allergy to pollens

Kasycas

Hi,

I wasn't sure of the right forum to post this so here it is. I am highly allergic to pollens. When I got allergy tested, they test for three different types of tree's and I was highly allergic to all three. Every morning when I walk into college I get a rash, maybe up my arms, sometimes on my legs and normally big red circles around my eyes, sometimes with my eyes swelling a bit. This has been going on since Feb and I just have to live with it. I've been on anti-histamines all my life and so, medicine-wise, there's nothing else I can take. However, it has been getting progressively worse. This morning I came into college and I didn't recognize myself in the mirror. The rashes are spreading, getting worse, and taking longer to go away.

Has this happened to anyone else? I know pollen allergy is common but has anyone had it this bad and if there's ANY alternative therapy's or supplements or such that people have heard of please let me know! I've done some research but nothing has popped up.

Thanks!

Ninja_scrotum

Have you talked to a doctor about the rashes getting worse?

Alun

I can relate to this to a degree.

Tree pollen allergies usually hit in the spring, April-May or thereabouts, and usually it's the trees that have catkins such as Hazel and Birch that are the major culprits. I should know, I suffer quite badly from it at that time of the year, but by the end of April / beginning of May I'm usually in the clear. It's a bit strange then that you're saying you're getting these problems in the middle of October. There are some trees (conifers mainly) that spread their pollen very late in the year, but I don't know if people are allergic to them. I'm certainly not, despite my sensitivity to Birch pollen.

One thing that can happen with all kinds of allergies though, is that prolonged exposure to one allergen can sensitize you to other things that you previously weren't allergic to. There's a thing called OAS or Oral Allergy Syndrome (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_allergy_syndrome) that I have started to suffer from in recent years. I'm particularly sensitive to unblanched nuts and most unpeeled fruits, especially apples and grapes. I'm also a woodturner, and know many people who've suddenly become allergic to certain wood dusts after many years of working with them, after only a brief exposure to the dust of another totally unrelated wood.

I'm not saying that this is necessarily what has happened, but if you've been having really bad tree pollen related hay fever for a number of years, it could be that you've become sensitized to something else altogether. Maybe it's time to see your doctor and get tested to see what else you may have become allergic to in the meantime.

Kasycas

Thanks Alun,

I only got my allergies tested in June because of my worsening symptoms. Basically the test consists of about 80~90 different allergens and this is all that they test for. I already knew I was allergic to pollens, peanuts, cats, dust mite, horses, some fruits etc. and wanted to get an update. Other then telling you that, yes, you are still allergic to all these things, and telling me to continue on my meds, there's nothing they can do! I actually went to a kinesiologist to test for allergies too because they can look at something like +900 allergens
http://www2.vhi.ie/topic/topic100587054

but this didn't help. That's why I'm at a loss. Food allergies are easy, at least you can avoid them.