Allergy Questions for Eugene/Corvallis (Salem: allergies, legally, pollution)

[Coloradoan]

Hi all -

I have a question for allergy sufferers in the Eugene and Corvallis areas. My son will be coming up from Colorado to spend the summer in both Euegne and Corvallis. He has pretty strong allergies to ragweed / pollens in general as well as a lot of associated sinus problems. We have a very dry climate here, but he still suffers from spring through fall.

I have read heard that the area he will be visiting is not very good for people with allergies. Is there anyone out there with allergy problems that has come from a dry climate to Oregon? Just wondering if your allergies became much worse, stayed the same, or maybe got better? Thanks for any info. you might be able to give us!

[dachmom]

I moved from Eastern Oregon (drier, more arid) to Salem (north of Eugene/Corvallis) and have hay fever(allergic to grass and tree pollen). I went from allergy medicine from March-September to all year round. There are a lot of tree nurseries and grass seed farms in the Willamette Valley, so I suffer year round now.

[RockyMtnr]

I'm a newbie to the state - but was just given an article a couple of days ago to read.
Good News - ragweed is low in the area.
Bad News - it's a big deal about the grass - mid-April til mid-July, peaking around the end of May.
Personally, I have not been an allergy-prone person ... however, we moved to the coast (OR) and my sinuses - which I am succeptible to problems with - have gone nutso. For me, Sudafed is working ... and keeping my ears covered in the persistent winds.
Some of the folks here are suffering badly from allergies. Benadryl seems to be the prescribed drug of choice .. however, also read in that article that 2 high-dose Benadryls causes people to drive worse than being legally drunk.
And that is the end of any knowledge I have on the matter so far. Good Luck!

[Coloradoan]

Thanks so much for your reponses. It definitely sounds like my son's allergies will be a problem there, but at least he'll know what to expect.

Yes, Benadryl is very strong - puts my son to sleep in no time. Claritin has been somewhat effective but only seems to last a few hours for him and you're only supposed to take one table every 24 hrs. We haven't tried this yet, but I did read somewhere that using just a plain saline nose spray helps some people. Inexpensive and worth a try I guess. Hopefully by the end of summer his allergies will have settled down a bit.

[gmattie]

It may depend on when he comes. Grass is a major allergen in the late spring, early summer here. We are in a valley where pollution and pollen seem to settle. There are also many different kinds of pine trees which bloom at different times of the year.

The over the counter medicines are hard on the body. Using chiropractic or acupuncture may be better overall for your son's health. I especially would think twice before using meds on a young child.

[FVWinters]

Depending on what your son is sensitive to, the Willamette Valley could be very problematic. There is no ragweed in western Oregon but there is a grass seed and fruit orchard industry here that is unmatched practically anywhere else in the West.

There are two things I could recommend:
1. Get an allergy screen. Any G.P. or allergy specialist can order one and, depending on the results, go through a desensitizing process. This involves shots, takes up to four years and is expensive, but it is practically bullet proof. I went through this procedure in 1980 and I am still resistant to the stuff that gave me so many problems nearly 30 years ago.
2. Invest in a cortisone based nasal inhaler. This also requires a doctor's prescription and is also fairly expensive. OTOH, you get results within a few weeks rather than years and once you build up a resistance, you can get away with cutting back on the dosage. Another advantage is with the inhaler, you get to miss out on all those side affects that injectable cortosone or its derivatives are so famous for.