Dealing with pollen and dust allergies...

wanderingangler13 - if you're looking for info on desensitization, check out this thread
My pulmonologist actually suggested I try it, but honestly? I’m lazy. The idea of driving all the way out to some remote hospital every single week for months on end just doesn't sit right with me. As for the pollen stuff, you usually start that process shortly after your allergy season wraps up and wind it down just before the next one hits. It’s a long-term commitment, too—we're talking years. I might actually give it some serious thought this year, though.
Regarding the cost, I was under the impression that Blue Cross Blue Shield would cover most of it, but who knows... maybe I'm wrong.

Casey Stewart7, look, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't go for it. If allergies are messing with you, given how the testing works, it’s pretty logical to assume your body will react the exact same way right now. And look, it's November; I'm no medical expert, so your best bet is to talk to your doctor. Even if you can't stand her, she's still the only 🙂 who can point you toward a proper allergist.

fadedheron892 said:Hey Catherine, just go get a spirometry test while you're at it, just to be safe because of that cough

I went through all the private testing last year and everything came back fine... I’m heading back to the doctor tomorrow to get bloodwork done. I think I'll ask her for a referral to a specialist instead. It helps knowing everyone else at home is coughing too, and Grandma managed to clear hers up with some homemade syrup... but I still need to find out what's going on tomorrow. Wish me luck.😉

Casey Stewart7 said:Yeah, but what I'm really wondering is—can you actually go get allergy testing done this time of year, or should I just hold off until at least the fall?

You can get tested any time of year.
In my case, my blood work showed everything I'm allergic to (not that it matters much to me 😁 ).

wanderingangler13 said:silvercanyon7, please tell me what exactly your homeopath prescribed... I'm genuinely curious. Can you walk me through how their whole process actually works?

Lately, this allergic cough has been absolutely killing me at night (I can't sleep at all)... Thank God I'm not working right now, otherwise I'd be trying to catch up on sleep during the day while doing meditation techniques just to get my energy back. Honestly, I don't know how I'd manage... I'm heading in for blood work this Wednesday, but I doubt it'll show anything since I don't have a fever and feel fine during the day... It's just this cough at night that drives me insane. I'm getting sick of my own constant overanalyzing... But I guess it's easier to vent here in the middle of the night (while everyone else is presumably asleep)...😢

I called them at the beginning of the year, but didn't get my period until late February.

I started taking Birch Extract 30 and Eyebright D-30. If you want the specifics, just shoot me a DM.

I used it for two weeks straight, then took a seven-day break for a check-up with my homeopath. Since then, I’ve been on Birch Extract 30 and Eyebright. I plan to stick with this for three more weeks before another consultation, and then we'll move on to something else. It’s all about the dosage—the doctor gradually increases the strength of the tablets so my body eventually accepts it as normal, without triggering any allergic reactions. Isn't that the goal?

Oh, right... I forgot to mention that I was also prescribed eye drops right from the start. So, on top of this medication, I’m using those too—just one drop in each eye every morning and again every night.

I’ve always been obsessed with eating healthy, but my blood work just came back showing my antioxidant levels are lower than they should be. What am I supposed to do about that? So, I’ve started taking some herbal supplements—I think they're called Antioxidant Max, but I don't have the bottle handy to double-check.
Alternative medicine isn't enough just so you can pat yourself on the back and say, "Yeah, it worked." You also have to actually do the work to strengthen your immune system—even the birds on the fence know that much.

I’m an optimist. I’ll soon see if any of this has actually helped so far. But I won't give up, no matter what. My goal—my only real wish—is to feel even just a little bit better this year. Next year? Well, then the expectations, the wishes, and the goals will be even bigger. 🙂 ).

Just a heads-up—you can probably find info on those alternative medicine options online. Even if you can't find much locally, try searching in English. Some of those products actually come from Germany or Scandinavia.🙂

Casey Stewart7 said:Yeah, but what I'm really wondering is—can you actually go get allergy testing done this time of year, or should I just hold off until at least the fall?

In my experience, I had to wait until autumn to get mine done. But that was over ten years ago, so medical practices have probably shifted since then...

Kenneth Garcia9 said:In my experience, I had to wait until autumn to get mine done. But that was over ten years ago, so medical practices have probably shifted since then...

I’ve already mentioned that you can test at any time of year (I did mine in mid-November 😁).
I don't know what the old protocols were, but labs don't care if you're testing in July or December.🙂

Thanks so much for the info. Someone told me before that I shouldn't bother with allergy testing until after the fall—apparently, this time of year isn't ideal for some reason or another. Anyway, I guess my only real move is to grab a referral and just get it over with—and honestly, it wouldn't hurt to pick up a referral for my lungs too, since I've been wanting to get that checked out for a while now anyway.

The reasoning I was given was basically just to wait out the allergy season...

I went to my doctor today and basically wrestled the referrals for all my lab work right out of her hands with a totally firm approach. 😁...she was basically acting like, "Fine, take them all just so I don't have to deal with you anymore." 😂

My blood work came back mostly fine, except my eosinophil granulocytes are through the roof. I have no clue what that even means... anyone know?

Hey everyone

For a few months now, I've been dealing with an allergy that started out as this heavy cough hitting me in the early mornings and late at night. Once that finally settled down, it was replaced by this insane itching all over my back, thighs, and arms.

Has anyone else gone through something similar, or does anyone have any advice on how to handle this?

Hey everyone—and sorry if this topic already exists, I couldn't find it. It feels weirdly obvious that allergies get talked about constantly, yet there’s no dedicated thread for this. 🙂

Basically, for years, I dealt with massive, soul-crushing pollen allergies and all that other spring nonsense that I absolutely hated. But this year? Everything is in full bloom and I’m walking around without even needing a tissue. How? I honestly have no clue. If I went to my doctor now asking why my allergies suddenly vanished, he'd probably think I was losing it and just tell me to be glad. 🙂

I suspect it's because I've been taking Beta-Glucan for the last two months—it's a yeast-based supplement meant to boost the whole immune system. On top of that, I've been using Avamys spray in my nose for the past month. So, yeah... maybe people struggling with allergy issues should chat with their own doctors and look into trying this combination. It’s helped me significantly—at least for now, which is progress in itself. 🙂

Dana Sanchez13 said:You're just proving how little you know by ignoring actual facts. Besides all those "chemical" treatments, there's a whole range of other effective methods out there—and they don't come with nasty side effects.
You probably haven't realized that everything in this world is made of energy vibrating at specific frequencies. When our body's frequency gets thrown off, we get sick. We can heal ourselves by fixing that vibration. There are several ways to do it, and one way is actually drinking the water you mentioned. But we're talking about WATER WITH A SPECIFIC FREQUENCY, which is what actually restores your health.

Hold on a second... WATER with a specific frequency?!!? What are we talking about here—are you handing out bottles of water after sensing them, or are you banging them against the wall in a certain rhythm to make them vibrate? I’d love an explanation.

Thanks in advance.

ironsurfer8 said:I find that approach helpful too; I try not to overcomplicate things by just using basic saline sprays, like
.
However, if your sinuses are constantly running due to allergies, there's a real possibility they might be inflamed as well—perhaps even dealing with a bacterial infection...
Have you had any blood work done, like an ESR test, to check for inflammation? Has anyone actually confirmed that there isn't an underlying infection present?

It’s possible you need something more potent for the allergy itself, or perhaps you're dealing with allergic asthma...

The best move would be to head back to your primary care physician, tell them plainly that you aren't feeling well, and see where they take you from there...

The key is rinsing the mucosa regularly to minimize the chance of extra inflammation piling on top of the allergies. And obviously, you have to be consistent—which, let's be honest, is something I am terrible at. 😁

Ask for a referral to an ENT to get those sinuses checked out.
If this is happening frequently, you might be looking at sinus polyps, and man, that is a nightmare—I've already had them surgically removed three times. Before all that, of course, I dealt with chronic rhinitis, allergic asthma, and bronchitis, and now, if I'm not medicated regularly, I can't get any sleep at all. 😬

One nostril stays pretty much stuffed up all year long... I honestly can't remember what it feels like to have both sides clear at the same time.

A few years back, I went in for some allergy testing and found out I'm allergic to pollen, ragweed, and dust. As far as I know, the ragweed doesn't really kick in until summer, but the pollen is definitely hitting me right now. It’s just awful—my nose is totally blocked and I can barely breathe...

I've tried plenty of nasal sprays and ointments, but nothing seems to work—it's like my nose is just constantly full of mucus regardless of what I do. Does anyone know of any over-the-counter meds that actually help?

Has anyone here tried Allegra?
They're over-the-counter antihistamines. My local pharmacist recommended them, mentioning they get really positive feedback from patients and that people find them genuinely helpful.

I decided to give them a shot because, honestly, hardly anything seems to work for me during this allergy season anymore, and I'm running out of things to try. ☕

Megan Foster6 said:One nostril stays pretty much stuffed up all year long... I honestly can't remember what it feels like to have both sides clear at the same time.

A few years back, I went in for some allergy testing and found out I'm allergic to pollen, ragweed, and dust. As far as I know, the ragweed doesn't really kick in until summer, but the pollen is definitely hitting me right now. It’s just awful—my nose is totally blocked and I can barely breathe...

I've tried plenty of nasal sprays and ointments, but nothing seems to work—it's like my nose is just constantly full of mucus regardless of what I do. Does anyone know of any over-the-counter meds that actually help?

I'm dealing with the exact same thing—just constant congestion. I've got an appointment with an ENT in a couple of days with all my test results, so I guess we'll see what they have to say about it.

Adam Nguyen2 said:Hey everyone—and sorry if this topic already exists, I couldn't find it. It feels weirdly obvious that allergies get talked about constantly, yet there’s no dedicated thread for this. 🙂

Basically, for years, I dealt with massive, soul-crushing pollen allergies and all that other spring nonsense that I absolutely hated. But this year? Everything is in full bloom and I’m walking around without even needing a tissue. How? I honestly have no clue. If I went to my doctor now asking why my allergies suddenly vanished, he'd probably think I was losing it and just tell me to be glad. 🙂

I suspect it's because I've been taking Beta-Glucan for the last two months—it's a yeast-based supplement meant to boost the whole immune system. On top of that, I've been using Avamys spray in my nose for the past month. So, yeah... maybe people struggling with allergy issues should chat with their own doctors and look into trying this combination. It’s helped me significantly—at least for now, which is progress in itself. 🙂

Beta-Glucan is great for allergies, but you hit on a crucial point... you really need to start taking it at least a month before the blooming season starts so your body can prep its immune system to fight off those flying pollens and bugs.

I did the same thing two years ago, starting a month before the season kicked in, and had zero issues... this year, I started too late. 🙂

Emily Palmer5 said:I'm dealing with the exact same thing—just constant congestion. I've got an appointment with an ENT in a couple of days with all my test results, so I guess we'll see what they have to say about it.

Well, definitely let us know how it goes... I really need to get checked out too, but I just haven't been able to find the time lately...

Does anyone know the going rate for private allergy testing here in New York City?

Henry Brown2 said:Does anyone know the going rate for private allergy testing here in New York City?

For instance, maybe something like Stela Medical Clinic in a Suburban Neighborhood
has a price list here:

I finally went in for testing this year after years of just suffering through it, only to find out that my allergies are actually quite severe. It seems like everything triggers me, especially pollen. Lately, I’ve been relying on Xyzal tablets and Avamys nasal spray. I tend to take the pills specifically on those days when the symptoms feel more intense, and honestly, they seem to do the trick, whereas the nasal spray hasn't been quite as effective for me—mostly because my nose is constantly running, so I’m always wiping it, which feels like I'm just washing the medicine away. Then again, perhaps it actually is working, because aside from this past Sunday, I’ve actually felt pretty decent these last few days. 🙂