Suffering from allergies

[Sojourner]

Funny how some people are affected so much worse than others.

When I was living in Greece, tourists from the UK would show me these huge swollen mosquito bites they got. I've never had a reaction to anything like that. The same with midges. I've been hiking in Scotland with clouds of midges all around but they don't bite me. That doesn't keep them out of your mouth or your lunchtime sandwich though!

 

[Rome Addict]

Artnbarb did you try the hot spoon treatment? Did it work for you. Works well on Thai mosquito and other big votes but not sure about other areas of the globe.

 

[Pauline]

Now we are trying Nettle Tea, with local honey in it!

@Roz I looked up Flonase and they do have a version of it here. We both distrust prescription and non-prescription medications, but if the allergies get worse this summer we may have to give it a try.

 

[Ian Sutton]

Funny how some people are affected so much worse than others.

When I was living in Greece, tourists from the UK would show me these huge swollen mosquito bites they got.

Part of the problem seems to be those people that insist on scratching the bite. It may itch, but scratching will make those welts an awful lot worse. Getting regular sun supposedly helps ward off the mozzies.

I don't know what the stuff in Greek pharmacies is like, but the Italian stuff we bought to apply post bite was remarkably effective in the Veneto.

 

[Cameron]

I had a miserable spring allergy here at home, and it was worse when I was in California -- between the outdoor pollen and my friend's down-filled sofa, my nose was so stuffy. I use the Claritin ready-tabs (no water needed) combined with the Claritin spray (same ingredients as Flonase). Once I was in Paris, I didn't need either!

I have sinus issues from time-to-time, and for that, I believe in saline rinses. When I feel the pain of a sinus infection coming on (doctors here won't treat a sinus inflection until 10 days have passed due to overuse of antibiotics), I use the rinse several times a day and it stops the infection. I buy the pharmacy's generic brand of saline spray.

For bug bites, I use a roller ball Benadryl stick to kill the itch.

 

[Pauline]

I mentioned this elsewhere, but I'll say again here that the product that's made it possible for me to survive the grass pollen season was Fluticasone nasal spray (best known trademark name is Flonase).

Updating this to say that Steve tried this for a week and it really helped. He did not keep using it and his violent sneezing fits have not returned. Thanks @Roz .

 

[Roz]

Great -- I'm so glad to hear the Flonase helped Steve. My grandson, who has terrible spring allergies, said that Flonase is the only product he would gladly do a TV commercial for because it changed his life so much.

 

[JustTravel]

I will have to try Flonase. My allergies were pretty bad in Brugge this spring/summer.