Allergy problems in Florida

[allend]

Just got to Florida (Delray) a week ago and my allergies have been terrible, especially itchy eyes. Anyone else experiencing this in Florida?

[harry33]

it helps to lubricate the eyes with vaseline

[LSAT]

it helps to lubricate the eyes with vaseline

You are kidding...right???

[sister]

No, i'm not in Florida,but I sure have been having a horrible time in North Carolina!
Hope you feel better!!!

[Emilia]

As a Floridian.... I can tell you that you are now in an environment filled with pollens your system is unfamiliar with!! I never had an allergy until I moved here 36 yrs ago. My bad season is about to begin... Jan. thru April is the worst for me. If we have a mild remainder of the winter, the flora will begin to bud out soon and the scrub Pines will start putting out the yellow-green pollen that coats everything. I've seen pollen pile up along curbs in the street deep enough to amaze.

Go get some OTC Claritin and start to take it in the morning.... That should help you right away and enjoy your time in the Sunshine State. Welcome.... and spend some tourist dollars to help this destitute state!!

[DoriC]

it helps to lubricate the eyes with vaseline

Huh??

[brazospearl]

I think I'd skip the vaseline, too. Some good gel drops for dry eyes might help, though.

[chunkyfrog]

I take my generic loratadine (Claritin) before bedtime--doc says it works better that way.
If your eyes are itchy, the gel drops are a good idea.
Good luck. Wish I was in Fla. instead of the butt-freezing prairie!

[allend]

As a Floridian.... I can tell you that you are now in an environment filled with pollens your system is unfamiliar with!! I never had an allergy until I moved here 36 yrs ago. My bad season is about to begin... Jan. thru April is the worst for me. If we have a mild remainder of the winter, the flora will begin to bud out soon and the scrub Pines will start putting out the yellow-green pollen that coats everything. I've seen pollen pile up along curbs in the street deep enough to amaze.

Go get some OTC Claritin and start to take it in the morning.... That should help you right away and enjoy your time in the Sunshine State. Welcome.... and spend some tourist dollars to help this destitute state!!

Em,

I have been coming down here for three years, in December and February and this never happened to me. I've gotten colds but not these terribly itchy eyes. I was wondering if they are spraying something new here this season. It's either that or there is something new in Softsoap or the Gilette Lemon/Lime shaving cream turned bad after three years. I stopped using both and it's a drop better but not gone. Funny thing is, I am still able to tape my mouth and breath through a nasal mask or nasal pillows.

I've been using B&L Tears and CVS Allergy eye drops along with Xyzel (like Claritan) but the itching doesn't go away. I did meet up with some friends, one who was getting over a cold and his girlfriend who just got one from him. I wish people would have the sense to cancel when they are sick. Some people are really stupid. If this turns into a cold, which is not my usually order of symptoms, I'll be very surprised.

Harry,

I hope nobody was gullible enough to put vasoline in their eyes. You don't write stuff like that on a public board.

Alan

[Emilia]

Hi Alan,
Perhaps where you are staying has some new landscaping and plants you were not exposed to before? There are so many plants here that it is hard to know what might set you off. I underwent allergy testing last spring, and didn't react to any of the plant allergens they injected. However, I live in an area that is surrounded by woods with all kinds of trees, vines, etc. They can't test for everything, and something in my area gets me every year. I just have to cope with it..... nasal rinses, Claritin, and Astepro spray. *Sigh* The price to live in a warm, tropical climate.

So sorry you are dealing with this on this trip.... hope you get over it soon and enjoy your time in FL. And there are a lot of colds going around now....many of my friends are down with them. Ahem...the Northerners all brought them down with them for the holidays!

[chunkyfrog]

Someone mentioned vaseline in your eyes--they probably meant petrolatum ophthalmic jelly.
Only use an ophthalmic product in your eyes--and keep it off your mask.
Petrolatum + silicone = bad news.

[allend]

Hi Alan,
Perhaps where you are staying has some new landscaping and plants you were not exposed to before? There are so many plants here that it is hard to know what might set you off. I underwent allergy testing last spring, and didn't react to any of the plant allergens they injected. However, I live in an area that is surrounded by woods with all kinds of trees, vines, etc. They can't test for everything, and something in my area gets me every year. I just have to cope with it..... nasal rinses, Claritin, and Astepro spray. *Sigh* The price to live in a warm, tropical climate.

So sorry you are dealing with this on this trip.... hope you get over it soon and enjoy your time in FL. And there are a lot of colds going around now....many of my friends are down with them. Ahem...the Northerners all brought them down with them for the holidays!

Em,

They were spraying here and maybe that had something to do with it. It turned out that all the rubbing to stop the itching caused Pink Eye and I was at Delray Hospital last night for 3 hours (should have been 15 minutes) because there was one Dr. for all of Emergency. I had lunch today a few tables away from the Donald and when I thought about shaking his hand I stopped when I remembered about the Pink Eye.

Alan

[allend]

Someone mentioned vaseline in your eyes--they probably meant petrolatum ophthalmic jelly.
Only use an ophthalmic product in your eyes--and keep it off your mask.
Petrolatum + silicone = bad news.

Frog, absolutely, as now I can hardly see the laptop screen because of the antibiotic salve that I have to put in both eyes and it feels exactly like vasoline. So, Harry wasn't far from what happened.

I ran over to the hospital last night because it was really itching and sticking..that was at 1:00 AM. I went because the only website said the wait in the ER was only 15 minutes. I got out at 4:15 AM and had to fill the script at th 25 hour Walgreens. Thank god for the bipap, as I had a breakfast meeting at 11:00 AM

Alan

[allend]

I never closed this saga of the itchy eyes,there seems to be so many sagas. I figured it out. It wasn't the weather or the spraying. In Florida we have a GE stackable washer and dryer that isn't vented. The lint is supposed to hit against the door, which besides being a solid piece of sheet metal there is a plate before it that has holes. The lint is thrown against the plate and through the holes and then falls into a gutter that you can clean out. There is also a vent port in the back but it was never vented and the condo didn't have a vent tube to do that. I called GE and had no luck because they didn't have a booklet for that model probably produced in 1978. I had one like that when I first got married and living in an apartment and thinking back to that time I had miserable itchy eyes then too.

So, the condo ran a vent pipe but GE can't tell me how to hook it up. I put the dryer on the porch outside and guess what no more itchy eyes. I was reminded of the incident today as I just received my $75 co-pay bill from Delray Hospital for the pink eye I developed.

Alan