The culprit
No, that’s not one of Snow White’s dwarves and his two long-lost cousins but rather my nose and eyes at the moment. Yes folks it’s that time of year, the summer delight that is hay fever. For an outdoors person and garden lover to suffer from hay fever, or allergic rhinitis to give it its medical term, is a bit like a sick joke. At last we get some weather that reminds us that a summer is possible in this country and before you know it I’m reaching for the tissues.
Hay fever is not actually caused by hay or results in a high temperature. Some people find they are allergic to tree pollen, others the spores from fungi, but for the majority of sufferers, including myself, it is grass pollen that is the culprit. Grasses are pollinated by the wind and produce huge amounts of tiny pollen grains that are carried on the breeze; flowers pollinated by insects however, produce pollen grains that are relatively larger, heavier and less numerous and stay on the plant waiting for passing insects. I’ve suffered since I was seven or eight and although its affects have lessened over the years it’s still a pain in the proverbial; at least nowadays I don’t have to do exams when I’m feeling at my worst.
It’s annoying that it’s dismissed by many as a trivial affliction, try spending eight weeks feeling like you have a cold. It’s hard to describe how hay fever makes you feel but there’s an overwhelming feeling that all of your senses are irritated; streaming, itchy eyes, skin rashes and an itchy mouth and throat and even inside my ears. It feels like thousands of ants are crawling about. Worst of all are the sneezing fits, which can go on for several minutes. It’s not even like I have a delicate little sneeze, one of those ladylike achoos that goes unnoticed. Despite being only 5ft tall I have such a powerful sneeze, when affected by hay fever, that I did once propel myself off a table on which I was sitting. When I feel like this it really is hard to function normally and I’m afraid to say it but I do get a bit irritable. Of course, Wellyman would say that wasn’t true!!!
Last year was my first year on my allotment and I would invariably forget to pack some tissues for my afternoon’s plotting. I hate to admit to this but there were occasions when a sleeve may have been used. I know, I’m sorry as that’s really gross (the top did go straight in the wash once I got home) but after carting up numerous plants and tools I wasn’t going home just for some tissues.
Sadly for me, meadows are one of my favourite places and I love the idea of having a picnic in one on a glorious summer’s day. Maybe if I stuck one of the goldfish bowl type contraptions on my head, as was once suggested on Tomorrows’ World but that’s not really the look I’m going for and I imagine it would be uncomfortably hot in there. So there’s no running through meadows in floaty dresses for me.
Of course, there are plenty of products out there purporting to help. I’ve tried pretty much everything from conventional medication to herbal remedies, and even slathering my nostrils in a Vaseline type product, all with varying degrees of success. In recent years, hypnotherapy seems to have had the most impact. And on a positive note, I do start to feel much better by mid July. So if you, too, are a fellow sufferer dreading the next couple of months, you have my sympathy. If not, then spare a thought for those people sneezing uncontrollably this summer and who look like they’d prefer to be lying down in a darkened room.
My son was sitting an AS level exam today, and as soon as he got out of bed he was reaching for the antihistamines. I’m afraid that I passed my allergies on to him, I suffered terribly as a child and young adult. Even things such as human hair set me off, in fact, it was that which allerted my parents to the fact that I had allergies. Every time my hair was brushed I would start to sneeze, so after a trip to the doctor’s I was skin tested for fifteen things and found to be allergic to thirteen of them. In my teens I was tested for twenty two things and found to be allergic to them all. The sneezing fits lasted all year for me as it wasn’t only the things which cause hay fever which I was allergic to, but other things too. What cured me? Getting pregnant. I know, a bit extreme, isn’t it? I’m not totally cured, but I’m about 95% better than I used to be. I have really bad days but they’re few and far between, but I do know how awful it is so I can totally sympathise with you.
I sympathise, really I do, you seem to have it so much more seriously than I do. Mine usually comes whenever I visit a garden with the said meadow, have had to learn to avoid them unfortunately. When I saw the title of your post, I knew what was coming, so unfair for someone like you who is so keen on her garden and lottie, such a shame that it comes as soon as the sun shows its face once more!
I know how you feel! I’m still expecting to grow out of it – maybe this year will be the one it doesn’t rear its ugly head.
You have my complete sympathy, but I did laugh when I pictured you sneezing yourself off a table!
I sympathise, and know what it’s like to suffer as I did badly during my teens. Thankfully I grew out of it and apart from some minor irritation when the count is very high I’m okay now. xx
Hi Flighty, thank you for the sympathy. It can be such a frustrating affliction and especially as a teenager when there are so many exams to do. Fortunately those days are behind me.
sadly I am a fellow sufferer with trees and grasses outside being the problem. My nose runs but my eyes get the worst of it…red, itchy, weeping, swollen…
Hi Donna, Sorry to hear you suffer. It’s my eyes that suffer the worst too but fortunately have found some eye drops. Can you get Opticrom?
It’s tree pollen with me. In particular the Maple family. As we have Field Maples and Sycamores near the house, and London Planes are ubiquitous around where I work, I need to keep dosed up much of the time. I find taking tablets last thing at night works for me, as I don’t wake up with a ragged throat and ill will toward the world.
Hi Blue Shed, Sorry to hear you suffer too. I have found some eye drops that are brilliant but had itchy inside of ears today. Not sure there’s much that will help with that one.
Oh dear, poor you- have you tried the old remedy of putting a fairly thick coating of vaseline just inside your nostrils? It’s supposed to help trap the pollen grains before they get in to do damage. My neighbour tried this and it helped her. Hey any port in a storm!
Hi Jen, Yes I have tried the vaseline. It does work to some extent and is fine if I’m just going for a walk but it can have the unfortunate tendency of making it look like you need to blow your nose!!!
Dear Jo, as I would be the potential grandparent to any offspring from wellyman & wellywoman, I think your idea is a little extreme. I am sending a box of kleenex!
Now they’ve reached their teens, perhaps I’d have been better sticking with the hayfever! Only joking.
Sleepy, Dopey and Grumpy too
Sympathies from a fellow sufferer although my symptoms have lessened with age. I am careful of what time of the day I venture into the garden when the pollen count is high. Hopefully next year I will be able to test the local honey theory with a teaspoonful a day produced from our allotment bees.
Hi Anna, I’m going to try the honey theory next year. I love the idea that you have our own allotment bees. How amazing. I know I should avoid going at in the evening when the pollen is falling and certainly shouldn’t be walking through meadows but it was worth it.
I do sympathise. I’m somewhat taller and also have a very powerful sneeze – almost grounds for divorce!
Hi Croftgarden, I always find my sneeze so embarrassing. When I feel all puffy and red faced the last thing I want to do is draw attention to myself and then along comes my sneeze.
I used to suffer badly until I tried the teaspoon of local honey thing every day for a month and have barely sneezed since. Still occasionally get that thick, sludgy headache that makes you feel you’ve been like you’ve been drugged but that tends to go after a day or so.
The honey has to be local so that the bees have foraged from the same pollens that you are breathing in – well, that’s the theory that I heard and it worked here :} Good luck.
Hi Bilbo, I know a few people who swear by the honey remedy. Will definitely give it a try. Thanks. WW
Eek, how horrible for you. While my Dad and brother suffer – I never have, well actually I have. Just one summer when we lived opposite a big bank of lime trees. Took me ages to realise what it was and it never re-occurred. I was only thinking the other day how debilitating it must be. Think you might at least try the goldfish bowl? D
Hi Dave, You’re lucky, especially as it’s in the family. Fortunately the purchase of some eye drops has made me feel much better and I now no longer look like I’ve been in a fight. I’m claustrophobic so I think the gold fish bowl may cause a panic attack!WW
Poor you! I never suffered when we lived in the UK, but there is one thing here (haven’t quite figured out what) that gives me hay fever in mid-May, might be the olives or the strongly scented trachelospermum. Take care, Christina
Hi, I know how you feel! I too have suffered since I was small and have used the usual vaseline, eye drops, flannel over face etc etc., miserable and definitely made me ratty! However, 4 years ago I had acupuncture and it helped me, so much so that I hardly suffer at all now, might be worth a go, although I think you need to have it around March/April time….. we just got back from a weekend in Brockweir walking through the meadows by the river, not an itch or sneeze – heaven!
Karen
Hi Karen, Thanks for that tip. May have to look into that for next year. I did find hypnotherapy had worked but I know the effects of that can wear off and this year has been quite bad again. We walk over by Brockweir quite often. It’s such a beautiful place. It would be brilliant if I could do it without sneezing. WW