People of Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico... I have questions

[AKshanmar]

Hmmmm.... you could always move to Alaska... we still have pollen here, but for a short amount of time. (OK, not helpful, but possibly true!)

[Shawna in Texas]

I'm not sure what I'm allergic to, but DH is allergic to everything but cats, dogs, cockroaches, and some red pine you can only find in Siberia. Austin and San Antonio are horrible, Dallas I don't know, can't remember, Houston was manageable for us, but that weekend we spent in Big Bend wasn't bad at all. Good, even. Same with the beach. We don't seem to have problem in Galveston or Corpus.

[ElizabethB]

Now we live near San Antonio and we are dying!

 

 

San Antonio was pretty bad.

 

It was also the scene of my fastest doctor's visit ever.

 

Me: "I have had a weird cold or something for over 2 weeks now. If it wasn't December, I'd think it was allergies."

 

Doctor: "Welcome to Texas. It is mountain cedar season. Have some Claritin."

 

(This was also pre allergy shots.)

[KungFuPanda]

Wear a mask if you're tempted to come anywhere near Maryland. I don't even have allergies but the sheer physical amount of pollen that blows around can even make me have a sneezing fit.

 

Have you seen an allergist? Does your insurance require a referral, or can you just book yourself? It's weird that your doctor was no help at all. My daughter went for the first time lady year. That first appt takes ages because they test you for EVERYTHING then make you wait to see what makes you suffer, then you go another round of more invasive testing and MORE waiting for suffering to begin. It's all very sci-fi meets medieval torture chamber.

[tex-mex]

My FIL had horrible allergies in MI and moved to CA, but suffered to a lesser extent. Not as bad as MI, tho'. He then moved to the Mojave Desert and did really well there... but that is in the middle of NOWHERE.

 

I grew up in No. CA and had pollen/tree allergies. Moved to So. CA and they were less irritable thanks to living by the ocean. I also moved to the Mojave Desert like my in-laws and my allergies were GONE!! Wow. But we lived in nowhere-ville, which truly sucked big time. :laugh:

 

Now I live in Texas (my maternal people's homelands...near DFW) and I hate it due to my allergies gone amuck. Spring pollen is nasty with the winds. This winter has been mild and the Mountain Cedar is my #1 enemy. Aaaauuuugh. Mountain Cedar is everywhere in TX, NM, CO & AZ.

[fraidycat]

I didn't realize how stuffed up I was here in SoCal until we drove to Yuma last summer. About 5 minutes out of Yuma, I started sneezing, my sinuses started draining and my head felt so light and free. I could think clearly - it was Amazing!! Alas, it was only a weekend visit, though. :( I've been stuffed up since then, again.

[Giraffe]

I live in the DFW area and both DH and myself have nasty, terrible allergies! In the spring everything around us is covered with yellow pollen, it's really kinda gross!!

 

 

I moved from VA (Peninsula area) to DFW and got hit with worse allergies than I had in VA. The locals chuckled and said Dallas is famous for allergies.

[Guest inoubliable]

I moved from VA (Peninsula area) to DFW and got hit with worse allergies than I had in VA. The locals chuckled and said Dallas is famous for allergies.

 

 

Whoa. Okay, then.... Dallas is definitely out then. I've lived in every region of Virginia throughout my life. The only place where I had seasonal allergies was Williamsburg. I couldn't imagine trying to live there now with the allergy issue that I'm having. The pollen there... gross. Decks and cars and people and sidewalks - covered in yellow for weeks. Gross, gross, gross. If Dallas is worse than that, it is definitely off my list.

[Guest inoubliable]

I managed to get 30 minutes of sleep before I jerked awake. I couldn't breathe at all. So completely stuffed up. Tried the neti pot. Didn't do anything! So when I got back to bed, DH thought that maybe a dose of Sudafed would help. I took it but I don't know if it actually did anything. It was three hours later before I could sleep. I got another 3 hours before I was up again. I need to find a way to sleep standing up. That's the only time, half the time, that everything is clear enough that I can breathe! It's either that... or I convince DH that we need to live on the beach somewhere.

[Juniper]

Allergy shots have helped me.

 

The only place where it is truly "safe" and pollen does not persist is at high altitude. Albuquerque is not high enough altitude. Colorado Springs is. I'm not sure what the exact altitude cut off is. Colorado Springs was the place that was best for my pollen allergies. But, after allergy shots, anywhere is tolerable. I went from a full dose of Claritin and being miserable to where I can have 1/2 dose most of the year and a full dose the first few weeks of spring when things are in full bloom. They take several months to start working, but they are worth it.

the only time my allergies cleared was when I lived in Prescott, Az. A mile high and arid.

 

Texas was a nightmare!

[HomeschoolMamaOfTwo]

Wow we are facing a move, either to Phoenix or Dallas. We had all but decided on Dallas and now I am kinda freaking out reading this!

[TXMomof4]

 

 

Lol! We lived by Houston and had zero allergy issues. Now we live near San Antonio and we are dying! This place is like a horrible allergy nightmare for us! But I guess it really depends on what you are allergic to.

San Antonio isn't quite west Tx yet. Think San Angelo, Lubbock, Amarillo and west of there. Of course then you have cotton to be allergic to - that is terrible. Not to mention the fact that living where it is so flat, dry, and dusty is miserable in its own right.

[Chelli]

San Antonio isn't quite west Tx yet. Think San Angelo, Lubbock, Amarillo and west of there. Of course then you have cotton to be allergic to - that is terrible. Not to mention the fact that living where it is so flat, dry, and dusty is miserable in its own right.

 

This is my downfall every year here. I live about 60 miles outside of Houston and when I see them start to harvest the cotton I know I'm about to have a round of allergies so I load up on Claritin-D (it's the only thing that will stop it for me). Whatever that stuff releases into the air when they harvest it send me into a sneezing, watery eye, runny nose, stuffed up head fit!

[Heather in Neverland]

 

 

Tell me more about these allergy shots? I've asked a doctor for help. And all she would tell me was that Benadryl was pretty much the only thing I could do and that if that wasn't helping, then "sorry, there's nothing else".

 

She's wrong. I had horrific seasonal allergies and I eventually started getting shots once a week. They helped immensely. I didn't have to do them forever. I got shots for about 3 years.

[jenn-]

My DH started in with the sneezing of allergy season last week. He used up a sample of Singulair that I had laying around here (it was mine but I am allergic to it so never finished). He felt fine right up until he ran out. Now he needs to get into a doctor for a prescription.

[Guest inoubliable]

She's wrong. I had horrific seasonal allergies and I eventually started getting shots once a week. They helped immensely. I didn't have to do them forever. I got shots for about 3 years.

 

 

Since the shots were mentioned here, I've been doing some internet reading about them. I still have no idea why the doctor that I saw never even mentioned them! I want to make an appt with her just to ask her this, but DH says I should find a new doctor and move on. I'm really irritated about it, though! It seems as though these shots would be the first thing any reasonable doctor would suggest, especially with how bad my symptoms are. FTR, this is the same doctor that told me doubling up on the Claritin was a good idea and that I should just pop a Benadryl or two if it got so bad that the Claritin wasn't working. The pharmacist that I talked to a couple of nights ago was confused. He was telling me about how Claritin works and how Benadryl works and he has no idea what she was thinking in recommending those two together. Grrrr.

 

I'm waiting for confirmation from my insurance company but it looks like I can just pick an allergist to go to, no referral needed. If this is so, I'll be calling for appts on Monday.

[gaillardia]

Check this out:

http://www.pollen.co...gy-forecast.asp

 

I hope that link works. I typed in Charlottesville on that website, looks like Virginia is covered in juniper, alder and elm pollen.

There is a book, I think it is called Sinus Survival and some find it helpful. Even though the tea tree and evergreen pollens can be bad, some have found

great relief living on the west coast of Florida. I know someone who was sick frequently with allergies, etc, in MD and moved to the lower Gulf coast of Florida and has been very healthy for many years now (as far as allergies are concerned).

[AngieW in Texas]

Our allergies were worst when we lived near Dallas than they are now that we are near Austin. My oldest was extremely allergic to cedar elm and so was I. That one got to the point that stepping outside made it feel like my eyes were bleeding. My middle is very allergic to mold and went to the ER for it up in Dallas, but hasn't had any problems with it since we moved her 9 years ago.

 

Try getting an air purifier. It really does help. Being in an air purified room all night reduces your overall allergen exposure and can make a big difference. It doesn't wipe out your allergies, but it sure does make them more manageable. My oldest had year-round ear infections until we got an air purifier for her room. After living in Austin for 9 years, she no longer had allergy problems. She's back in Dallas and hasn't been hit with them again yet.

[HollyDay]

It always seems to me that wherever I live, I'm always told, "You know, this area is in the top 5 for the worst allergies in the nation." Considering how many times we've moved, it just doesn't add up. Twice now, I've been told by allergists that their region is actually #1 in the nation for allergies. Not sure how that works.

 

I can't take the shots due to anaphylatic reacion to the test. And, my primary allergy is mold. Several docs have told me that the shots would only be about 30% affective for me and the risk is too great. So, I use Allegra and some sort of prescription nasal spray. I have had to get a steroid shot once in the last 2 years. We also practice avoidance as much as possible.

[Guest inoubliable]

Check this out:

http://www.pollen.co...gy-forecast.asp

 

I hope that link works. I typed in Charlottesville on that website, looks like Virginia is covered in juniper, alder and elm pollen.

There is a book, I think it is called Sinus Survival and some find it helpful. Even though the tea tree and evergreen pollens can be bad, some have found

great relief living on the west coast of Florida. I know someone who was sick frequently with allergies, etc, in MD and moved to the lower Gulf coast of Florida and has been very healthy for many years now (as far as allergies are concerned).

 

 

Cool website! I just checked my zip code and today should have a medium count, tomorrow is low, and Tuesday is very low. Woo! I can't wait to see if I notice a difference.

 

I'll check out the book, too. I'm starting to see some stuff on the internet about diet changes and how that can affect sinus allergies, too. This has all been truly eye-opening.

[Guest inoubliable]

Try getting an air purifier. It really does help. Being in an air purified room all night reduces your overall allergen exposure and can make a big difference. It doesn't wipe out your allergies, but it sure does make them more manageable. My oldest had year-round ear infections until we got an air purifier for her room. After living in Austin for 9 years, she no longer had allergy problems. She's back in Dallas and hasn't been hit with them again yet.

 

 

An air purifier is my next step. I've been told to get one for each floor of the house, and maybe a smaller one for the bedroom. Does that sound right? Any recommendations?

It always seems to me that wherever I live, I'm always told, "You know, this area is in the top 5 for the worst allergies in the nation." Considering how many times we've moved, it just doesn't add up. Twice now, I've been told by allergists that their region is actually #1 in the nation for allergies. Not sure how that works.

 

I can't take the shots due to anaphylatic reacion to the test. And, my primary allergy is mold. Several docs have told me that the shots would only be about 30% affective for me and the risk is too great. So, I use Allegra and some sort of prescription nasal spray. I have had to get a steroid shot once in the last 2 years. We also practice avoidance as much as possible.

 

 

I think mold is my number one trigger. The only other time I've ever had this reaction was when we lived in a apartment that had water damage behind the walls for months. We didn't it until the floor buckled up when we were away one weekend. The maintenance people came and ripped up the hardwood and plugged in fans and we had to live like that for weeks until it dried out enough for them to install new flooring and repair the wall. At that point, I was given an inhaler, steroids, and Flonase. I didn't remember the Flonase until DH suggested I look back in our medical records to see what I was on during that time. So now I'm thinking that I'm 99% sure it's got to be mold somewhere in this house. I just don't know where to look besides the obvious places.

[La Texican]

Have you tried Mucinex? Robotusein is also a decongestant. It decongests your head and your chest.

[Ellie]

It always seems to me that wherever I live, I'm always told, "You know, this area is in the top 5 for the worst allergies in the nation." Considering how many times we've moved, it just doesn't add up. Twice now, I've been told by allergists that their region is actually #1 in the nation for allergies. Not sure how that works..

 

 

I have heard that, too. :confused1:

[tex-mex]

Be sure to change the air filter in your A/C & Heat more than every 6 months. Plus clean out the air vents and ceiling fans. Switch to a tile (or wood if you can afford it) floor instead of carpet. During really bad allergy seasons, I'd have to shower daily and take Nasacort and Benadryl to survive. Flonase works better than Nasacort (a.k.a "Snoz-a-cort").

 

Be super careful with Nasacort as you can easily get a sinus infection -- one of the side effects.

[gaillardia]

Don't forget if you have indoor/outdoor dogs/cats they are carriers for pollen too. I hope you feel better very soon. You've gotten a lot of top notch advice! There are some aromatherapies that are good for sinus problems, but I was also wondering if you had mold issues.

[Orthodox6]

Wow we are facing a move, either to Phoenix or Dallas. We had all but decided on Dallas and now I am kinda freaking out reading this!

 

 

We are in a Dallas-burb. I take one children's Claritin every morning, and am fine.

[Guest inoubliable]

Is Honeywell a good brand for air purifiers? I'm hoping to order something tonight.

[TraceyS/FL]

My boyfriend sells these: http://www.gogreenenvironmental.org

 

I hung out with him last weekend and the people that have them would gladly pay for another one! ONe guy was going to buy (he was mid-40's) and called his mom about it because he knew she had one. He asked about dust - she told him, she didn't dust her house! LOL!!

 

One unit does the whole house, and works thru walls and such. I really need him to leave one here next time he makes it here (he travels 300 days a year).

 

Anyway, I was a skeptic somewhat - but after listening to all those people that OWNED them in the various generations for 3 days.... I need one.

 

Good luck - and I agree with your DH, new doctor time!!

[almondbutterandjelly]

If your house is the source of the problem, and it sounds like it might be, you might need to look into a new place to live. You're never going to get better if you stay in a house full of mold. Did the worsening of these symptoms correspond with living in this house? I think it is telling when you mention the mold in the other place you lived and how bad it was for your allergies. I think your house is the problem.

[Lanny]

Sadly, even in West Texas, I don't think you can escape all of the allergies. Lubbock is the largest Cotton growing area in the world, so that could cause problems for you. El Paso is probably drier and more of a desert climate.

 

Probably the best thing you can do, when you move, is to not have any carpeting in your house. About 15 years ago, my best friends house (in Texas) burned down. When they rebuilt their house, they did not have any carpeting. They replaced the carpeting, with tile floors, as we have in our house. After that, they were much healthier.

 

Failing that, here is the weather forecast for Antarctica. Possibly there there would be no allergy problems. Or, living on a ship in the middle of the ocean...

http://www.accuweath...arctica-weather

 

Best bet is to not live in a house with carpeting. You could vacuum and shampoo, all day, every day, and you would never get everything out of the carpeting. GL

[Guest inoubliable]

My boyfriend sells these: http://www.gogreenenvironmental.org

 

I hung out with him last weekend and the people that have them would gladly pay for another one! ONe guy was going to buy (he was mid-40's) and called his mom about it because he knew she had one. He asked about dust - she told him, she didn't dust her house! LOL!!

 

One unit does the whole house, and works thru walls and such. I really need him to leave one here next time he makes it here (he travels 300 days a year).

 

Anyway, I was a skeptic somewhat - but after listening to all those people that OWNED them in the various generations for 3 days.... I need one.

 

Good luck - and I agree with your DH, new doctor time!!

 

 

Thank you! I'll check into that!

 

If your house is the source of the problem, and it sounds like it might be, you might need to look into a new place to live. You're never going to get better if you stay in a house full of mold. Did the worsening of these symptoms correspond with living in this house? I think it is telling when you mention the mold in the other place you lived and how bad it was for your allergies. I think your house is the problem.

 

 

I think it is, too. We are looking into another place - we're sort of stuck here until October when we can buy a place.

[AngieW in Texas]

We bought all of our air purifiers from the Allergy Buyer's Club.

http://www.allergybuyersclub.com/compare-air.html