Hops and Allergy relief

Well it's that time of year for us in the south.... allergies!

unfortunately for me I took an allergy test and I'm highly allergic to grass pollens like johnson, Kentucky blue, perennial rye, bermuda, bahia, timothy, redtop, orchard, and cedar tree pollens... and mildly allergic to elm, sagebrush, ragweed, cocklebur, elder marsh

So yeah, I'm way screwed living in East Texas areas. From February to November is murder for me!

Funny thing is, I've found a temporary relief... HOPPY BEER! yes it's true. When I have a severe allergy attack, I drink a bottle or two of a hoppy beer I start feeling alot better! Is this odd?

commercial examples: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale does wonders for me! Happy Camper pale is a good one too. As does Sam Adams Noble Pils and Latitude 48.
My homebrew pale ales with 3-5oz of hops per 5 gallons also do the trick.

Anyone else have this experience?

My guess is that you just get buzzed and forget about the allergies

maybe so... love to see a study on that

I wouldn't be all too surprised. I use local honey as a helper for my allergies. It's something about low dosing yourself with allergens somehow helping your system cope.

hmmm. i get crazy allergy headaches/sinus pressure and ive had one all day and ive just finished my first glass of howe sound devils elbow IPA and dont feel a difference. maybe ill have 2 more and see how i feel, then ill tap my newly kegged centennial/willamette/soriachi ace ipa and see if that helps. lol

My friend with allergies are all miserable right now- something about cedar trees near Austin(? as I think they are actually juniper?) and other things in bloom.

But I feel great- I spent last weekend camping near Smithville, and there were no bugs, no snakes, and great weather. My allergic friends were popping benedryl and generally dying.

Beer did not help them a bit- but they did drink enough of it!

My allergies get markedly worse when I drink beer. The alcohol further inflames the already-puffed-up sinuses, goes my theory.

It's worse with red wine, which on its own gives the face-reds. Even after a mere half a glass, the nose and cheeks flush up something awful. Sometimes my eyes glaze over too. People assume I'm drunker than I am, because I look it.

So going by the above (hops = allergy relief), perhaps the doctor prescribes an experiment with a low-alcohol IPA. Lagunitas DayTime, for example.

I'm so glad I got out of Austin. March through November were an annual constant ropy snot-fest for me. This was in the days before OTC Claritin, too, so the choices were to suck it up, or to take Benadryl and exist in a perpetual float-haze. Good times.

Hmmm...I read something about beer and allergies lately. Let me find it.

Beer definitely makes my sinus allergy symptoms mych worse until I hit the 9th or 10th beer. I have hayfever and a lot of environmental allergies. Nasal steroids are the only relief.

I find a few hoppy beers cures mostly everything that ails me.

Beer is your only true friend.

I noticed I get a bit more stuffy when I drink beer. Especially hoppy and/or stronger beer. (might just be the alcohol...)

I just ignore it.

You could drink a couple hop teas as a test, see if it has the same effect without alcohol!