OnYellowBrickRd Posted March 9, 2013 Report Share Posted March 9, 2013 I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired!We'll be moving from Centurion (in Pretoria) to the Sunshine Coast at the beginning of April. One of the main motivations is my almost-six-year-old's cough. She has had this cough for 5 years. We hardly sleep any time other than summer. We've been to doctors, paediatricians, homoeopaths and have treated her with every possible remedy you can think of. She is permanently on a comprehensive range of vitamin and mineral supplements. Yet, as soon as there's a cool breeze in the air the allergy-related post-nasal drip and the non-stop, suffocating cough starts. Every time she starts coughing, all I want to do is My question is: Have you found that your health has improved since moving from ZA? I've also read that the health system in Australia is not aggressive in their treatment. Will they help me if this doesn't improve? Apart from the emotional torture, so far this has cost us an absolute fortune! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunnyskies Posted March 9, 2013 Report Share Posted March 9, 2013 A lot of people I know have found that their symptoms alleviated upon moving. However, a number of people also picked up new allergies/symptoms. My husband had sinusitis in Jo'burg, in Melbourne he is fine most of the time unless the northerly blows and brings in the desert dust and bush land pollens. I had sinusitis for about 10 years in joburg before we moved and my daughter had constant ear and thriat infections. My daughter and i have been much better since moving. We have as a family moved away from antihistamines to treat these kind of ailments as they really only treat the symptom and not the cause. Instead we changed our diet significantly to reduce the level of processed food and wheat in our diets and this had helped a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sa2Nz2Oz Posted March 9, 2013 Report Share Posted March 9, 2013 I suffered post nasal drip/rhinitis in south africa but when living in Australia I didnt have a problem, I suppose its a combination of clean sea air and maybe some grass allergies here on the highveld? I however did suffer from allergies (itching eyes) in NZ only in December/Jan when the Pohutukawa's (NZ native bottlebrush tree) were in blossom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&GJBay Posted March 9, 2013 Report Share Posted March 9, 2013 My husband has been asthmatic all his life & was using a preventative twice a day & an inhaler at least once a day. Well, 3 months worth of preventative & 2 inhalers have lasted more than a year. He also had bad sinus & that is almost totally gone. My sister was here a month ago & kept commenting about how clean the air was ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caz Posted March 9, 2013 Report Share Posted March 9, 2013 On the other hand, in Queensland you may be severely affected by seasonal hayfever. There's a lot of grass & pollen. Meds like Advil CS & AdcoSinal are not available in Australia so you may have to consult a GP or pharmacist to get suitable meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn Posted March 9, 2013 Report Share Posted March 9, 2013 We lived in Durban, and my daughter was asthmatic - a very humid climate.Since we arrived in Canberra - where there is no humidity she has not needed an inhaler. If you suffer from sinus and seasonal hayfever, then Canberra is dreadful in springtime. The blossoms and pollen are unbelievable. Looks like you are driving thru a snowstorm some days ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajay Posted March 10, 2013 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 My younger son spent a lot of time in hospital with chest infections / bronchitis when we lived in JHB, and he also suggested terribly with croup, even though he was technically way past the age for that illness, at 10 years old. Like you, OYBR, whenever he started coughing, I would tense up because I knew that we'd end up in the hospital Ian few hours if it didn't stop quickly. He had cortisone based inhalers, used a humidifier in his room every night, and we stayrted being abke to nebulise him at home with adrenalin for the croup, beciase it happened so often and the doctors knew how traumatic it was for us to eace to the hospital each time.Since arriving here nearly 8 years ago, he has never been hospitalised and hasn't used an inhaler since. He had 2 croup attacks in the early days, but nothing since. He does still suffer from allergies and needs anti-histamines quite a bit, especially in spring, it his health is 100% better.My husband, on the other hand, who never suffered from allergies in SA, has a sensitivity to something here (clean air??!!!) and struggles a bit with hay fever. He takes over the counter anti-histamines for it and seems to manage.Good luck, hope she improves like my boy did!Ajay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibella Posted March 10, 2013 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 I've mentioned this before somewhere - when we lived in England my then 3 year old got pneumonia which caused asthma and she had to use a preventer and regularly needed her inhaler. My husband was also hospitalised for pneumonia while living in the UK so the cold weather does not agree with us!Since we moved to Melbourne it's been much better, I took her off the preventer and she only needs her Ventolin now and again, for instance the day she started a new school this year, probably nerves;).But yes lots of pollen about at certain times so our hay fever flairs up, but that's not such a big issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rozellem Posted March 10, 2013 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 Yip, also used to get hayfever in the Boland (probably vine pollen) and really bad hayfever in London (grasses/ pollution?). Honestly, every year in July in London, given the option to decapitate myself, I would give have given it serious thought. Not a stitch in Sydney so far (4+ years). Thank heavens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreaL Posted March 10, 2013 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 Just be realistic that you are coming to a new country with different allergens to those your bodies have built a resistance to, add to that the fact that you are a school teacher...and bless them, they get exposed to as many things at school as nurses in a hospital.Has your daughter had any relief from her cough with an inhaler? You can actually buy certain ones over the counter.Just make sure you have enough of the types of medicine you normally use, I find that I always become a bit sniffly after flying. I would get yourselves all onto a good multivitamin now and remember to take as much rest as you need in those early days......you may be tempted to push yourselves and try to do too much. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynnie Posted March 10, 2013 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired!We'll be moving from Centurion (in Pretoria) to the Sunshine Coast at the beginning of April. One of the main motivations is my almost-six-year-old's cough. She has had this cough for 5 years. We hardly sleep any time other than summer. We've been to doctors, paediatricians, homoeopaths and have treated her with every possible remedy you can think of. She is permanently on a comprehensive range of vitamin and mineral supplements. Yet, as soon as there's a cool breeze in the air the allergy-related post-nasal drip and the non-stop, suffocating cough starts. Every time she starts coughing, all I want to do is My question is: Have you found that your health has improved since moving from ZA? I've also read that the health system in Australia is not aggressive in their treatment. Will they help me if this doesn't improve? Apart from the emotional torture, so far this has cost us an absolute fortune!Both my kids suffered from post nasal drip in Centurion - was amper elke 3de week bd pediater :blush: Ons is nou al amper 2 jaar hier en my kids was nog nooit so gesond nie!!! Was nog net 2 keer met hulle by die dr :ilikeit:I have to add that as soon as the seasons change, especially now that it is becoming cooler during the night, my little girl does have a cough and flu symptoms, but it goes over fairly quickly. As ek kan voorstel - bring pholtex jnr (hoesgoed vd nag) en celestamine saam - mens kry dit nie hier nie Jy kan haar ook vat na dr. Anne Taylor in Groenkloof - sy is fantasties :ilikeit: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynnie Posted March 10, 2013 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 O ja - as julle hier is en sy raak nie beter nie - ek ken 'n baie goeie Suid Afrikaanse dokter in Strathpine, hy is stunning Maar jy moet julle stelsels bietjie kans gee om gewoond te raak aan die nuwe klimaat en kieme wat hier is.Sterkte - ek onthou daai gevoel as hulle so begin hoes.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.