Is it just me?

[Jackie]

A small matter in comparison to problems that others and I have experienced but very annoying never the less. Being a city boy and not used to the wide open spaces I find that now I live in very rural France hay fever like symptoms, very severe at time, lay me low each Spring. I ask myself if it is all these tree things that one finds sticking up everywhere or maybe the stuff the jolly old farmers spray about. So am I alone and if not what, apart from a lot more wine and  Apaisyl though not at the same time as that could be a permanent cure, have others done about it? Could it be an allergy to the tax-man? Is it a question of vivre avec?.............John (snuffle snuffle) not Jackie   

[Tresco]

Here's a strange thing John. When I moved from Manchester to Birkenhead, I developed Hayfever symptoms for the first time in my life, all year round. Quite severe too, couldn't drive the car on a couple of occasions. I never took anything for it though.

When I arrived here 18 months ago, all the symptoms went.

Maybe yours will clear up one day too.

tresco (surrounded by fields and woods)

PS. A sudden thought, maybe it was Birkenhead itself I was allergic to

[Iceni]

Hay fever is often worse in cities as the high buildings trap the pollen and it just blows about and does not get blown away. I have had hayfever for years and it started before I was twenty. You are supposed to grow out of it - well I now realise that that statement is rubbish as I will grow out of myself before the allergies go away at this rate. If you have it now it is tree pollen that is getting you. True 'hay fever' is far later in the year, late May or June for me. I used to suffer this time of the year in the UK and it was the Crack Willow fluffy bits that caused it. The weeping willow has not got me yet but I bet it is just waiting. Silver Birch is also in flower now as are the fruit trees etc. I am also allergic to smoke and we have a log-burner so I do tend to suffer during the winter but nothing compared to going into a house where they have cats! The thought makes me sneeze.

Stress is another cause of sneezing so perhaps that is why moving from one town to another has an effect on it.

[Chrissie]

You could try getting hold of some local (and I mean LOCAL as in within a km, your neighbours are the best bet) honey and taking a spoonful or so every day.  This, I am told, reduces your reactions to locally acquired hay-fever-type reactions.  Can't harm, anyway!

Good luck

Chrissie

[Patf]

Around us the rape crops are in flower and I've had a runny nose and more sneezes than usual. do you have any fields of rape? If so, could be that. Pat.

[Jackie]

Thanks for the responses folks and it would appear that it is not just me! I have heard of the honey suggestion before and have tried it in the past with mixed results. Rape, when in flower, does upset Jackie but other than the sickly smell, not me so much. I think from what has been said that the culprit in my case must be tree pollen. We have silver birch, oak and ash in the area as well as a lot of leylandi type and apple and cherry. When in the UK I used to go to The Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital for EPD ( Enzyme Potentiated Desensitization)shots. These were very effective but I don't know if they are available in France. They were very safe compared with the type that GPs used to do and which were withdrawn some years ago as they lost too many patients. So to some extent it is vivre avec. Cheers...................................John

[Hereford]

Go visit the doctor Jackie!  One-a-day antihistamine pills are fantastic. Fot some wierd reason French ones seem to be better than UK ones.

I take one per day, plus a nasal spray (brilliant for stopping sneezing in it's tracks) for really bad days.  I am allergic to early, middle and late pollen and also house dust. We live in a restored old house with beams so the dust.....but have found doctor most helpful.  I have fewer symptons now than when living by the sea in a modern house in the UK.

Mrs Hereford