Seasonal allergies, or ???? How to approach this?

[Awaken]

Ugh.  I have had vicious seasonal allergies (or what seems like it) for the past 3-4 yrs or so.  Just terrible when I was pregnant.  It lasts from about March- September.  I have tried just about every natural remedy I've read about, and some OTC meds but never found anything that makes a big difference.  I hate suffering like this and feeling miserable esp. on a day when I've gotten enough sleep and I want to be having a fun time with my family and enjoying my kids- instead my nose is pouring, my head is stuffed, and I can barely concentrate.

It starts the second I wake up, even if I wake up during the night- severe sneezing fits, tons of snot, itchy eyes, headache, and often lasts all day.  Some days it's better than others, and sometimes it goes away for a week or so.

I have tried:

quercetin with vit. c

nettle infusion

claritin

some other OTC allergy med

different types of homopathic remedies

sudafed

local honey

seen an herbalist

I see a chiropractor regularly and eat whole foods, raw milk, farm raised eggs, etc, FCLO.

It doesn't matter what room in the house I'm in, if it's humid or dry or rainy, I've monitored the pollen count and I don't see any connection- often the days of "low" pollen it's the worst.  It is even happening while I'm swimming, or if I'm in another state with different trees altogether!

What else should I do to get to the bottom of this and define what exactly I'm allergic to?  Does it sound like it could be something other than seasonal allergies?  I have a regular MD appointment in a few weeks for other reasons- is there any point in doing bloodwork?  It would be great if I could do some mainstream stuff covered by insurance since I already pay for tons out of pocket.  I have heard acupuncture works, and am considering seeing an ND, but I feel like I've already spent so much, I don't want to do more appointments and buy more supplements and spend more money unless I have a good hunch that it's going to be effective, since I have very limited childcare and budget.

[SweetSilver]

How you can "get to the bottom of this" I have yet to discover.  Knowing *what* environmental allergens I am allergic to hasn't helped me a whole lot.  I do a lot of allergen cleaning, though.  And I keep my bedroom windows shut during the grass season, sometimes even the bedroom door, which is hard with kids.  I also keep the house shut most of the day during the grass season.  I don't line dry my clothes or sheets anymore and on the worst days I wear a silk mask.  This year hasn't been so bad, but last year there were days when I would go into sneezing fits just sticking my face out the door.  Sneezing doesn't sound all that miserable until you've sneezed 20 times in a row and peed your pants!

     I don't use allergy meds because some of the effect wears off before my mucous is running again and that is like a miniature torture chamber up my nostrils.  I do take some if I'm going to visit friends who have fields of uncut grass because my symptoms are beyond distraction and pretty pathetic.  I do find that when my body gets revved up, there is so much in the world that bugs me.  In a swimming pool, though?  It's probably embedded in your mucosa down into your lungs.

     Pollen is pretty persistent stuff.  It's shape holds up thousands of years.  Long after the grass season passes, if i am in a cut hayfield or am opening up a bale for the chickens the resting pollen affects me just as surely as if it were the season.  That's the reason the pollen count days don't make sense.  Pollen is everywhere and gets stirred up over and over again.

Make your bedroom a haven.  Don't linedry bedding.  Rinse *all* your bedding and pajamas and dry in a dryer every week if not every few days.  If you have bedding that cannot be laundered, use it in another room and get yourself some that can be tossed in the wash.  Use a neti pot before bed.  Shower and rinse your hair before climbing in.  Don't sit back down on the couch after doing these things before bed.  Keep the couch vacuumed with a HEPA filter vacuum.  Run a HEPA filter in your bedroom.  These steps will ease your symptoms a surprising amount.

[SweetSilver]

Of course, it could be mold that's the culprit, or one of them. (????)