| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| FarrarFarmgirl |
Posted - Jun 26 2006 : 10:59:38 AM
I can't believe it, I've been reading and posting for almost a year now and I finally have a legitimate question to ask that requires me to start a topic. :o) I only hope this is the right place to ask my questions.
I know this sounds silly, but how can a farmgirl be allergic to her yard and garden? I haven't heard anyone talking about it, unless it was earlier and I missed it somewhere. This year for some reason I am so much more allergic to my yard and garden than I have been before.
Last week I worked out in my garden for an hour and I was done for the rest of the night. I can't breathe, I sneeze and feel like I"ve been hit by a truck, just want to go to bed. And this is with medicine. I'm taking Claritin D, recommended by the doctor.
Yesterday, Sunday, I was poking around in the garden for only 20 minutes, and it's in the evening not the peak hours of allergens in the morning, and through the night I could feel myself getting stuffy and woke up this morning not able to breathe. Now by this evening I will probably be okay. I took my allergy medicine and will be at work in the office all day. Actually, my husband and son worked a good half of the day in the garden staking up tomatoes, pulling out peas, mulching and fertilizing. All I did was walk around to see what they did, see how things are growing and picked a small bowl of beans. Then I enjoyed sitting down and snapping the beans like I used to do as a kid and with my Grandma. It was so nice. And then I wake up like this. Ugh!
Yesterday evening after they were done in the garden, we turned on the sprinkler and this morning, oh, my goodness, what a difference! It was so lush and green and the bloosoms on the pumpkins just exploded it was amazing, they were so beautiful, so before I left for work I grabbed my camera and took a few pictures - immediately I started sneezing.
Do any of you farmgirls have outdoor allergies? How do you deal with it and work in the garden or outdoors in your yards and with your animals? I"m beginning to feel like my body is not designed for the outdoors. That makes me very sad.
I know I'm allergic to peas - love, love, love fresh from the garden peas, but I can't pick them or shell them or my eyes will be so swollen and itch like nobody's business. Then all I can do is lie down with a cold cloth on my eyes until they are relieved.
I hate taking medicine, but just can't do without allergy medicine. So far the allergies have not triggered my asthma which is allergy induced, so I'm thankful there. I've had problems with outdoor allergies all my life, so I'm used to dealing with it, just never been this bad before with having a garden. What do you girls do? I thought about using those white paper masks, do any of you use them and have any luck with them?
I'm really puzzled this year. Any insight or help from your own experiences would be greatly appreciated. Tomatoes are just around the corner and we have hundreds. Help!
Thanks for being patient with my long-winded post (oh, that's right, you're used to that part by now - LOL, you are all such good sports), I'll be anxious to hear what all you have to suggest. Thanks much and God bless you all in all you do.
In His hands,
Lynda L.
Pray in faith and you will not live in doubt.
www.pamperedchef.biz/lorenzfamilycooks |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| theoanne |
Posted - Jul 09 2006 : 5:37:19 PM
Lynda,
Sorry your allergies are worse. I have had allergies ever since I was small. Late April- May is always bad for me. Just when it's time to plant and get things blooming. I'm usually miserable. I hate it coz my birthday is in May. Never have figured out what the culprit is. I just go inside and stay in the "cleaner" air and live off antihistamines. Also in the fall I get bad. I think this one is Mold. I have been told by a DR. that if you are an allergic person your allergies can change over the yrs. This makes sense as I am not as allergic to some things that used to bother me when I was younger. What to do, what to do.
Have you tried a mask? Then when you come in take a shower and get those clothes off. I mean wash everything from hair on down. This seems to help me in the spring when I'm trying to plant etc. I try to use fels naptha or good old ivory soap. I don't even let my clothes stay in the laundry hamper they go right to the washer. This has helped some.
Also if you are better out side after a rain or after watering. Go out then. Did you plant anything different this year? Maybe that's it?
I wish you luck. let me know how it goes. Teddie |
| CityCat |
Posted - Jun 28 2006 : 5:42:03 PM
For about 3 weeks in May each year (to varying degrees) my life becomes dependent on kleenex and Allegra. Maple and birch pollen are the worst. I live hunkered down in my house waiting for the swirling cloud of pollen to disappear. This year was horrendous! Now, it's okay. Right now dust is my main allergic trigger.
The problem now becomes what food to avoid as each comes into season. I'm allergic to cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, apples, pears... I get so sad looking at all the lush produce at the Farmer's Market. :(
-Cat |
| abbasgurl |
Posted - Jun 26 2006 : 11:32:38 PM
Lynda,
I had to close my business because of alleries to plant materials. I had an herb farm with garden/gift shop. I took Claritin for years but built up an immunity to it each season. It would only work for about two weeks then back to sneezing etc. By the way, the "D" part in Claritin migh be what is making you feel like going back to bed. It's the ingredient that makes you feel drowsy. You can buy Claritin without the decongestant-and you can by generic brands now too. Walgreens, Target & even Aldi Foods carry store brands!
When I work outdoors I MUST take allergy medicine...if I don't, handling some plants make my hands break out in hives. I take Allegra, which works fantasic for me. I feel "normal" outside. It's been wonderful to find something that works! Now, Allegra didn't do a thing for my sister...best to ask your doctor to help you find what works for you. Sometimes doctors are good enough to give you samples so you can give different meds a trial run. Don't be afraid to ask. There are lots of things that can help-seriously, no need to be miserable! Good Luck to you!
Rhonda
...and I will sing at the top of my lungs, and I will dance, even if I'm the only one! |
| sunshine |
Posted - Jun 26 2006 : 8:10:37 PM
Yes I have real bad asthma and hayfever with every baby I gave birth to I gained about 5 more allergies the doctors have said if you have astma as you get older pretty much every year to three years you will gain another allergy so you might be that way to it is very annouing to say the least as a kid one of my favorite past times was running and jogging around the family fields as an adult I can't be out side for more than 10 minuets with out getting conjested and haveing my voice get gruff and react to the pollin in the air just misserable. I hope you find something to help you real soon.
have a lovely day |
| LadyCrystal |
Posted - Jun 26 2006 : 6:36:40 PM
Yes I have a good charcoal mask. It helps a lot. I use it more in the winter because it keeps my face warm but I try to stay out of the enclosed coops as much as possible. My hubby takes care of the chickens and I do the cows. So it works out well. But when I have to handle a lot of chickens at night( When we spray for mites) I always wear it.
I forgot to mention the aircleaner we use is a hepa filtered and we use a vacumn with a hepa filter.They help a bunch too.
Alicia
http://fromcitytocountrygirl.blogspot.com/
follow your dreams |
| LJRphoto |
Posted - Jun 26 2006 : 4:10:25 PM
Alicia, have you considered investing in one of those high grade dust masks? Or is that what you are already using? My husband is asthmatic and I hate it when he insists on cleaning out the chicken coop... completely maskless.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority." -E. B. White
http://www.betweenthecities.com/blog/ljr/
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| LadyCrystal |
Posted - Jun 26 2006 : 4:03:38 PM
I am allergic to so much. Feathers,trees, hay and I could go on. I was miserable until I went to the allergist. I also have allergy induced asthma which is aweful. I use a mask when I help with the chickens. But My dr doesn't like that I still have them. I use Aircleaners in my bedroom. I never sleep with the window open because pollen travels at night. I have been getting allergy shots for 2& 1/2 years. My Dr told me it would take atleast a year before it would help and up to 5 years before he would retest. It has helped tremendously. I can actually go outside and not have a runny nose constantly. I take Zyrtec and Singular every night. I had tried the honey and other things but they never worked and I kept getting sinus infections because I was constantly stuffy. I love being outdoors so I know how much it stinks to be allergic.Good Luck,
Alicia
P.S. We own over 400 chickens.
http://fromcitytocountrygirl.blogspot.com/
follow your dreams |
| LJRphoto |
Posted - Jun 26 2006 : 2:56:49 PM
Lately I feel like I've been allergic to everything. It seems to be getting worse as I get older and this year Claritan only makes it bearable. Maybe local honey is worth a try.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority." -E. B. White
http://www.betweenthecities.com/blog/ljr/
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| lawsec03 |
Posted - Jun 26 2006 : 1:10:11 PM
Lynda, I have terrible allergies, indoor and out. I even went through several months of allergy shots, but they didn't help and were too expensive. Neither Claritin or Allegra help me. The only over-the-counter medicine that really helps is Tylenol Allergy Sinus. I have been on Zyrtec for well over a year, and it has done wonders for me. However, I have been researching more natural ways, and have found a few that I am trying out. There are several essential oils that help with allergies. I made a homemade inhaler with essential oils, and they help when I sniff them. I also rub Lavendar essential oil under my nose and around my sinus, and that helps. Lavender is about the only essential oil that is safe to put stright on your skin with out first mixing it in a carrier oil. I have also found MSM. I don't know yet if it is going to help me, because you have to take it for about a month before you see results. It is a supplement, a natural sulfur found in foods. Processing takes the majority of it out, but you can buy it in pill form. From the research that I have done, there are no known side effects or drug interactions. There are many scientific studies, mostly that MSM helps with arthritis and other chronic pain, but there is a list of other stuff that it is known to help with, allergies beong one of them. Now, I guess I have been long-winded! Good luck with your allergies, I know how it feels. When the allergies start ating up, it zaps all of your energy. |
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