I think everyone's allergies are worse this year. I was told that it was because of the cold winter we had this year and the resulting higher pollen counts.

[Aiten]

The unusually wet winter led to higher pollen production, esp. that of the ubiquitous live oaks, which the unusually dry spring failed to wash away. With the much needed rains arriving yesterday (just in time for JF, of course) you may have noticed that the allergies are generally less severe today.

[thepointykitty]

It is a bit better today. Maybe it is all the live oaks. It just hit me like a ton of bricks because I had gone from "stuffy" in Atlanta to "instantly clear" when I got down here, and had no problems for almost three weeks.

It looks like we'll be getting more rain in the next week or so. Maybe that will wash most of it away.

Btw, I've NEVER heard thunderclaps as loud as a few of these have been here. I almost jumped out of my skin at one yesterday afternoon. It's neat, though. I've always loved thunderstorms ;-)

[WestbankNOLA]

Originally Posted by thepointykitty

Btw, I've NEVER heard thunderclaps as loud as a few of these have been here. I almost jumped out of my skin at one yesterday afternoon. It's neat, though. I've always loved thunderstorms ;-)

Wait til this summer. You'll get to hear them almost every afternoon.

[waitingtundra]

Those were baby showers compared from what we get in August.

[WestbankNOLA]

Originally Posted by waitingtundra

Those were baby showers compared from what we get in August.

You know it hasn't even flooded yet this year? I didn't even think about until you said that.

[Innotech]

I get the same crazy allergies. Its probably from dust/pollen.

[Orestes]

Side note on the allergies: Personally, I've found the use of a nettie pot critical in staying on top of the sinus issues. For me, once my sinuses are inflamed and congested, it's almost a given that it'll lead to a sinus infection. Before I started using the sinus flush bottle, I could count on several infections per year. Now that I use the flush (when needed), it rarely turns into anything more than a mild inconvenience. There are two forms of flushes, the nettie pot and the squirt bottle; both are very inexpensive. I use the bottle. It took a little while to get past the mental block/stigma I had toward it at first, but now I love it. There's nothing like being able to take a deep breath through your nose.