allergy sufferers

[skypilot]

Do any allergy sufferers out there have years where your allergies don't seem to really kick in. Mine seem to hit me every OTHER year. Last year they made my life a misery. The year before they started up at the beginning of spring then petered out a couple weeks later and the year before that they kicked my but all through spring, summer AND fall. This year I started sneezing at the beginning of spring and went out and bought some over the counter allergy medicine. I ended up using it only 3 times and then all the sneezing stopped. I lived in Pennsylvania and have no clue what it is that I'm allergic to and why my allergies are so erratic. My mom claimed that she "outgrew" her allergies. Could this be happening to me? Do people really outgrow them?

[slackmaster]

1. I had the worst case of hay fever ever in my life this spring

And now I have contact dermatitis. It turns out that my hypersensitivity to poison oak extends to other members of the same plant family that are not normally considered a threat to humans, e.g. laurel sumac, one of the most common bushes in Southern California coastal sage scrub.

[Marlie]

2. Sometimes you do outgrow allergies

I don't know if you've had a lot of rain in PA but here in Illinois
we sure have. I've been suffering from allergies practically my
entire life and this year is especially bad as I'm allergic to
mold. Have you ever gone to a specialist and had the test done to
determine exactly what you're allergic to? That would be a start.
Also, my doctor gave me a little hint to try and it helps a lot.
Twice a day, I know it's a pain, inhale steam. I purchased an
inexpensive little machine which is a lot better than holding your
head with a towel over it breating in the steam from a pot of boiled
water. This really does help keep your head and sinus area from
blocking up. I suspect if it happens every other year, it may be
your allergic to airborne things, such as mold, dust mites, pollen,etc
versus dairy products, cats, etc. Good luck, hope you feel better
soon. Allergies are really a pain to deal with.

[skypilot]

4. Allergy tests

I've actually had two allergy tests in my life, although they were YEARS ago. One didn't determine what I was allergic to and the other concluded that I was allergic to peanuts. I know for a fact that the peanut allergy conclusion is false. I eat peanuts all the time (including this year when my allergies aren't bad at all) and I'm pretty sure that people with peanut allergies end up in the hospital, not simply sneezing alot. We have had alot of rain in PA this year. I used to think that rain would help relieve the sneezing fits by "washing" the pollen out of the air but during those seasons when my allergies are particularly bad I've noticed that I will sneeze like crazy even on a rainy day. However, this year I've been fine after that initial early spring attack. I guess I'm due for another visit to an allergy specialist.

[Rainbowreflect]

3. I have been hearing and reading that drinking green tea may help

with some allergies. I have been drinking 2-6 cups of green tea a day since early April this year and my allergies have not been as bad as they were the past 3-4 years. Might give it a try.