Hay fever

[Welsh Mum]

Hi , just wondering if anyone has any good hay fever tips for singers and performers? My DD never had hay fever before living in London and this year is worse than ever. I have been told acupuncture is good and she has had this for sinus problems in the past. But she doesn't know a reputable acupuncturist in London either. Any help welcome - ATM she could not do an audition if one comes up

[ruby95]

None of these tips are revolutionary so im sure you've thought of them already but the things that help me are taking claritin and wearing sun glasses as preventative measures and then when my eyes get swollen I find dabbing warm water on them really helps. This year has been especially bad but the pollen count is due to start going down now so I think the worst is over (knock on wood)

[Hecouldshine]

Hi Welsh Mum, sorry to hear about your dd's hayfever.

Clarityn is loratadine, if she wants to look for a cheaper non branded version. Also there is cetirizine, which my ds prefers. Also she could try the sodium cromoglycate eye drops, if she doesn't use contact lenses and her eyes are sore. They sting when they go in, but work instantly and last for 4-6 hours.

Then she can use a steroid nose spray such as beconase, which takes a few days to build up its effect. I'm not sure how it impacts on a singing voice though.....She could just use the saline nose spray, sterimar, which would wash/rinse allergens out of her nose at regular intervals. Some people try vasoline in their nose to prevent allergens reaching the lining/musosa and triggering the hayfever.

I don't know much about acupuncture for hayfever. Maybe others do.

Sorry these aren't performer's tips, just the basics. Hope she finds something helpful soon

[CAH123]

Hi!

Apparently eating local honey can help. It's something to do with desensitisation as it contains small amounts of pollen and helps your body not react so strongly to it. Not sure how well it actually works but may be worth a try!

[riverdancefan]

You can also try pollen grains from a local producer
We live very near to a bee farm and they produce allergen honey and pots of pollen grains - my DS has the grains sprinkled on yoghurt and mixed into juice, as well as a spoonful of honey a day ( he's not keen) - even if they don't help your symptoms they are an excellent source of B vits.

You can buy boots own nasal sprays which are about 8 quid , they are non medicated and applied to each nostril, some evidence they create a barrier nasally, boots own is cheaper and just as good.

If a patient of mine is suffering from severe symptoms and has an important life event coming up, exams, important performances, a wedding or such, as a prescriber I will consider a short course of oral steroids ( usually 5 days worth) which immediately relieves symptoms and enables the person to function. We don't recommend kenalog any more, haven't for years.

Severe hay fever is a hideous thing and really impacts on lives

[lyndahill]

Hi!

Apparently eating local honey can help. It's something to do with desensitisation as it contains small amounts of pollen and helps your body not react so strongly to it. Not sure how well it actually works but may be worth a try!

I don't get hayfever myself but have heard also that local honey works-you take a teaspoon a day.

[Welsh Mum]

Thank you for all your suggestions - I'll have a search online and see if there is a local bee keepers society in finchley area. It is really effecting her badly atm. It is made worse by the fact that when she phoned her doctor (who she has been registered with for 3 years in london) they refused to see her as she has moved 2 miles away and now lives out of their area. She was really upset - I didn't think a doctor would do that, when she visits home she goes to see the local doctor here without being registered (I know the NHS is different in Wales). As they are looking to move again when their lease runs out in August she doesn't think it's worth trying to get another doctor for the next 2 months, but doesn't know what to do n the meantime. She also can't get her other regular monthly prescription

I am quite angry about her doctor - are they within their rights to do this? Any idea of where else she can go for treatment? Obviously hay fever is not an illness for A&E, but she needs some sort of medical help.

She had acupuncture several years ago which greaty relieved recurring sinus infections, so will also do some online research for that option. Being so far away from her is very frustrating!!

[francescasmum]

As far as I'm aware you are now allowed to register at any doctors and do not need to be in their 'catchment' area. Unless that is just in Yorkshire.

[Welsh Mum]

That's what I thought but her dr (or the receptionist) was adamant.

[riverdancefan]

As far as I'm aware you are now allowed to register at any doctors and do not need to be in their 'catchment' area. Unless that is just in Yorkshire.

That's not true yet - there was some talk of it, and doesn't make sense really as home visits will be impossible if the patient lives miles away so I don't think it will come to pass.. ( who knows though)
Surgeries can still define their boundaries as long as they follow local guidelines.
No if she is registered with them - legally they have to see her no matter where she is living if she hasn't re - reg elsewhere , they have to write to her and formally withdraw their services - and give notice , they do in Kent
You can contact her local CCG or LMC for,advice , they are acting very shabbily IMO and wouldn't have a legal leg to stand on if GOd forbid something serious was to happen and she had asked for an appt and been sent away

[Hecouldshine]

I'm sorry to hear about the surgery refusing to see your dd Welsh Mum. I think they can tell her she needs to register elsewhere, but I think she could insist she needs to be seen in the meantime, as she needs her regular medication, until she can find another surgery.

In fact she can buy all the conventional medical hayfever treatments directly from a pharmacy, without a prescription, except for steroid tablets, or asthma inhalers if she wheezing. Why doesn't she ask for a consultation with her local pharmacist?

Hope she finds something to help soon

[francescasmum]

I stand corrected, it must have been being discussed and I thought it had started! It's probably something to do with where we live as it is a very rural area. Our local surgery is 2 miles away in the nearest town but I know they serve the next village too, which is another 1 1/2 miles away, however some of the residents in that village go to the surgery in another village which is 5 miles away. Maybe there is an invisible boundary there, I just assumed they were choosing which one to go to. It's the usually case of me putting two and two together and coming up with 5 (which is unacceptable from a maths teacher so just ignore me )
Enough of my boring tale, I have no advice on hay fever, sorry

[Welsh Mum]

I'm sorry to hear about the surgery refusing to see your dd Welsh Mum. I think they can tell her she needs to register elsewhere, but I think she could insist she needs to be seen in the meantime, as she needs her regular medication, until she can find another surgery.

In fact she can buy all the conventional medical hayfever treatments directly from a pharmacy, without a prescription, except for steroid tablets, or asthma inhalers if she wheezing. Why doesn't she ask for a consultation with her local pharmacist?

Hope she finds something to help soon

She ha gone to the pharmacist and uses over the counter stuff, she doesn't think it is helping much. I agree about her dr. Very poor service.

You can contact her local CCG or LMC for,advice , they are acting very shabbily IMO and wouldn't have a legal leg to stand on if GOd forbid something serious was to happen and she had asked for an appt and been sent away

Sorry but what do CCG and LMC stand for? How would she know which she was in?

Thanks you both for your help As always there is support and advice on here

[riverdancefan]

Whichever London borough she lives in.. CCG is clinical commissioning group
LMC is local medical council...
For example if she lived in Bethnal green for instance, it might be Tower Hamlets CCG..

It will all be on the web if she types her postcode in

[Welsh Mum]

Whichever London borough she lives in.. CCG is clinical commissioning group
LMC is local medical council...
For example if she lived in Bethnal green for instance, it might be Tower Hamlets CCG..

It will all be on the web if she types her postcode in

Thank you