France in Focus

Mrs. H and I have both been suffering the exact same symptoms for three days now. First noticeable thing was constant sneezing and nose drip. At first I was reminded of hayfever. I used to suffer every year beginning the first week in June. It is far too early at the end of February. After the drippy nose we are getting more cold-like symptoms. Hot eyes, lack of energy, and general aches and pains. I have upped my painkillers to the max and whatever meds we have in the house, keeping a careful eye on the amount of Paracetamol per day. This is weird as Hell because it happened to both of us at exactly the same day. This seems more like a bad cold (I haven't had a single cold since coming to live in France). It has flu-like symptoms?? The last flu I can remember was about a week of the swine flu way back when, but it doesn't seem that bad. Has anyone heard of an outbreak of anything similar in Brittany? We haven't been exposed to children for a number of years now and not a soul recently apart from a few delivery drivers, and once a fortnight a cashier at a supermarket (behind a perspex shield).

Very puzzling.

The air quality over the last two or three days has been very bad, particularly in Saint Malo and in the north of 35 and 22. A combination of met conditions and other pollution such as agricultural activity. If you're at all sensitive to this sort of thing, it could explain your symptoms.
https://www.airbreizh.asso.fr

And add in Saharan sand, currently very thick over Spain but we have had a light dusting well away from the reported trajectory and I would guess some in advance of the worst may have already had a sprinkling.

I commented today my allergy symptoms are starting early this year

I’ve needed to take my antihistamine in the early hours a few times in the last 2 or 3 weeks, having woken up with a streaming nose - I normally take them after breakfast.

Not the answer to Hotrodder and his wife’s malaise, but interesting that Pathca has also started with her allergy symptoms early this year.

I had a massive sneezing fit in the car the other day interestingly in an area with a lot of blossom trees

OH is sneezing and snuffling as well, either the high pollution in the air or hayfever. The Mimosas have been beautiful and there are loads round here and the flowering cherries are everywhere as well. I've heard others sneezing but so far, I haven't been affected, touch wood.

" Hot eyes, lack of energy, and general aches and pains."


That doesn't sound like hayfever, Hotrodder. When we got struck down by "the lurgy" that no-one mentions anymore last summer, those few symptoms were top of the list. I hope you feel better soon - I'd say sleep as much as you can for quicker recovery, but if it's anything like we had, even sleeping is difficult.

Try taking Coryzalia to see whether it dries you up. Bon courage.

Consensus would point to air pollution and pollen being the culprit. Age might be responsible for the extreme reaction we are experiencing. Thanks for all the replies.