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Can anyone comment on the severity of their allergies in CHF compared to places they have lived in the US? Has anyone suffered from allergies in Texas or Florida? How does it compare to Switzerland


Suprisingly I only suffer from Allergies here in Switzerland.. Never in Florida nor Canada.

Since I arrived in CH 2.5 years ago, I have occasionally experienced dry/itching eyes and occasional runny nose. This Spring, I have had a bit of a cough. Never in 40 years in the US have I experienced it. Not sure if I am sensitive to some of the new pollens here.

fduvall

I and many others get good results with this, without medication:

Jala Neti post

I bought one through a yoga website for about CHF20. No need for special himalayan salt. Jura salt seems to work just fine.

i know this thread a lil old, but can anyone tell me if they've had shortness of breath (dyspnea) due to an allergy, and what you did for it? appreciate it!

Well I used to get Asthma symptoms including shortness of breath with my hayfever. Seemed to ease up after a few years although the hayfever is still pretty bad. I found the only relief was to get an asthma inhaler via the doctor to help unblock the windpipe. This gave temporary relief to get me through the hayfever season.

As for other things to reduce the symptoms I would say keep windows and doors closed in the mornings and evenings when the pollen is at it's worst. Remember to change when you have been outside and shower before bed. Try not to dry your bed clothes outside as they pickup pollen that way too.

Dust and pet hair can also make the situation worse. Although it depends on what allergies you have. Try vaseline in the nostrils that helps reduce the amount of pollen that gets to the sinuses. In the UK I know they are now selling special balms for the same purpose.

Hope this is of some help.

Hoi! that's more than some, really appreciate it!

i saw the doc for what i thought was a cold, n he gave me Xyzal and said it was an allergy. it helped some but i still had that shortness of breath, and he gave me an inhaler today. I was quite doubtful, but i'm glad i'm not alone. coming from near the equator, i never had asthma or allergies, so do pardon the ignorance :P

that was some useful advice keeping the pollen out too, i'll be sure to do that. vaseline in the nose? hmm i've only seen it done on Rocky... worth a try! :P

thanks again!

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These go to Eleven.

Just put the vaseline in the bottom part of the nose around the opening, not all the way up. It's like a catch net for the pollen.

I have even gone as far as wearing a dust mask at the worst times around the apartment. It cuts the pollen right down.

there are numerous hayfever remedies but most only give around 20% relief and you have to find the ones that work for you. Also look for the active inredient in the one that works for you. Then you can research the generic types that have that active ingredient in it in the same quantities and save some money on them.

If you can get immuno therapy as an option try that. It's a series of injections over a few months / years. They inject small amounts of the types of pollens you are allergic too. Over time your immune system sees the pollen as normal and no longer over reacts to the pollen.

ah ok, close one there...

the doc told me to go back when hayfever season is over and do a bunch of injections to see what it is i am allergic to. i guess i would know which would work for me only after those tests ...

ok, i gotta check that one with my insurance. thanks again!

hi all,

i've been in europe for 3 years now, 1 in CH, but only became symptomatic (severe dyspnea aka shortness of breath) towards the end of spring this year, so please do pardon the ignorance. I have several questions regarding immuno therapy regarding:

1. what tests, procedures and how many follow up appointments?
2. how much does it cost up front, and for subsequent follow up treatments?
3. is it cheaper in DE compared with CH?

the doc said i should get this done in the pollen-free winter. any info is much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!


gruss, hsiang

i used to suffer terribly from allergies...

Then I moved out of home, stopped using cleaning chemicals, switched to a perfume-free deodorant, minimal washing detergent and no fabric softener, non-smoking, pet-free...and suddenly after years...I wasn't waking up in the morning sneezing.

Oh and dust mite...terribly allergic to dust mite...

You can get skin and blood tests to check some of the main allergens...

But my point is that a lot of people who think they have 'hayfever' - well it could definitely be dustmite allergy - which is solvable...

Oh, and I couldn't believe that the deodorant I was using was the problem...even 'hypo-allergenic ones' still seemed to contain perfumes!

Oh, yes, and I am allergic to my mother too (she thinks perfume is the solution to all hygiene issues)...

I've been doing immunotherapy against my cat allergies for almost 3 years. It is recommended for 3 years.

I posted about it here, including costs.

Anyone else started getting symptoms yet?

I have noticed the last two mornings that I have started waking up with a blocked nose. Nice.

Guess this is going to be a long season

BBC Doctors Diary, confirming in the UK at least that the Hayfever season has started early there.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7951620.stm

My other half started showing the symptoms several days ago. A Singulair a day keeps the sneezes away though. Anything else you use?

and there was me thinking i had a cold or flu coming on. never thought of hay fever but the symptoms seem correct now that i think of it. grrr its too early for that. AND it snowed this morning, what gives?

I've been sneezing off and on for several weeks and have started this week to take Zyrtec as i have in the past. I believe it's tree pollen this time of year and mine is usually gone by end of June.

I used to get it really badly until I started vitamin D supplements. Last year was much better, and this year I haven't felt anything yet. Vitamin D modulates the immune system so that it doesn't go crazy over irrelevant stuff like a bit of pollen.

No harm in trying...

Jim

Well for me it's a combination Tree pollen not so much, but grass pollen oh boy. The Wife gets it too, only not so bad. She says she has never seen anyone as bad. With me it usually lasts until early July sometimes later.

I have over the past tried pretty much most things. I know new things come out ll the time.

Antihistamines just leave me with only slightly reduced symptoms. Tried pretty much all the tablets on the market.

immuno therapy, had that in my teens, only limited effect.

Staying indoors with the windows and doors closed. This is more effective than the antihistamines, until of course it get too frustrating with all the good weather outside.

Sinus wash, doesn't wash with me.

Sleeping is the worst as in the evening it hits me hard, then throughout the night and early morning. Sounds strange but I have found wearing a dust mask helps, at least I don't have breathing difficulties that way.

Air filtration once the pollen is in the room it find my nose and a machine running all night just helps to keep me awake.

I did manage by accident to find a partial cure to my problem. It's expensive but it works. So what is this miracle cure. Let's just say it is not great for the environment. It's called Fly off to somewhere else in the world where it is not pollen season for at least a week in the middle of the season. It gives you some relief for a short while and enough to catch up some sleep and give your sinuses, nose, eyes a break.

Back in the UK my worst time was the end of May and throughout June. I worked for a US based company and they had me fly out there for work during a week in Early June. Got there and realised my hayfever disappeared, it was great until I got back to the UK. I did that a couple of times. Some people advise going to the coast to get away from it, but I have not tried that one yet.

I read somewhere that you should try to avoid getting undressed in your bedroom. That way you prevent the transfer of any pollen you may be carrying on your clothes into the atmosphere where you will sleep.

I don't get hayfever but had a boyfriend once who suffered terribly with it. He tried cortisone injections one year which were very effective but due to his concerns about cortisone he didn't bother after that.

Hi, has anyone ever used "nasal filters" or know where one might be able to find them in CH/Europe? they look a lil dodgey, but the idea strikes me as something potentially useful, esp since i've done an allergey test, and they found nothing, and antihistamines cause narcolepsy during meetings.

http://www.breathe-ezy.com.au/

Yes, I have tried them. Sorry for the following description, but this is what happened.

I found that once your nose gets itchy in anyway and starts to run. It blocks the filters and you have to clean them or throw them away. For me at least they were rather useless. Still I had to try.