Old Story: I would tough it out for about a month through: dry, itchy, red, puffy eyes; stuffed up nose; runny nose; constant sneezing; scratchy throat; sinus congestion that led to chest congestion that led to a cough; wheezing and difficulty breathing; lethargy; and a few sinus infections. Basically, I was MISERABLE! Eventually I would break down and take allergy medicine. For a couple years in recent memory I was on a prescription nasal spray, OTC eye drops, and an OTC anti-histamine during allergy season. Last year I took generic Claritin for 2 months straight. That's probably not advised. When I was a kid, ragweed and hay fever were the worst!
New Story: I'll have a sneezing fit every once in a while. (A sneezing fit is where you sneeze about 10+ times in succession.) These are usually on days when my husband, who claims to not have allergies, is also having sneezing fits. Recently my nose has been itching like it wants to sneeze, but nothing ever happens. Sometimes the inside of my right eye will get red and itchy, but this seems to be a sign of not enough sleep and/or water. Other than the random sneeze or runny nose...that's about it. Oh, last night my nose was a little stuffy when I went to bed.
I'm sure you're wondering, "How the heck did she manage that?!" Short answer, I changed my diet. As a side-note, I don't really like the word "diet", but that's a post for another time. I truly believe changing my diet is the answer. The biggest thing I cut out was grains. Check out this post from Mark's Daily Apple:
"Last, my own nearly debilitating seasonal allergies literally disappeared when I got rid of grains (and cut the chronic cardio). It may have been related to the autoimmune connection between anti-nutrients/leaky-gut and hypersensitivity to proteins in grass seeds and pollen (grains are grass seeds). Many MDA readers report a dramatic reduction in hay fever or allergy symptoms when cutting grains."Now, Mark Sisson does not promote chronic cardio, e.g. distance running. But I really like running and I think it helps alleviate some of my allergy symptoms! There's nothing I love more than a few good snot rockets on a morning run. Ah, clear sinuses! And the heavy breathing clears out any congestion that may have settled overnight. Yeah, I'm a spitter, too. If you see me on the road, you may want to watch out!
During this allergy season I have also cut cheese out of my diet. Dairy has properties that facilitate mucus production, and more mucus is the last thing my body needs during allergy season!
Cavegirl Runner
Glad you are feeling better. I too avoid dairy whenever sick or allergies are kicking in. I also avoid it leading up to a race to help with clearing my lungs.
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