Got the fever.

[Speculator]

Hey all,

It's not a very good time of the year for me to be out walking (shame, because lots of things are flowering at the bush looks great), because I get hayfever. Depending on the year it can be more extreme than others, and if it's really bad the hayfever medication from the chemist just isn't good enough to stop it if I'm in the bush for long periods.

Anyway, it's a crap ailment for a bushwalker to have. Just wondering if I'm the only one who's bothered by it?

L8r.

[the_camera_poser]

Long streams of snot hanging down my face while I puff my way up a slope? Yeah, I know how you feel. (Lovely image, hey?) I drug it into submission when I have to. Funny though, I've been better since moving to Tassie- maybe I just haven't hit the full season yet.

[heplittledoggie]

Hey there Speculator, I always wondered if anyone else gets hayfever. Figured they must becuase all you see in the chemist windows are ads for antihistamines! I'm pretty much a write off from September 'til around February. Antihistamines every day. There was only one type that ever did anything for me and even that's worn off in the last year. Have you tried a steroid nasal spray? They work brilliantly for me. They've been off the prescription-only list for the last 2-3 years too. The only thing is that you you have to take it every day, and it takes a week or two to start working (has to build up in your system). If you PM me I'll give you the name of the one I use. No I don't work for any drug company either

Funny that you mention the bush. The bush and the beach are probably the only two places I don't really get hayfever (well only minimally anyway)! I assumed it was always the European grasses that did it - maybe not everyone though? An allergy test would be the way to prove it but I've heard they're quite expensive.

My sympathy to all the hayfever sufferers out there. May your noses be clear and your eyes and skin free from itching!

[Mickeymoo]

Im also a hayfever sufferer fortunatly mine was diagnosed as to grasses etc so when I go walking I have no troubles at all must be a real bugger getting it while walking.

[Steve]

Heyfever has a way of ruining good trips.

I usually get it late November through to January/February. Over the counter antihistamines always do the job.
Its just the matter of remembering to take them, and enough if your gonna be away for a few days.

[Speculator]

Heyfever has a way of ruining good trips.

I usually get it late November through to January/February. Over the counter antihistamines always do the job.
Its just the matter of remembering to take them, and enough if your gonna be away for a few days.

It sure does. I've found that sleeping in a tent makes it much worse for me. To make it worse again, the best over the counter medication tends to keep me awake at night. I think my allergy is probably pollen, given I seem to get it worst in mid-late spring, but I find that at high elevation (close to civilization anyway) it can be bad anywhere, I reckon the wind blows whatever I'm allergic to a long way and at high elevation it's hard to avoid it.

I'm going for a test-walk one weekend soon though, just to see how much I can drug it into submission! I'm not going to let it beat me. Thanks for the advice about steroid sprays too HLD, I'll keep that in mind!

L8r.

[tas-man]

<SNIP> Just wondering if I'm the only one who's bothered by it?

L8r.

Got my 50 pack of Clara***ne ready for when the Rye grass pollen is in the air. Never had "Hay Fever" until moving to Tassie 15 years ago, and since then the month of November has been my regular date with "Aunty-Hystamine" Some years the season has started later and run into December, even January, and seems dependent on the rainfall and temperatures that foster the growth of Rye grass. I noted that one such year, when I spent a week in SW Tassie, the symptoms completely dissapeared while out walking. So the obvious cure is to head to the wilderness for the 4-6 weeks of the "fever" season.

[tasadam]

Sort of on subject... I don't suffer from the fever as you put it, but when slogging heavy packs up tracks, the nose does need an occasional clean.
Tissues have no place in the bush, and a hankie would last all of 10 minutes...
So I use the "bushwalkers blow" - a technique we are all probably familiar with but not discussed anywhere.
Block one nostril with thumb, aim off the track, blow hard and rapid to expel contects in rapid fashion (wrong word, as it is very unfashionable...), wipe any dangly drip with finger / back of glove / whatever then on the trousers... then the other nostril. Or something like that.
Sorry for graphic description but it's a technique that works well.

[Son of a Beach]

wipe any dangly drip with finger / back of glove / whatever then on the trousers... then the other nostril. Or something like that.

Wipe/scrape on any suitable vegetation first (suitable meaning, not going to be hurt by the wiping, as well as not going to hurt the nose - scoparia is a definite no-no).

[tasadam]

...on any suitable vegetation first

NO!

Check for leeches first!

[lexharris]

Sort of on subject... I don't suffer from the fever as you put it, but when slogging heavy packs up tracks, the nose does need an occasional clean.
Tissues have no place in the bush, and a hankie would last all of 10 minutes...
So I use the "bushwalkers blow" -

I find nasal drip can be a little more pronounced in cooler weather. Sometimes a bit more than the bushman's hankie can deal with...

[Whos_asking99]

Holy....

Please tell me that's trick photography Lex....

[lexharris]

Holy....

Please tell me that's trick photography Lex....

No trick! That's after working outside for a while at about -50C.

[Whos_asking99]

No trick! That's after working outside for a while at about -50C.

Huh...please let me know just what company that work was with, so I can remember never to submit a Resume there

[lexharris]

No trick! That's after working outside for a while at about -50C.

Huh...please let me know just what company that work was with, so I can remember never to submit a Resume there

Ah, well, that shot was taken in Wilkes Land east Antarctica in 1986. Not exactly Tasmania but there is a connection of sorts. The company was the Australian Antarctic Division which is headquartered in Kingston, just south of Hobart. Actually it was through the AAD that I discovered Tasmania and bushwalking. And one of the Division's permanent bases is located on Macquarie Island which is in fact a part of the state of Tasmania and managed by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service! BTW I would not hesitate for one second to submit a resume - you won't regret it I promise!

Anyhow, getting back on the topic which was hayfever, I also suffer hayfever and the degree of suffering varies from year to year. It can sometimes get pretty bad in spring in the West! I'm not keen on drugs of any sort so I just put up with it. I don't recall ever having any problems in Tassie but I mostly visit in late summer so the pollen count would be fairly low by then I guess.