4 September 2012

Before you blame the wattle, consider the pine

| johnboy
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pine pollen

This afternoon the Kelpie of Few Accomplishments and I managed to capture on camera the vast pollen output of the pines of Haig Park.

*KERCHOO*

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Poorly evolved… all of you!

Gungahlin Al said :

Amazing picture John. Timing…

LSWCHP said :

I’ve been suffering from hayfever for years with catarrh, sneezing and loss of sense of smell as the primary symptoms.

I’ve tried Beconase (useless), Rhinocort (almost useless) and some other stuff I can’t remember the name of (useless).

Has anybody had any good results with any treatment of any sort for this misery, conventional or otherwise?

Beconase cleared up my seriously debilitating hayfever completely.

But you have to understand the difference between a de-sensitiser like Beconase and a symptom treater like Zyrtec. Beconase only works after several weeks of continuous use. You couple it with symptomatic relief so it has time to work. And you’ll need it again for a couple of seasons. But eventually…

Thanks Al. I think I never really gave the Beconase a good long try.

I’m actually doing moderately well at the moment with Rhinocort, honey, regular saline nasal sprays and a daily saline flush with a neti pot. I will swap the Rhinocort for Beconase and see what happens.

who ever blamed Wattle trees for the pollen and hay fever in Canberra ? Of course it’s pine trees causing hay fever in Canberra, just go out to the forest this time of year the whole ground is an inch thick with green pollen.

Gungahlin Al8:12 pm 17 Sep 12

Amazing picture John. Timing…

LSWCHP said :

I’ve been suffering from hayfever for years with catarrh, sneezing and loss of sense of smell as the primary symptoms.

I’ve tried Beconase (useless), Rhinocort (almost useless) and some other stuff I can’t remember the name of (useless).

Has anybody had any good results with any treatment of any sort for this misery, conventional or otherwise?

Beconase cleared up my seriously debilitating hayfever completely.

But you have to understand the difference between a de-sensitiser like Beconase and a symptom treater like Zyrtec. Beconase only works after several weeks of continuous use. You couple it with symptomatic relief so it has time to work. And you’ll need it again for a couple of seasons. But eventually…

Danman said :

The pollen that you see is not the stuff that will give you curry. …

First the curry bees have to gather it and store it in the hive for a while, where it transforms into a mélange of spice.

The pollen that you see is not the stuff that will give you curry. Its particles are too large to lodge in your mucous membranes and cause the usual symptoms. Its the smaller particulate pollen that is the culprit.

BTW hayfever hit me a few weeks ago, its going to be an ordinary season for me.. Get on the anti hayfever meds pro-actively

Madam Cholet12:58 pm 05 Sep 12

Hi LSWCHP, the honey thing s something I have read about quite a few times and seeing as I am trying everything, I thought it can’t hurt ! It needs to be as local you can find as the bees will be feeding in the local environment. Look up the beekeepers assoc o ACT for contacts. The guy I got mine from in Curtin has honey from north and south.

I don’t have a sweet tooth so it’s not such a treat for me, but the honey I must say is pretty good!

Until you get some haymax, start using Vaseline as it does the same thing. Star early before you start getting symptoms as well.

Good luck!

Madam Cholet said :

LSWCHP said :

I’ve been suffering from hayfever for years with catarrh, sneezing and loss of sense of smell as the primary symptoms.

I’ve tried Beconase (useless), Rhinocort (almost useless) and some other stuff I can’t remember the name of (useless).

Has anybody had any good results with any treatment of any sort for this misery, conventional or otherwise?

I have also spent the lasts few years absolutely miserable with hay fever, more so when the drought broke a few years ago. Our house faces a reserve and the overgrown grasses and then freshly mown grass would impact on me so much all I could do was give up and go to bed by about 8pm. Tended to have one shocking day every weekend and finally ended up feeling like my nose had been destryed. So off to a specialist to tend to subsequent sinus issues and book in for op. and I have to add that any over the counter medications don’t even touch the sides of my symptoms unless I overdose on them, which as you can imagine provides other problems.

Hope even some of this helps you.

Thanks for that MC, much appreciated. I’ll look into the Haymax. And what’s the deal with the spoonful of local honey? Are you saying it needs to be specifically local honey rather than any old honey? Is there some sort of desensitisation involved by taking the honey? This sounds interesting…

Madam Cholet12:05 pm 05 Sep 12

LSWCHP said :

I’ve been suffering from hayfever for years with catarrh, sneezing and loss of sense of smell as the primary symptoms.

I’ve tried Beconase (useless), Rhinocort (almost useless) and some other stuff I can’t remember the name of (useless).

Has anybody had any good results with any treatment of any sort for this misery, conventional or otherwise?

I have also spent the lasts few years absolutely miserable with hay fever, more so when the drought broke a few years ago. Our house faces a reserve and the overgrown grasses and then freshly mown grass would impact on me so much all I could do was give up and go to bed by about 8pm. Tended to have one shocking day every weekend and finally ended up feeling like my nose had been destryed. So off to a specialist to tend to subsequent sinus issues and book in for op. and I have to add that any over the counter medications don’t even touch the sides of my symptoms unless I overdose on them, which as you can imagine provides other problems.

It was at that point after booking in for the op that I have decided to go back to basics. So this is what I do. I have ditched the prescription Rhinocort – and feeling so much better. Bought something online called Haymax – a gooey Vaseline type stuff that you smear around your nostrils to prevent lots of pollen making its way into your respitory system – vaseline just as good but Haymax smells nicer, and am taking a spoonful of local honey every day – from a supplier in Curtin if you are interested.

We have also had a ventilation system installed in our roof (ventis, if you are interested), that pushes clean filtered air through the house. Both my husband and I agree that we are breathing easier. It negates having to have the windows open – warm air in through winter and hot air out in summer. Working a treat I have to say.

I am writing this whilst sitting outside in my back yard eating lunch with the little one. It’s horrendously windy, but so far since using all my old wives remedies And the ventis system i have not experienced any bad days or even twinge thus far. Vaguely itchy eyes is about all I could admit to. I have also today cancelled my operation, and believe me I would have done anything if nothing else started working.

Hope even some of this helps you.

I forgot to say, cut grass is also bad. Try and avoid any freshly cut grass (don’t even walk through it for a day or two) and if someone is mowing nearby shut the windows until after they have finished.

What I’ve found with Hayfever is, whatever medication you start with, will only last half the season at most, then you have to change. The next medication will not be as effective as the first was at the beginning of the season, but more effective than it was when it no longer worked as well. I sometimes have to change it a third time.

Try and hold off on medication as long as possible at the beginning. Use eye drops to regularly flush the eyes several times a day throughout the season as this is one of the ways pollen and other irritants will enter your system.

My medication of choice are the 24 hours non drowsy tablets. I usually start with Telfast, then end with another brand. Last year it was Aerius.

As well as the eye drops, any time you go near a sink wash your face, eyes and hands. It sounds odd, but it does help.

As an added bonus for me, the stuff that triggers hayfever is also one of my headache (good days) and migraine triggers (bad days), so panadol and other headache medication also get a work out. As does my asthma puffer.

neanderthalsis9:28 am 05 Sep 12

LSWCHP said :

I’ve been suffering from hayfever for years with catarrh, sneezing and loss of sense of smell as the primary symptoms.

I’ve tried Beconase (useless), Rhinocort (almost useless) and some other stuff I can’t remember the name of (useless).

Has anybody had any good results with any treatment of any sort for this misery, conventional or otherwise?

I tend to take a chemist brand hayfever pill (Fexo 180) on a daily basis during the spring and summer and use spraytish spray, which is the only one that actually works for me.

Great photo!

get a HEPA air filtration thing for home and office. makes a world of difference. Costco has ’em for about $150. you’ll still be miserable when you go outside but 15 minutes after getting inside all the symptoms will vanish. got to be better for you than drugs that only partly work and make you drowsy, etc.

LSWCHP said :

I’ve been suffering from hayfever for years with catarrh, sneezing and loss of sense of smell as the primary symptoms.

I’ve tried Beconase (useless), Rhinocort (almost useless) and some other stuff I can’t remember the name of (useless).

Has anybody had any good results with any treatment of any sort for this misery, conventional or otherwise?

Combination of Rhinocort and Zyrtec works for me.

I get itchy eyes and sneezing primarily though.

Rawhide Kid Part38:05 am 05 Sep 12

LSWCHP said :

I’ve been suffering from hayfever for years with catarrh, sneezing and loss of sense of smell as the primary symptoms.

I’ve tried Beconase (useless), Rhinocort (almost useless) and some other stuff I can’t remember the name of (useless).

Has anybody had any good results with any treatment of any sort for this misery, conventional or otherwise?

Mars??

I’ve been suffering from hayfever for years with catarrh, sneezing and loss of sense of smell as the primary symptoms.

I’ve tried Beconase (useless), Rhinocort (almost useless) and some other stuff I can’t remember the name of (useless).

Has anybody had any good results with any treatment of any sort for this misery, conventional or otherwise?

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