I found out I'm allergic to a kind of tree!

[Nekomancer]

Hi, so I normally don't have any pollen allergies (at least when it comes to flowers or bushes and even like literally every other tree) but apparently I'm quite allergic to birch trees? I found out because I was out at an event and on the way home I found one of the things it drops was in my hair! So, here's the weird thing, I'm perfectly fine unless one of these things breaks open on me/right in front of me, which is exactly what happened when I took it out of my hair. I was all oblivious and was like "oh hehe that's a funny thing in my hair + look at that cloud of pollen too!" and then I started having a reaction after a few minutes. 

So on to the pros and cons:

Pros: My eyes only water when I have to sneeze + it made Chhinkni work awesome and I got a fun recording out of it that I'm saving for when I get access to trading board

Cons: My nose will NOT stop running!! I took a shower + changed my clothes/brushed my hair, I blew my nose a ton, tried putting a compress on my face, and took an over the counter allergy pill from my boyfriend's stash lol. 

So my Question is, allergy sufferers, how do you handle your allergies/is anyone else allergic to birch trees?

Also here's a pic because personally I didn't know this thing came from a birch tree!

[Chanel_no5]

Oh hello, that looks a lot like my profile pic.  

Birch trees are super allergenic. A single one of those catkins (that's what they're called) can contain up to 10 million individual pollen grains. Where I live, birch pollen is probably the most prominent seasonal allergen and the one that causes the most allergies. At least that's what I've read. I'm not actually allergic to birch (after I turned 30 I get a bit of itchy eyes and throat from hazel and alder, earlier in the season, but not birch), but when the pollen count is really in the highest numbers I can feel it in my eyes. Pretty much everyone I know react to very high levels of birch pollen whether they're allergic or not (I mean, in several cases they have been tested for allergies and are negative for birch, but they still feel it when the levels are really high). 

Anyway, yeah. That's a wonderfully nasty little pollen, alright.  

 

[Sneeze37]

hey wht is your u tube channel called

[Nekomancer]

12 hours ago, Sneeze37 said:

hey wht is your u tube channel called

Hi I don't have a YouTube channel, there's an area of the forum called "trading post" that you have to be validated for and 18+. I'm actually not fully validated myself, but I plan to put shortish videos in the trading post once I am! Also for more info I suggest you check out the this: https://www.sneezefetishforum.com/forum/68-read-before-posting/ it's super helpful for new members! I referred to multiple times personally lol. 

[Sneeze37]

thanks sorry I am new;)

[Nekomancer]

19 hours ago, User1234 said:

I envy your allergy so much

I hope this isn't too personal or anything but I was wondering if you prefer sneezing or nose blowing because honestly unless I use something to induce I really don't sneeze much with the birch allergy. But oh my gosh does my nose run lol. 

[Nekomancer]

On 5/15/2022 at 6:29 PM, Chanel_no5 said:

Oh hello, that looks a lot like my profile pic.  

Birch trees are super allergenic. A single one of those catkins (that's what they're called) can contain up to 10 million individual pollen grains. Where I live, birch pollen is probably the most prominent seasonal allergen and the one that causes the most allergies. At least that's what I've read. I'm not actually allergic to birch (after I turned 30 I get a bit of itchy eyes and throat from hazel and alder, earlier in the season, but not birch), but when the pollen count is really in the highest numbers I can feel it in my eyes. Pretty much everyone I know react to very high levels of birch pollen whether they're allergic or not (I mean, in several cases they have been tested for allergies and are negative for birch, but they still feel it when the levels are really high). 

Anyway, yeah. That's a wonderfully nasty little pollen, alright.  

 

Hi, I just realized I never responded to you, I'm so sorry! Your info was super helpful and I'd be curious to know where you research pollen filled plants and/or flowers. My boyfriend has pollen allergies, but we're not sure what exactly he's allergic to so we're trying to figure it out. Though surprisingly, it's not birch trees cause he doesn't react to the ones in my backyard. It seems to be flowers or bushes of some sort though. Do you have any good websites you use or books? Also I love your profile pic!

[Chanel_no5]

On 5/25/2022 at 7:49 PM, Rivenbeak said:

Hi, I just realized I never responded to you, I'm so sorry! Your info was super helpful and I'd be curious to know where you research pollen filled plants and/or flowers. My boyfriend has pollen allergies, but we're not sure what exactly he's allergic to so we're trying to figure it out. Though surprisingly, it's not birch trees cause he doesn't react to the ones in my backyard. It seems to be flowers or bushes of some sort though. Do you have any good websites you use or books? Also I love your profile pic!

No worries!  

Oh my God, I can't remember...  I google it a lot. Worst flowers for allergies. What's in bloom in [insert city/country] right now. Worst pollen offenders. I check the pollen chart every day in spring/summer/early fall.  Different countries have different approach to it as well. Where I live, most of the allergenic pollens are counted and in the chart separately, so you can tell if oak is high but birch is low, then if your allergies are really bad it's more likely oak than birch, rather than just lumping "tree pollen" together, stuff like that. In other countries they pretty much only measure the worst allergy offender even though there is a multitude of allergy-provoking flora. It varies a lot. Weather apps usually have pollen trackers too nowadays, you can check those. 

Also, where I live it's usually in the local news EVERY. SINGLE. ALLERGY SEASON. Information about allergies in general, information about specific allergens, tips on how to reduce allergic reactions (usually; take meds, exercise indoors, don't dry clothes outside, shower before bed). I'm actually stunned how some people can't figure out they're allergic, given that we're being force-fed information about allergies every spring/summer.  

 

[Nekomancer]

4 hours ago, Chanel_no5 said:

No worries!  

Oh my God, I can't remember...  I google it a lot. Worst flowers for allergies. What's in bloom in [insert city/country] right now. Worst pollen offenders. I check the pollen chart every day in spring/summer/early fall.  Different countries have different approach to it as well. Where I live, most of the allergenic pollens are counted and in the chart separately, so you can tell if oak is high but birch is low, then if your allergies are really bad it's more likely oak than birch, rather than just lumping "tree pollen" together, stuff like that. In other countries they pretty much only measure the worst allergy offender even though there is a multitude of allergy-provoking flora. It varies a lot. Weather apps usually have pollen trackers too nowadays, you can check those. 

Also, where I live it's usually in the local news EVERY. SINGLE. ALLERGY SEASON. Information about allergies in general, information about specific allergens, tips on how to reduce allergic reactions (usually; take meds, exercise indoors, don't dry clothes outside, shower before bed). I'm actually stunned how some people can't figure out they're allergic, given that we're being force-fed information about allergies every spring/summer.  

 

Thanks so much! This is super helpful! 

[Sawdust]

I am the same. My birch allergy just causes a runny nose, itchy eyes/ears/throat. Not too much actual sneezing but my threshold to sneeze is lower this time of year so it helps contribute to more sneezes on average than winter.

 

Because it doesn't bother me that much I don't take anything for it.