Allergies in Dallas

[Lakewooder]

Ah yes, the joys of your hay fever returning when you are outside in a lovely day at the State Fair. Benedryl and Beer combined with rides are not as much fun as they used to be!

[Kootr]

Originally Posted by KantLockeMeIn

To quote the song, "You ain't seen nuthin yet".

Wait till Christmas time when mountain cedar rears its ugly head. That's the absolute worst!

I had allergies before I moved and they're actually better here for most of the year, except mountain cedar. I take allegra for most of the year, but I have to supplement it around Christmas with a nasal spray.

One other thing I heard is that if you eat some local honey that it's a homeopathic remedy. I don't know how true it is, but it's not like it tastes bad, so it's worth trying

I used to take Zyrtec daily for allergies that caused my throught to close up. However, I found that it made my eyes and nasal area very sensitive to the sun...and of course the sun in Texas is very intense. Zyrtec dried out my skin (eyelids, under-eyes, cheeks) very badly and made it look like I was always peeling from a bad sunburn. Also, it made my face red if I was out in the sun for any period of time. I had to stop taking it...

[momof2dfw]

Some allergy meds are more preventitive and will only start to show any signs of improving your flared up condition after 2 weeks. Allegra & Claritin are ones that you pretty much have to be on all the time in order to keep the allergies down or away. Singulair is good as well. Zyrtec did nothing for me. Claritin D is good when you get the sneezy and itchy stuff along w/ being stopped up. For me I've found the ONLY thing that takes care of the "itchy" feel for nose, ears, eyes and throat is Benedryl. I think I'm literally immune to the stuff as I can take 1 every hour and be just fine . When things are bad I have to take 2 every 2-3 hours - this is NOT recommended for those that can't handle Benedryl. I also take Singulair and Nasonex. So far I've actually been doing pretty well. A few Benedryl every day and a Singulair at night. The kids on the other hand have had it rough this week so they have been taking Benedryl AND Sudafed. Cleared up the oldest over night but she is still taking them twice a day to keep it in check. If your eyes are going crazy you can try the over the counter Naphcon and if that does not work get a prescription for Patanol. It is expensive but it WORKS!

My youngest has asthma. She normally gets asthma attacks during severe changes in the weather (November and March being the two worst months for her) or allergy induced. Her allergies surpisingly have been mild this week. THANK GOODNESS!

Yep, this time of year it is the ragweed. It's a killer as the days are SOOOOOOO pretty and you want to be outside and driving around with the top down but there is a price to pay for it.

[portorro]

I have been living in Dallas for 13 years and used to suffer from terrible allergies. However, watching Dr Oz (i think) in the Oprah show, he indicated about nasal rinsing I do it every morning. It literally changed my life. I do get allergy spells once in a while however they are very brief compared to in the past. Overall, nasal rinsing has dramatically improved my sinus problems and quality of life.

I recommend 100000%.

[rkp]

I have heard a lot about nasal rinsing/nasal wash being of great help to get rid of allergies.
portorro , did you learn it from someone or tried it on your own?. Is it very difficult and risky?

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by rkp

I have heard a lot about nasal rinsing/nasal wash being of great help to get rid of allergies.
portorro , did you learn it from someone or tried it on your own?. Is it very difficult and risky?

Our doctors have always recommended the nasal saline washes that are available over the counter. It helps wash out your nasal passages of any contaiminents that cause and flare up allergies.

Another good over-the-counter "med" is Zicam. Our allergy/asthma doctor recommended the Zicam Cold Remedy nasal gel and said studies had shown it does help. I've since tried the Zicam Allergies and Zicam Sinus Congestion. The allergy one helps w/ the itchy/sneezy nose and the Sinus Congestion one will clear your nose up so fast it literally hurts to breathe for a few seconds. Then all of a sudden all is clear and wonderful again.