Hubby and I looked at some beautiful property yesterday. 18 acres with power, soon to have rural water. Owner financed. Gorgeous view. And allergies!! How do you all deal with pollen/grass/mold allergies out in the country? Ofcourse, it would be worth suffering to get out of town. :) What do y'all do?

-- Kathleen (KathleenRoberts@webtv.net), May 30, 2000

Answers

I'm not being a "wise-guy"(gal), but we use lots of tissues.

-- Phyllis (almostafarm@yahoo.com), May 30, 2000.

Kathleen, I have hay fever and am surrounded by pasture!I take the smallest quantity of over the counter antihistamine I can get away with (usually 1/2 tablet of something maybe 2x day. That way I can breathe). I more or less manage the rest of it with tissues, plus I try to plan my day to be outside in the early a.m. when there is still dew on the grass. Fortunately, grass season here is usually just June and July. I am also allergic to dust (oh well, that's my whole house!) spider bites, and cats (I have five). I really work on the biofeedback part and just try to avoid the worst of it when I can. Somehow things have gotten better over the last 10 years. I am so glad. Good luck to those of you with allergies!

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), May 30, 2000.

I very rarely suffer from allergies, but then again, I've spent nearly my entire life here in Section 29, so I may just be used to whatever is here.

I have heard that eating honey from local bees will help to desensatize you to local pollen. (We did raise bees in the past) Sounds like a pretty nice cure, whether or not it works!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), May 30, 2000.

Kathleen, I've always preferred "holistic" approaches. However, I'm usually not all that impressed with the results. But in the case of allergies, my daughter gave me some "eyebright nettle", and some "grass pollen" allergy pills. I'm not really sure which one worked, but she saved my sanity.

I haven't been able to find the pills (which you put under your tongue) for a year or so, and bought some "grass pollen" allergy drops. You put about fifteen drops under your tongue. This amounts to about the bottom 1/2 to 3/4 inches of the eyedropper.

We all are allergic to different things, I'm told, so I can't say if this would work for you, but I was getting such terrible "hayfever" for a month or so every spring that was threatening to move farther north! Now I'm having very little problem at all.

The year my daughter took pity on my miserable self, I only "got it under control", but was still pretty drippy. Since then, I do the treatment at the first sign of allergy (it always hits me very hard and suddenly), and truly have had almost no problem, other than mildly itching eyes sometimes.

Good luck--I feel for you.

By the way, I think there is more pollen in town than our here in the woods where I live. I always get the worst attacks when visiting my daughter in Eugene, Oregon. Lots of lawns is probably why.Don't know for sure.

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), May 30, 2000.

LOL! If we just relied on tissues we'd have to buy them by the truckload. 7 runny noses go through alot. :) Seems like I had tried homeopathic drops once. Seems like they worked too. Thanks for reminding me. I think its worse in town too. I think all the pollution contributes to a rundown immune system (not to mention the stress and misery or city life).

-- Kathleen (KathleenRoberts@webtv.net), May 30, 2000.

Kathleen the new nasal nose sprays that you use once or twice a day, really I think it works by deadening the inside of your nose, but I do know they work, no more sneezing fits. It also keeps my nose alergies from triggering my asthma. The one over the counter at big Walmarts is Nasalcrom there is also a perscription one also. (I am not talking about the old timey nose sprays like Alerest etc.) Anithistimines put me to sleep, but this treats the alergies for me at the source, my nose! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 30, 2000.

Honey, vinegar, garlic. Make a 'tea' of the 3 by barely boiling the crushed garlic(a med. size bulb) in a 1/2 cup of vinegar(apple cider, if you have it) then stain into a cup of honey-mix well. Take a teaspoon or two every day. Works for me. Much better than the presciption that was costing me a small fortune, and made me feel dehydraded. Even with allergies, being out of the city, on 18 acres- no less-HAS to be worth it! Good Luck!

-- Kathy (catfish@bestweb.net), May 30, 2000.

Kathleen, I have an air purfiers going in our home 24 hrs a day --so it helps when we are inside--so at least at night I can get some rest! I sold air purifiers for years so this is a commerical size one & it will get all things out of the air & puts out negative ions! Helps a great deal! Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), May 30, 2000.

It seems that the local honey cure does work, at least for some people. My husband has people who come back every spring for comb honey, and say that it helps them a great deal -- and almost instantly. I don't have too much problem with allergies, so can't say that it has helped me, but it's worth a try.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), May 30, 2000.

That is the WORST,and only drawback to living in the country for me! I have gone on from mild, to severe, hayfever, to full blown asthma, which I can only keep under control by taking the prescription drug, Zyrtec. Would prefer not to take it, but without it, I can't even go into our barn, walk around outside, etc. The honey/vinegar thing would sure be worth a try, I really hate to take these things all the time! Jan

-- Jan B (Janice12@aol.com), May 30, 2000.

A friend of mine takes alfalfa tablets (get's 'em @ Wal-Mart) and takes 6 or 9 a day, and swears by it.

-- Eric in TN (ems@nac.net), May 30, 2000.

There was a health spot on the local news the other day that said that over the counter "allergy" meds really don't help with allergies (but good for colds). They said the prescription ones are the best. I've used Claritin (sp?) - free sample from the doc - and it works all day and doesn't make me feel sleepy or dried out. It's great but don't know that I'd be willing to pay the price for it since I don't suffer too much. But if it is really neccessary to survive I go for that.

-- Vaughn (vdcjm5@juno.com), May 31, 2000.

Vaughn, well, they work for me....don't know if they do anything for allergies, per se, but they do keep my nasal passages from swelling up, which is pretty important. And since I also break out in hives when I get allergies, I would think antihistamine would be just the ticket. Do you know why this teevee show said that? (as my daddy once told me: Don't believe eveything you see on teevee...! :) )

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), May 31, 2000.

The honey tea sounds good. I'll bet I can find some local honey at the farmers market--thats where I go to pretend I have a garden. :) Alfalph might be interesting too. Worth a shot. Lord knows, I avoid the doctor at all costs--I think he's tryig to kill me. But last year my allergies were so bad that I ended up with bronchitis. Doc said it would be pnemonia in another day or 2 and I'd have been hospitalized. I said with 5 kids I have no time for the hospital....

So anyhow(sorry to ramble), I hope to avoid that this year.

-- Kathleen (KathleenRoberts@webtv.net), May 31, 2000.

Kathleen, LOL too! Our allergies aren't that bad, OTC "remedies" don't work for us, but the honey tea sure sounds good! Hope you & your hubby find something that helps you. Keep LOL! that helps.

-- Phyllis (almostafarm@yahoo.com), May 31, 2000.

Some natural remedies I use are:

Drinking peppermint and spearmint tea. They are natural antihistamines.

Taking a hot shower to remove pollen that is on my skin and in my hair.

Prevention:

Wash my bed sheets regularly.

Stay indoors when it's really windy and do drive with you windows down.

I feel for you. I have terrible allergies too.

:O( sniff!

-- Silicon Valley Man (netorcs@pacbell.net), May 31, 2000.

I take Echinacea, Nettle and extra Vit C along with my regular vitamins when my tree and grass allergies hit. I definitely agree that the pollution of the city is worse.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), May 31, 2000.

Kathleen, I have chronic allergies that are REALLY bad...I was on strong doses of steroids daily for more than a decade and nearly died several times there....

One thing that I have learned is that I had to take control of my own medical care....I went through all the allergy shots and all kinds of therapies....and for a time I still looked like a 90 lb. skeleton because my allergies don't just manifest themselves with a stuffy nose or sinuses....my allergies also manifest themselves through my digestive tract....(for a long time they (docs) thought it was "in my mind" every time I got sick when it rained, THEN they found out I was allergic to the mold spores and other things in the air when it rained!!!

Anyway, I didn't mean to rattle on so....I live on 13 acres that is half woods and half pasture, have a huge garden AND raise Angora (long haired) rabbits! The only medication I take now is DYE-FREE over the counter Benedryl and then usually only at night...

I try not to eat anything I'm not supposed to and if I mow the lawn or am in the garden a lot I take a shower (including washing my hair) and put my clothes immediately in the washer. I do hang our clothes on the clothes line to dry but do not dry our sheets on the clothes line...if I do dry sheets on the clothes line I put them in the drier for about 10 minutes to fluff the pollen and stuff off them....

I've decided that allergies ARE NOT going to rule my life and I just try to be careful, live as healthliy as I can, and do the best I can. So good luck in buying your new home!!! I will not let myself get to the point that I turn blue and stop breathing! I try to be careful but enjoy my life!!! Suzy in 'Bama (and salt water up the nose three times a day does work wonders and modern medicine has just now discovered that, yes, indeed that does help!!!)

-- Suzy in 'BAma (slgt@yahoo.com), May 31, 2000.

Another thing that may help is drinking lots of water -- I've been drinking much more than usual lately because of the diet I'm on (low- carb), and have been getting a glass of water every time I get up in the night -- usually about three times. Last night I didn't get up, and this morning I was all stuffed up. After reading the science behind the low-carb diet, I'm wondering if that may not help some allergy sufferers, too -- if anybody has questions, you can e-mail me.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), June 01, 2000.

Yes, I've noticed that the low-carb diet helps with alot of health problems. When I'm on it I hardly ever get migraines. The only problem with that is that with 7 people to buy for, I can hardly afford to stay on the diet. Wish I could. I read somewhere that to works most effectively if you do it 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off.

-- Kathleen (KathleenRoberts@webtv.net), June 01, 2000.

Hi Kathleen, I am finding more and more about bees. I didn't look at all the post to see if someone else posted bees.They are supposed to aid in the immunities of your area. Find a bee person in your area or start your own hive. I am looking forward to harvesting mine. Best wishes Karole

-- Karole Schoepf (Biz3boymom@aol.com), June 01, 2000.

Re: the low-carb diet -- I've been thinking that one of the big advantages of honesteading is that we can grow our own meat and stuff, so it wouldn't cost so much to be on this diet!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), June 01, 2000.

Yes, raising your own meat would help tremendously. Except that I live in a duplex in town right now. :) If we manage to get the property, it may be a while before we can get animals. Really looking forward to it though. I've dreamed for having a farm and being self-sufficient since I was a little girl.

Bees--I really want to learn more about raising them. I'd like to have a hive and get my own honey. Sounds a little confusing though. I'd have to find a bee person and observe for it to sink in I guess.

-- Kathleen (KathleenRoberts@webtv.net), June 01, 2000.

I have tried several of the above methods to no avail. After suffering with sneezing, runny nose, stuffed up nose, watery, itchy eyes, etc., I got fed up and found out that my health insurance through work would pay for everything. So I got approval and referred from my family doctor, went to an allergist, got tested, and get shots once a week from April - October, then once every two weeks during the off season here in Pennsylvania. And I pay nothing, not one cent! Now I can mow, and do whatever outside and not have all those horrible symptoms as above. It really changes your life not to have to worry about hayfever. So if you have an employer with health insurance, check it out!

-- Michael W. Smith (kirklbb@penn.com), June 04, 2000.

You really have good insurance Mike! If I had to go through that, I'd be bankrupt with my copay's of $15 for a doctors visit and $20 on the drugs!!

-- Eric in TN (ems@nac.net), June 04, 2000.

Kathleen, I know this is getting long, but I thought I'd through in my 2 cents anyway. A friend who used to suffer from dreadful allergies (zillions of pills and an inhaler always in her hand) got a lot of relief from cat's claw. She takes a handful first thing in the morning, says it works better for her than taking them at intervals during the day. Didn't work for me, but I wasn't very good about remembering to take them every single morning. Now, if I could just remember the name of that stuff that's supposed to help your memory.... Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), June 05, 2000.

I wish we had insurance, but we are both self-employed. I wonder how costly it is tobuy your own insurance....

Cats Claw!! I've never heard of that for allergies. Any specific amount each day?

Thats funny about the memory thing. Hubby bought Ginko for his memory once. I asked him one day if it was helping and he said he didn't know because he kept forgetting to take it. :)

-- Kathleen (KathleenRoberts@webtv.net), June 05, 2000.

Kathleen, I don't know exactly what the dosage of cat's claw would be. I'd just take one the first day, and maybe for a few more days, then start increasing. Seems like most of these supplements take 2-6 pills to equal one dose, so I'm guessing my friend takes 3 or 4 doses a day. The change in her is wonderous. It is also a lot a pills to choke down right away in the morning! When I've read about cat's claw for allergies, the recomendation is for the usual spaced-through-the-day routine. Don't know why she started taking them all at once, but it hadn't been helping her when she was taking them spaced and it does as a mega-dose. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), June 05, 2000.

Kathleen, for many years I got sinusitis, bronchitis, asthma, then pneumonia, in that order every April and October like clockwork. When the leaves fell in the fall and when they came out in the spring. In desperation I began taking grape seed extract and bilberry supplements, just one of each a day.(How I arrived at that combination is a story in itself that I don't have time to tell) It took two years before I finally had NO symptoms but each season after I started taking them it got better. I only took one a day also, and the bottles say you can take more than that. This spring was the beginning of the fourth year and I have been without that misery for two years (4 seasons). That has NEVER happened before. I'm a firm believer. They are inexpensive and a far cry better than the steroid-based stuff the doctors were filling me full of. And as far as Nasalcrom goes- I tried that too and after a couple of weeks I began waking up at night with crushing pain in my chest, I thought I was having a heart attack- seriously! When I stopped the Nasalcrom, the chest pain stopped also and hasn't returned. Good luck- allergies can make you miserable at the most beautiful times of the year.

-- Peg (NW WI) (wildwoodfarms@hushmail.com), June 05, 2000.

Kathleen, a friend --who helped us several years a go when we had a nutrition co.--reminded me--as I was itching my chigger bites--have you been takeing your garlic?? I said, no I guess I haven't been--- she said, you use to sell it to people for stimilating activity of the digestive organs, chronic stomach problems, bronchites, regularizing actions of the liver & gallblatter, infection of the lungs, asthma, reducing blood pressure, & keeps the insects from biting. I asked her, what that "STUFF" was that I use to sell for memory--she said, Gotu Kola, for it's rejuvenating properties! Think I'll go find my garlic & Gota Kola in my nutrition stash---cause I forgot & I haven't been takeing it!!! It took someone else to remimd me! ha! Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), June 06, 2000.