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Allergies?
- Thread starter Razor
- Start date
I knew some allergics in the military. Some of them had food allergies, some had allergies to pollen, some had pretty much everything. I believe there are medications, and some treatments that subject the allergic to a lot of the thing he's allergic to in hopes to make him more resistant to it. For some, the meds seem to work so well they can camp for weeks out in the forest. There are people, though, who can't make that with their allergies, so I don't think the meds work for everyone. 
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2007
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- 1,607
Here is something I posted over at the backpacker forums in response to a similar question:
Unfortunately, this is a topic that I know way too much about. 26 now, and 3 sinus surgeries since I was 12.
I am no doctor, but have been talking to several for 15 or so years. Here are some things that will help you in the woods:
-Don't wait until you have allergy issues to take meds in the woods. Take an antihistamine before you go anywhere and you will likely have no problems. You don't need a decongestant if you are not congested. I rarely even get a sniffle in the woods, and I am allergic to everything (literally).
-Clean your sinuses. Like someone mentioned above, Neilmed's sinus rinse works great. Make sure you use their packets though, since they are clean and the right mixture. The first time doing this is kind of disconcerting. Rotate your head into every position you can and drain the rinse, or you will have some saline surprises later.
-Use a nasal spray. Nasal steroids really help. They open up nasal passages and help you breathe easier. The spray running down your throat and causing some numbing can be an issue.
-If the OTC meds aren't strong enough (they aren't for me), go to a doctor and get some Zyrtec D. It is pretty much the strongest antihistamine/decongestant on the market. I have been using it for a few years with great results. There is the drawback of becoming slightly groggy from the decongestant portion though. I have used pretty much every prescription antihistamine/decongestant on the market, and Zyrtec D works the best for me.
-If all of that doesn't work, or you have bad enough allergies, think about starting shots. My doctor said they are usually about 85% effective. People that have severe allergies or allergic reactions tend to have the best results. I have been on mine about a year and definitely see a difference. If you do not have good insurance, they can be expensive. Also, the treatment can last a long time (5-6 years).
Controlling allergies at home is a whole other discussion.
Unfortunately, this is a topic that I know way too much about. 26 now, and 3 sinus surgeries since I was 12.
I am no doctor, but have been talking to several for 15 or so years. Here are some things that will help you in the woods:
-Don't wait until you have allergy issues to take meds in the woods. Take an antihistamine before you go anywhere and you will likely have no problems. You don't need a decongestant if you are not congested. I rarely even get a sniffle in the woods, and I am allergic to everything (literally).
-Clean your sinuses. Like someone mentioned above, Neilmed's sinus rinse works great. Make sure you use their packets though, since they are clean and the right mixture. The first time doing this is kind of disconcerting. Rotate your head into every position you can and drain the rinse, or you will have some saline surprises later.
-Use a nasal spray. Nasal steroids really help. They open up nasal passages and help you breathe easier. The spray running down your throat and causing some numbing can be an issue.
-If the OTC meds aren't strong enough (they aren't for me), go to a doctor and get some Zyrtec D. It is pretty much the strongest antihistamine/decongestant on the market. I have been using it for a few years with great results. There is the drawback of becoming slightly groggy from the decongestant portion though. I have used pretty much every prescription antihistamine/decongestant on the market, and Zyrtec D works the best for me.
-If all of that doesn't work, or you have bad enough allergies, think about starting shots. My doctor said they are usually about 85% effective. People that have severe allergies or allergic reactions tend to have the best results. I have been on mine about a year and definitely see a difference. If you do not have good insurance, they can be expensive. Also, the treatment can last a long time (5-6 years).
Controlling allergies at home is a whole other discussion.
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- Mar 21, 2007
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Claritin and Alavert both work pretty well for me. Both are over the counter, come in 24 hour doses and they work best if you just take one a day through allergy season instead of waiting 'till the symptoms start to show. I usually start taking one or the other early in the spring like March or April and take them through the summer and into late September or October. Also, I find that the store brand equivalents to the name brand stuff I mentioned seem to work just as well so you can save yourself a few bucks. I just got 2 months worth of Walgreens version of Claritin for about 14 bucks.
nephildevil
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- Apr 30, 2007
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- 1,152
many plants also have an antihistamine function, dunno which ones myself tho
but you can find out, and look for them on yer hike to help you
if they are sufficient
but you can find out, and look for them on yer hike to help you
if they are sufficient
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- Mar 5, 2006
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A home-made sinus flush is made from
1 qt boiled water
1 tsp baking soda (or more)
2 tsp canning salt (or up to 4 tsp if you want) - this is salt with no additives
Boil the water, when cool, mix in the baking soda and salt. Shake well. I store mine in a Nalgen bottle, but a quart canning jar works well too.
To use it, put about 4 - 6 oz in microwave safe bowl, heat it till it is warm. You can use one of those baby nose suctioning things to squirt the saline up into your sinuses. You have to lean over the sink with your head turned sideways so all the gunk goes comes out into the sink. I've found this not only cleans everything out, but decreases swelling in the sinus.
This recipe came from my doc after my surgery. He swears by it, it works good and is cheap.
I've heard about eating local honey too, so we'll be doing that too.
1 qt boiled water
1 tsp baking soda (or more)
2 tsp canning salt (or up to 4 tsp if you want) - this is salt with no additives
Boil the water, when cool, mix in the baking soda and salt. Shake well. I store mine in a Nalgen bottle, but a quart canning jar works well too.
To use it, put about 4 - 6 oz in microwave safe bowl, heat it till it is warm. You can use one of those baby nose suctioning things to squirt the saline up into your sinuses. You have to lean over the sink with your head turned sideways so all the gunk goes comes out into the sink. I've found this not only cleans everything out, but decreases swelling in the sinus.
This recipe came from my doc after my surgery. He swears by it, it works good and is cheap.
I've heard about eating local honey too, so we'll be doing that too.
are the shots a permenant sollution once you finish treatment? (5-6 years later)
and is there a way to tell what types of trees/pollen you are alergic to? I live in VA and get allergies from mid/late April to July, so there a many things I could be allergic to, but I was hoping there is a blood test or something that would just tell me. I've never had allergies when I've been in the Boston area during those months.
I have the misfortune of being allergic to just about everything so I can sympathize with your suffering. Storl is giving you excellent advice when he suggests taking the antihistamines before symptoms appear. This really helps. I sometimes use a nasal decongestant like Otrivin (don't know if this is an American brand) if the anti-histaine isn't working or if I plan on drinking, but this isn't good for longer-term use.
If you get steroid-based medications from a doctor (spray/inhaler) they work most effectively when they are used regularly over a period of a week or more. The only allergy I have that is bad enough to cause anything more serious than abject misery is cats and for that I need a Ventolin inhaler, so I've never tried prescription allergy meds.
One last thing to consider is that if you're only allergic to a couple plants you might be able to avoid the worst symptoms by changing up the time of day (or time of year) that you go out walking. Or you might be able to avoid them entirely by finding a different area to hike in. Although I'm allergic to everything grasses are by far the worst. If i'm in a smaller patch of forest lots of clearings and fields around my allergies are usually more severe than if I can find a proper forest with less grasses and weeds around. Trees tend to release their pollen more in the spring, right now the worst culprits are weeds.
If you get steroid-based medications from a doctor (spray/inhaler) they work most effectively when they are used regularly over a period of a week or more. The only allergy I have that is bad enough to cause anything more serious than abject misery is cats and for that I need a Ventolin inhaler, so I've never tried prescription allergy meds.
One last thing to consider is that if you're only allergic to a couple plants you might be able to avoid the worst symptoms by changing up the time of day (or time of year) that you go out walking. Or you might be able to avoid them entirely by finding a different area to hike in. Although I'm allergic to everything grasses are by far the worst. If i'm in a smaller patch of forest lots of clearings and fields around my allergies are usually more severe than if I can find a proper forest with less grasses and weeds around. Trees tend to release their pollen more in the spring, right now the worst culprits are weeds.
You can get allergy tests. One of the more common kinds is the scratch test--they just scratch you with a needle that introduces the allergen just under the skin. I had this done when I was younger. I was allergic to everything they tested for so I had hives up and down both my arms afterwards. It was no fun and not spectacularly helpful to me. Your doctor can probably set one up if you're interested.
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I started taking full spectrum enzymes four years ago and I am no longer allergic to any pollens or stinging insects. If you google "leaky gut syndrome" you can see for yourself what causes alot of allergies.
It is absolutely amazing for me to be able to walk around my property and not have any problems at all and w/o taking any meds. It is even better to no longer have stinging insect allergies.
It is absolutely amazing for me to be able to walk around my property and not have any problems at all and w/o taking any meds. It is even better to no longer have stinging insect allergies.
Petroleum jelly is not designed for internal use, including.... other internal uses. It says so right on the container. You don't need an oil change. Using Petroleum jelly in the nose can lead to a pulmonary condition sometimes called lipid pneumonia.
Saline for the nose, not petroleum.
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Get the shots test instead, if you can. It is much more accurate. They basically inject you with varying strengths of the major allergens and measure your reactions by the size of the bump/welt that forms. I have had both tests done, and it seems like they use a larger amount of the allergens for the scratch test. Mine was on my back, so it itched like crazy until they were done. The shots test is just a minor annoyance in itchiness. The shots don't feel that great though.
A big problem with the scratch test is that the allergens will be on the surface and will run into each other, causing false positives. The scratch test is much quicker and less painful though (shots test is 48 shots, 24 in each arm, I think).
Serrinon, the allergy shots are not permanent. You have to go back and get booster shots every now and then to keep your immunities up. How often you have to do this depends on how severe your allergies are. My doctor lets me do the shots myself at home after the first 10 shots though, so it is a lot more convenient for me than most people.
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Enzymes are over the counter but you have to get the good quality ones. Metagenics makes some of the best but they cost about $250 per year. It was worth it for me to not have allergies anymore. You also get better digestion as a short term benefit.
But there is a downside in that it can take a couple years to get the full effect.
I had hay fever so bad that there were days I could not go outside without sneezing so many times my nose would bleed. It's also great not having to carry a sting kit everywhere I go now.
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If you want an over-the-counter solution, you can first try the Claritin (loratadine). If the drug works for you at all, the single 10 mg dose will be effective for 24 hours. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is the best OTC antihistamine, but will be accompanied by the unpleasant side effect of drowsiness (hence the reason it is often used as a sleep aid).
If you see your physician, you could also try a prescription medication like Allegra or the Zyrtec, if the OTC medications are not working for you.
The decongestants (such as pseudoephedrine) may be helpful to you for some symptoms, but your main complaints of watery eyes/etc. will not be solved by this.
I would recommend against the OTC saline nasal sprays for congestion, as these will cause an even worse rebound congestion if you use them for very long.
As someone else mentioned, take the antihistamine before going into the woods, not after your symptoms are popping up.
If you see your physician, you could also try a prescription medication like Allegra or the Zyrtec, if the OTC medications are not working for you.
The decongestants (such as pseudoephedrine) may be helpful to you for some symptoms, but your main complaints of watery eyes/etc. will not be solved by this.
I would recommend against the OTC saline nasal sprays for congestion, as these will cause an even worse rebound congestion if you use them for very long.
As someone else mentioned, take the antihistamine before going into the woods, not after your symptoms are popping up.
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Saline sprays do not have decongestants in them and can't cause tissue rebound. It's just sterile water with a .9% saline buffer. I have used saline mist for years to keep my sinuses flushed out and have never had any rebound problems. More and more doctors are advising people to use regular nasal irrigation for sinus health.
Decongestant/medicated nose sprays will cause that and most doctors will warn you about them. They even have on the label to not use for more then three days w/o consulting a physician.
Decongestant/medicated nose sprays will cause that and most doctors will warn you about them. They even have on the label to not use for more then three days w/o consulting a physician.
So I don't get it, if it doesn't prevent it permenantly, are you saying it takes 5-6 years before you have any imporvement from the shots? Damn that's a long time to get shots before you're good to go, and then you have to keep taking them for the rest of your life? Thats a lot of needles!