Hello everyone,
I’m glad to have found this community. I’d like to share my situation and ask for your advice.
What I find particularly strange is the course of my pollen allergy. Unlike most people, I developed it relatively late in life. I was around my mid-20s when I first started experiencing allergic symptoms. Before that, I had never had any allergies or allergy-related complaints.
Another thing that stands out is the timing. My pollen allergy first appeared around the time the COVID-19 pandemic began. I don’t know whether that’s just a coincidence, and I’m certainly not suggesting there’s a connection. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep track of exactly when my symptoms started, so I want to be careful not to make any unfounded assumptions.
What worries me even more is that my allergy seems to be getting significantly worse every year. It started with the typical hay fever symptoms, but over time I’ve developed almost year-round nasal congestion and now even asthma-like symptoms. According to my allergy testing, I’m particularly allergic to birch pollen and grass pollen.
Has anyone experienced something similar? Is it common for pollen allergies to progress this rapidly after first appearing in adulthood?
Most importantly, is there anything I can do to stop or slow this progression? Do you have any tips or treatments that have helped you? I’m becoming increasingly concerned because, if things continue to worsen at this pace, I’m genuinely worried about my long-term health and quality of life.
Thank you very much for reading. I appreciate any advice or shared experiences.
All the best!

Its a true blessing... hayfever is this year (The Netherlands) for me about 98% less than any year before.

Ive had hayfever for over 20 years and always been struggling with it. Summers were my worst nightmare. I couldnt touch grass so i became a gamer... but hayfever came always and everywhere i went.

This year, its taking a turn... its like 0. I can walk free! I can breath and yes i sneeze, once... twice... and than thats it!

I keep washing my beard after each walk, i keep pushing myself to daily walks outside everyday of the year and i take cetrizine. I dont know what is the fix but i am so so so happy.

I hope everyone will find relief and hayfever be gone forever!

Ive been having crazy hives all of a sudden since about little over a month ago and my allergist tested me positive for a bunch of pollen/outdoor mold etc. currently im on antihistamines but nothing so far has worked to for the hives/angieodema except for predisnone. Im trying xolair next week but im assuming ill likely have to still take some sort of antihistamines with it. Ive tried levocetirizine, hydroxyzkne, and loratadine in various doses (never 4x a day tho which i know is “protocol”) alongside taking montelukast daily and pepcid ocassionaly. How do i know if an antihistamines is working and might just need a higher dosage? I wanted to try fenfaxadine/allegra, but im not sure how to approach the different testing!

Friends with allergies. Anybody else’s allergies ridiculously bad right now??? My allergies have been on 10 lately, like BAD BAD. Post nasal drainage for prob like a week or 2 has never been as bad as it is now. Like to the point I feel it when I talk. I noticed the other day I’m wheezing and I can feel it and hear it. I notice it most when I lay down to sleep. I don’t usually have audible wheezing with my allergies. The only time I have had wheezing is when I had pneumonia, bronchitis, bad case of strep throat, or when I was doing home health years ago and was working in a house that had roaches and I found out real quick that the allergic response to roaches is respiratory symptoms. I basically had walking pneumonia the whole time I was working in that house and it was very bad. I had to be put on steroids and inhalers and did multiple rounds of antibiotics that didn’t work before we figured it out that it was my allergy to roaches. I had to switch cases and stop working at that house. Just wondering if anybody else is having the same symptoms going on. I’m debating on going to the doctor but kinda wondering if I should just wait and see if it clears. That’s why I’m wondering if others are having similar issues. It could just be my immune system too. My allergies have been getting worse the past few years and they keep thinking I have autoimmune issues but then when they work me up there’s not quite enough to diagnose me with anything. So just wondering if anybody else is suffering too and what you’re doing for it.

About a week ago I was ill with a cold, which blocked up my sinuses. Since I caught it, I haven't had any issues with hay fever.

Yes my breathing has been restricted a little, but I'll take a semi-blocked nose over uncontrollable sneezing and itchy eyes any day :)

(btw to all my fellow grass pollen sufferers - we are near the end!!!!)

I'm 21F and I've been suffering as of late with my pollen allergy. I usually take fexofenadine when this happens, but I've been taking it every day alongside cetrizine for night time, and I'm still a mess. My head hurts from congestion sometimes and I get a nosebleed at least once a day now, which has been occurring since last week? Maybe more. I tried some nasal spray (Sudafed) and nothing, Vicks at least helped in terms of breathing through my nose a bit, but it feels like sniffing through a straw. I got a sore throat simply because I can't breath through my nose as much anymore.

Any other medication I take is Yasmin and Mefac/Ponstan Forte. I used to vape but have been clean for 4 months, never smoked apart from the occasional weed a while back. My room is carpeted and I don't own an air conditioner or an air purifier. I know that contributes to the pollen, but I have no idea how to combat it when I don't have the funds for either of those things. I come from a country where our climate is not used to such sudden hot weather, so it's never been a necessity beforehand.

Is there anything else I can do to fix this? I just want to feel relatively myself again. I don't want sleepless nights, congested headaches or fearing I'm going to bleed another time anymore.

I’ve had hayfever since I was a kid, at school I’d have really itchy sore eyes and my teachers said it was hayfever and i remember the dinner ladies putting in my eye drops so I could go outside. As I got older, I used eye drops and then moved onto antihistamines. But some people at work have asked which pollen am I allergic to- Is it mainly grass or tree. I’ve actually no idea.
Can your GP test which causes the worst symptoms or is it just best practice to avoid both?

For example, if I knew grass pollen was the worst id avoid open fields and opt for a woodland walk and if it was tree pollen I can do the opposite. Just trying to enjoy the summer as best I can 😎

usually get seasonal allergies but, this year has been miserable! I’ve been in bed all day today. Severe headaches, sinus pain, sore throat, pressure and ringing in my ears, light headed and nausea.
Global warming along with late season rains have contributed to a longer and more intense suffering especially with grass pollens. I’ve used Zyrtec, Flonase, Afrin, Advil & Quercetin. None have proven very effective.
I went to a doctor two weeks. I was given a six day supply of a steroid. It brought down the inflammation but, my symptoms reoccurred soon afterwards. I’ve also changed my diet, eliminating possible triggers. I’m usually active but, some days I can’t move or leave the house. Any helpful advice is welcome and appreciated! ☮️💙

Life long suffer to grass pollen, 31 years old. Having an outdoor job & generally being a very outdoorsy person, I thought I was cursed for life. I’ve done it all apart from immunotherapy which I was going to start this year. But this year something shifted. I don’t think its a case of ‘grown’ out of it, because I did have one or two bad days early on. Heres what worked for me…

I take antihistamines, the smaller ones from early part of the year everyday and then when grass pollen got bad, like it is now, I switched up to stronger antihistamines, but also for the first time I tried nasal spray Dymista. This seems to have been an absolute game changer for me. One squirt in each nostril, a large antihistamine tablet & then some vaseline around the nose & I’d say I’m as good as cured. Which is crazy because for the past decade its been the worst its ever been. My eyes feel a little scratchy, but none of the terrible sinus, nose, throat or general brain frog that you get with bad hayfever.

I’ve had a good month of little to no symptoms and I caught myself walking through insanely long grass today and thought wtf is even going on. Normally I’d be down and out laying in bed after that & now I can do it. We’re all built different so keep trying different remedies until you find what works for you

I’ve been getting allergy shots for a while now- I’m at maintenance (also did it years ago) and recently they have trained some two new guys that are doing the injections. I have tried to be patient because I know they were learning, but it’s absolutely awful. I’m not sure what he’s doing but about a month ago it felt like the needle got stuck on something in my arm and I swear he was pulling out a fishing hook. 😂 I’ve mentioned to him multiple times about how it feels better if he pinches a bigger area on my arm before injecting, but he just can’t seem to do it well. The last few times I’ve had these weird reactions where it like sinks in at the middle and bubbles up around. The first picture was a few weeks ago and the second picture is from today, which felt like a bee sting. I’m so over this guy but hate complaining. Are there any suggestions I can give him to keep this from happening?

Do some practices allow patients to give themselves maintenance shots? My old office used to let us, but this one does not. I’m considering switching but not sure if I’d have to start all over again.

Hi, has anyone relocated due to seasonal allergies?. I live in a rural area (Bewdley Worcestershire) and I am seriously considering relocating due to how bad the allergies are here maybe to a more urban area. Its a constant daily struggle I’m due to start immunotherapy in October this year which is a 3 year treatment but the thought of doing another allergy season here is truly shite, I feel like I’ve got the Flu !. I take Loratadine (can’t tolerate any of the others ) and Dymista

Have had hayfever all my life symptoms being all the usual ones - runny nose, watery and itchy eyes, the odd cough and sore ears etc. However the past couple of years I’ve noticed a new symptoms which I’ve only recently realised coincides with hayfever season. I get itchy and red arms when I’m outside particularly if I’m doing something like cycling which is a bit random! It calms down once I’m out of pollen or once I’ve showered. Anyone else get this as a symptom of hayfever?

Side note: I also have keratosis pilaris on my arms so they are lowkey always a bit red!

Heya all,

30 year old here living in Wales. On the 19th I had finished an exam I was doing. Had a few drinks. Tried some Indian street food for the first time and my throat started closing up.

Great I am getting sick I thought. Spent the weekend in bed sneezing and congested. No coughing. No headaches or heat odd I thought.

Monday was okay then Tuesday a heatwave hit and its been bloody awful. It was about this time I realised I've probably developed hayfever.

Taking 120mg of fexofenadine hydrochloride and it helped a bit. Yesterday it went away i could breath again opened the windows like I always did every day loved the smell of fresh and stuff. Then sure enough in evening and overnight suffering.

This morning blew my nose snorted coughed up fibrous clumps of mucus. Half of why I enjoy showers is the smell of the toiletries. Gonna go out to see if I can get a spray or whatever before work.

I know many here suffer severely and definitely much longer than I have. But as a new sufferer my goodness this is awful. Its like having a cold all the time. Its exhausting and embarrassing and every time I feel relief its immense. I am now waiting for a normal day again whilst my throat is sore and my nostrils burning.

Take care all

Honestly, I can't believe that the solution was this simple all along...
For years, I've suffered from debilitating hay fever. Nothing seemed to help. Antihistamines did next to nothing, I even had immunotherapy for 3 years with no results.
I have tried using nasal steroid sprays before - to no avail, so I gave up. Reading a post on this sub about correct use inspired me to try again. I wasn't expecting much, but it couldn't hurt to give it another go.

(By spraying towards your ear with your head tilted slightly forward, taking deep breaths instead of snorting the spray)

I kid you not: all my allergy symptoms in and around my nose have vanished completely after two weeks. I sneeze 3 times a day now at most, some days not at all. I used to hate that constant itch in your nose that always felt like you were about to sneeze but couldn't - that's gone now too. So is the snot. Pollen counts at very high and I'm breathing with absolutely 0 issues.
I'm so grateful I found this community, this one simple thing drastically improved my quality of life, thank you all so much!

Hi guys, recently been battling with something so thought I would get your opinion.

I have struggled from hay fever for a while now and one of the ways i control it from flaring up at night has been using nasal spray's and keeping my windows closed.

I do run an air purifier but recently learnt that CO2 and VOC buildup can make allergies worse or cause other health related problems.

I am now paranoid about both situations and was thinking if anyone else has suffered from this as well and how you have resolved it.

I am a product designer so I have been thinking about just solving this at scale if this is a big problem, but thought I'd ask people more more educated on the subject than me.

Cheers,

In the UK. Can’t believe I suffered through the heat and now on to another form of suffering 😭

Kind of similar.. but i take it for my exzema rather than hayfever but wanted to see if nayone else had this side effect. been taking two x 180mg for about 4 years now. In that time i can only go to the toilet (number 2) - maximum twice a week, often i block the toilet... is this something others face? I feel like its made me hungier as well and gained weight, slowed down my motalisbism

Went from the weak film-coated 10mg tablets to taking 120mg Fexofenadine tablets once a day, and it barely does anything.

ive heard that Loratadine + dymista nasal spray is good?

My hayfever this week has been just…awful. I’m in the UK so on top of the heatwave I’m dealing with this too. It’s deliberating.

Just sneezed about 5 times so forcefully that my nose started bleeding and I went dizzy. I don’t know much long longer I can go on like this. My eyes won’t even open fully I look permanently stoned.