Pollen

[Homely2]

How do people best control asthma that is being triggered by pollen.

[Caspiana]

Hello Homely. I don't have asthma but I do have a lung disease called Bronchiolitis Obliterans. During pollen season my doctor advised me to wear a mask outdoors. I also have an air purifier in my house. I'm sorry I'm not more helpful. Take care. 🐕🙋‍♀️

[Tigerlils]

My GP prescribes fexofenadine which I take throughout the pollen season and stops the worst of it.

[76RL]

I take a daily antihistamine alongside my inhaler regime and find this helps. But very cautious in the about being out too long in the countryside as a combination of pollen and general air pollution can be troublesome. A chat to your GP or Asthma Nurse may be useful as the local pollen conditions do vary. Hope this is useful and take great care. 🤗

[runcyclexcski]

I wear an FFP2 mask (started doing it long before COVID), and exercise in a proper respirator. There are also nasal filters which used to help, but now the company who made them is out of business, These were pieces of foam that one inserts into nostrils.

[Troilus]

Hi Homely. For years I have took1 Loratadine a day from March to October, then added in hayfever eye drops and a steroid nasal spray as the season progressed and that worked well for me. Just recently it got worse (I blame change of use to a field adjacent to my house) I now take two Loratadine a day ( under the direction of my consultant) all year round. I now find I have to take extra precautions- no flowers in the house, stay indoors if the grass is being cut, wear a mask when going to the park, I even sometimes hold my breath until I get past a flower bed!

Have you had allergy testing? It can be useful in helping to identify the culprits.

I also have an air purifier in the sitting room and another in the bedroom, which makes me feel a bit more confident about opening the windows.

[Karenjaninaz in reply to Troilus]

I cannot open windows unless my phone app tells me low allergens that day. Sorry, but an air cleaner will not help you with open windows. Remember to maintain the air cleaner by changing filters when indicated.

[Lilly_the_unicorn]

Hi,

I would suggest also having a chat with your asthma nurse /GP. My asthma nurse was really great on Friday when I saw her. I don’t get the traditional watery nose / runny eyes but I have had a really itchy throat and painful eyes. She also thinks the pollen is contributing to the poor control I have of my asthma as monteleukast helped but I had to stop it due to side effects.

I was already taking 10mg ceritrizine a day which she has doubled and if I don’t see an Improvement towards the end of the week. She is going to switch me to fexofenadine on a escalating dose until it’s under control. Though the current dosage seems to be working (except this morning when I forgot to take the evening dose of certirizine last night).

[fraid]

Been taking Cetirizine once a day when bad, for ever, unlike other anti histamines it doesn't make me sleepy. Plus sunglasses- bright light can also trigger symptoms- and keeps pollen out of eyes. Wash with cold water if irritated but I find eye washes irritate me too! Also face mask if very sensitive. Was also advised wear mascara which traps pollen before getting into your eyes but cba!My system works well for me inc. Ventolin if sets off asthma. Hope you find solution so you can enjoy fresh air. 🤞

[runcyclexcski]

To add to everything else -- obviously, windows closed during the worst times, and an air-HEPA+charcoal+KMnO4 purifier blowing air into an "asthma tent" around my bed -- a safe harbor to sleep in after a long challenging day for the lungs.

[Gareth57]

hi, when I was on lower dose steroid inhalers I would take a bit extra (agreed with gp) then once on a higher dose and unable to take extra I took various antihistamines, but have been moved onto Montelukast which is working quite nicely

[Patk1 in reply to Gareth57]

Montelukast has been a game changer for my 5yr old grandsons asthma.

[Poshcards]

just stay indoors, all windows and doors shut, and if i do go to doctors or out I always wear a mask anyway and put vaseline up my nose xI

[Karenjaninaz in reply to Poshcards]

Vaseline up the nose was Not recommended by the pulmonologist; Vaseline is an oil and the lungs cannot handle oil in any way. There is a saline spray which will moisten and there is the McNeil nasal wash which I’d good for washing out the pollens from the nose. Distilled water only

[Poshcards in reply to Karenjaninaz]

I have done this against hay-fever for years and been fine thanks x

[Patk1]

I take fenofexadine am, loratidine pm,steroid nose spray,eye dropz+inhalers

[Homely2 Administrator]

Thank you everybody. I will start off with loratadine once a day and build it up, as necessary.

My air purifier also works well.

I asked my hospital asthma nurse as I take so many drugs now and am always concerned re the drugs disagreeing with each other. She agreed with this approach.

[Patk1 in reply to Homely2]

I've taken loratidine for yrs,but adding in fenofexadine has helped.my air purifiers help too.gd luck x