My allergies have been in high gear for the last 2-3 weeks. And imagine they will stay that way till things dry up. I'm allergic to so many things that it is hard for me too tell what it is many times. My Lilacs have really caused me grief lately. I have been tempted to tear them out being the blooms bother me so much. But I enjoy them and the bushes make a good wind break. So have left them. I went into a local greenhouse a week ago and had to promptly leave as something in there caused and attack within five minutes. I hope you can be allergy free till fall. I know i won't be. I'm allergic to too many things. I love the outdoors and the outdoors causes me many problems during growing season. Jay

Jay, I am sorry to hear you have it so bad. The worst part of this is we usually give up and just run the AC from this point on. It's a shame because at night we have dreamy cool weather.

Man, my allergies kill me this time of year, It will stay this way all until summer, then as the fall turns into winter I get it again. I think I will take stock out in whatever company makes zyertec. I certainly support them....

I have had so much trouble that I think it may be a virus instead of allergies. This is a bad year.

Sammy

Earthy,

I can't tell you what specifically is pollinating in your part of the state right now, but here in southcentral OK, it is the pecans and hickories, a lot of the wildflowers and many grasses.

This is the worst allergy season I can remember, although I think it actually is a little better here now than it was a month ago. What happened is that the very cold Feb. weather prevented the early trees (cedars and elms) from pollinating on-time, and pushed them very late into March. Other trees that need slightly warmer weather and usually pollinate in March didn't pollinate until April.

It seemed like we went from 'too cold' to 'just right' for pollination practically overnight, so everything was pollinating all at once. I know our vehicles had a greenish-yellow layer of pollen on them for weeks. Every time we washed the car, the pollen returned in a day or two. I don't think I've ever seen pollen settle on porch railings and patio furniture like a layer of dust as it did this year. And it isn't just here in Oklahoma. Much of the USA had the same late winter/cold early spring and experienced the same pollen misery when everything finally pollinated all at once. I saw some video of North Carolina on TV one day and it showed an incredibly heavy 'fog' in the middle of the day....but it wasn't fog at all, it was pollen!

By the way, many pollens can travel hundreds of miles (especially with strong winds blowing), so even if you remove the plants that cause you discomfort, you'll still have to deal with the pollen that blows in.

I feel like I have lived on allergy medication this year. I take 24-hour Claritin at night because our bodies produce more histamines at night, and it seems to work OK, but it sure hasn't stopped all the allergy problems. I suppose it has minimized them though, and it doesn't last 24-hours for me...more like 12 or 14. Still, it has worked better for me this year than anything else I've tried.

I went and found the transcript of an NPR interview about this allergy season that featured a science professor from the University of Tulsa explaining why it is so bad this year. I've linked it below.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: NPR Interview

I am having fewer problems than normal, but I take an allergy med everyday of the year. When we lived in Lone Grove, I could always tell when the crepe myrtle was blooming although I couldn't see any. Ardmore is filled with crepe myrtle and I would always comment about my allergies by saying something like, "The crepe myrtle must be early this year", or "Guess I shouldn't go to town since the crepe myrtle is starting to bloom". I was always right. I don't know if that is what caused it, but it was always at that exact time every year.

My current neighborhood has 3 or 4, but we don't have that constant wind blowing it around. We had lots of tree pollen this year. In fact, I thought my tomato seedlings were yellowing until it rained on them and washed off the pollen. LOL

About a dozen years ago, I started taking Allergy everyday, and it changed my life. LOL If I had only had nasal symptoms I probably could have dealt with it, although I hated the resultant headaches, but I started the swelling and hives and really scary things. My doctor said, someday the swelling may be in your throat and you can't get to the emergency room. He wrote me a script and I have taken it everyday since. I still have allergies, but not the dangerous symptoms that sent me to the emergency room.

I hope you gardeners get some relief from you allergies so you can enjoy this gorgeous weather.

Once this allergy season starts kicking my behind, I hope for rain. It always give me a day or two of symptom free outdoor activities. The fun part is when I mow. I mow a large area and it takes 3 to 4 hours to finish. After that I wash my clothes, shower and flush my sinuses to minimize the overall impact. The rest of the day is a sniff fest. I also struggle to keep from digging at my itchy eyes. If I am lucky, and the wind is not blowing, it's not too bad. Sometimes I wear a mask, but like many find them difficult to adapt to. One day I am getting a tractor with a cab!

I linked an article on Mother Earth News with some natural suggestions for relief.

Here is a link that might be useful: Six Natural Allergy Remedies Mother Earth News

For those looking to an alternative (or an adjunct)to Claritin or Zyertec, there is a nasal spray sold in health food stores called Xlear (pronounced CLEAR). It contains Xylitol, a natural sugar that coats the nasal passages and prevents the pollen from entering the membranes. I've used it for ten years and found it really helps. I have had some minor symptoms this year but nothing like before. I use it routinely at bedtime and this time of the year again before I go out to mow or weedeat.

Some other things that I take that I believe help are Pantothenic acid (250 mg), Ester-C (1-2 grams)and Vit A (10,000 IU). (You might want to ask your Dr if you are uneasy about taking them, but these amounts are available OTC.) I rarely have to resort to Claritin but it is still in the cabinet just in case.

Me, too, with the bad allergies. This year has been the worst that I can remember. Of course, whatever year I'm currently suffering always seems worse that those faded years in my memory. LOL

I don't take any meds, I just whine. A lot. I have an abcessed tooth whose root goes into my sinus cavity so the pain is especially horrendous this year with the two problems magnifying each other.

Diane

Mulberryknob,
You mentioned the Xlear before and I've been using it for a few months. It helps. For me that is all anything does. Nothing really cures it. And like Diane the current season always seems like the worst. Although I've managed to avoid a severe sinus infection for over 2 months. And as my doctor says anytime I do that I've had a good run. To compound my problem I broke my nose years ago and it got is not straight. And I have never had it rebroke to cure that part of the problem. Everytime I talk to someone who has had that done I decide it isn't as bad as I thought. Jay