Austin and allergies (Howe: pharmacy, living, mold)

[grackle_girl]

I moved here two years ago from southern California, and for the first time in my life I'm experiencing allergies. I've been told this is common for a lot of people who move here. It's not the typical runny nose sneezing kind of allergy, though. I don't have those symptoms. It's more of a groggy head sinus pressure kind. I love Austin! I just wish I could shake this groggy drained feeling. It's like a mild case of the flu. My husband has this as well. We are very healthy people otherwise.

My question is, for anyone who has been through this, does it eventually subside? Do you build an immunity after a while and it gets better? Or do you have to get allergy shots? This feeling is new to me. I feel like I'm drunk or stoned a lot of the time and I'd really like to have a clear head again and feel vibrant. After two years of this I'm considering shots, although I'd rather not.

Thanks for your input.

[twange]

Originally Posted by grackle_girl

I moved here two years ago from southern California, and for the first time in my life I'm experiencing allergies. I've been told this is common for a lot of people who move here. It's not the typical runny nose sneezing kind of allergy, though. I don't have those symptoms. It's more of a groggy head sinus pressure kind. I love Austin! I just wish I could shake this groggy drained feeling. It's like a mild case of the flu. My husband has this as well. We are very healthy people otherwise.

My question is, for anyone who has been through this, does it eventually subside? Do you build an immunity after a while and it gets better? Or do you have to get allergy shots? This feeling is new to me. I feel like I'm drunk or stoned a lot of the time and I'd really like to have a clear head again and feel vibrant. After two years of this I'm considering shots, although I'd rather not.

Thanks for your input.

Well, I've only been here a year so I can't tell you if it will go away or not. But right now is Ragweed season(otherwise known as Hay fever). The pollen from that plant is what causes the problems. I've had this allergy my whole life but being from Ohio, it only lasted from mid-August until about the first week of October. Here in Austin, it seems to last until November. And it can be intense. Today is the worst I've felt so far but some of that is because I got off of my meds schedule(it's important to be consistent). Mold is also high right now as is elm. Here's a chart from today's forcast:

News 8 Austin | 24 Hour Local News | Allergy Forecast

As you can see, ragweed is over the top. That's probably causing your problems(was there an abundance of ragweed where you lived in Cali?) Your body has probably had an over-exposure the last two years and decided it doesn't like it very much.

A two-pronged defense of Zyrtec and Flonase seems to work fairly well for me. Also, if your sinuses are hurting, pour some boiling water into a bowl, add a few drops of eucalyptus oil, cover your head with a towel and breathe deeply for as long as you can stand it. Do that a couple of times a day. Feels heavenly.

Good luck!

[jread]

I'm lucky in that the only outdoor allergy I have is cedar, but it sure does wreak havoc on me in December. It did take about 4-years of living here before it started affecting me, though.

[texastrigirl]

Austin was rated the fall allergy capital last year by the Asthma and Allergy Council though I think they dropped in rankings this year. At any rate, my husband suffered horribly every fall and was pretty much doped up on Flonase and Allegra 24/7 every fall for the entire 10 years we lived in Austin. We recently relocated to Seattle and he has zero allergies here. Too bad for me, I loved Austin but I don't think I will ever get him back there now. My friends with bad allergies all did the shots and would highly recommend them.

[texastrigirl]

BTW, a great allergist is Ed Peters.

[sunshine088]

Go to an allergiest and get tested and then they can prescribe either shots or a meds to take. Allergra works wonders for me and I think its the only brand that seems to work for me. I have tried other OTC meds and they don't seem to work as well. However, everyone reacts differently. I just moved here and I haven't been bothered with my allergies but thats b/c I keep taking my allergra. Good luck.

[Dr.Mom]

I feel for you. To get some relief, you may want to try a neti pot. It basically cleanses your sinuses of all allergens and other bad stuff. Any local pharmacy should have them. It's a completely weird experience the first time, but it really works and it's drug free to boot! Good luck.

[twange]

Originally Posted by Dr.Mom

I feel for you. To get some relief, you may want to try a neti pot. It basically cleanses your sinuses of all allergens and other bad stuff. Any local pharmacy should have them. It's a completely weird experience the first time, but it really works and it's drug free to boot! Good luck.

Good suggestion. I've heard this can be very effective but like you said, strange until you get used doing it. Some folks simply won't try! Another option that has helped me a bit is to use a saline nasal mist after I've been outside. Especially during high pollen counts.

[tourbound129]

Find an allergy medication (I use the Target branded Claritin knock-off..$5 for 30 days) and take it at night, like 10pm. By the time you wake up in the morning, your body will be circulating the full dose. I started this about a year ago and have only had 1 bad allergy day since. I used to have 1 bad allergy day every 2 months like clockwork.

[belliot30]

It might be worth seeing an allergist. They will test you for a wide spectrum of allergies. While that experience may not be so fun, it is nice to know exactly what it is you are allergic to. Then you can see if some of those things can be avoided more. In my case I am allergic to 20-30 allergens that cumulatively cover the entire year, so I live with allergies every day. For me it was worth it to get the shots. I used to be against getting weekly shots, but I got tired of taking drugs like zyrtec-D or allegra almost daily. I decided the shots at least are not drugs, and so are probably better for me long term. Good luck, and know that you are certainly not alone. My allergy place is always crowded.