Allergy season is upon us, which means that it’s time to buckle down and prepare for the worst. Anyone who has had to deal with spring allergies for years knows exactly what I’m talking about. While everyone’s experience is different, here are some of the things that anyone with spring allergies has to deal with.
1. The symptoms. As soon as the flowers start to come in, your body starts to lose its chill. Runny nose, itchy eyes, the battle between constant sneezing or a stuffed up nose. Now that winter is over, everyone is getting over their colds, while you seem to be getting sicker. Suddenly you are the only one coughing, sneezing, and wheezing in class, and everyone is looking at you like you are death. But you could care less, because all you want in life is for your itchy eyes to not look so red.
2. Tons of medication. I don’t know about you, but I have to be on at least six different medications just to make it out the house every day. It becomes hard to keep track of them all, and asking for refills from the doctor seems like you are reading off of an unnecessarily long grocery list. Allergy season makes life such a hassle. You have to wake up earlier to give yourself enough time to take all of your meds. And let’s hope you don’t forget one, because then you feel like death ALL. DAY. LONG.
3. You never want to go outside. Spring becomes such a confusing time because while you are excited that it is finally getting warmer and it looks so beautiful, just being outside will set you off. It’s like a domino effect. You breathe in and sneeze, and the vicious cycle starts. You have to wash your clothes every time you sit on the grass or look at a tree, in fear of bringing the pollen into your house. You will want to go with your friends to various spring events, but will have to serious rethink some of them when you hear that they take place in a park or near trees.
4. No one else understands. No one understands what it’s like, and they never will. While your friends can spend hours outside on the quad, you have to think long and hard about whether you took your medicine this morning. While others can take a deep breath and enjoy the fresh air, you have to carry your inhaler at all times just to breathe right. And what’s even worse is when your friends say things like “I’m so glad I don’t have allergies” or “You make me happy I’m not allergic to pollen.” Why would people even say those things? Don’t they know that allergy season alone already makes us very volatile, and we aren’t to be messed with?
The worst part of it all is that allergy season can seem like it is never ending. Even though it only lasts two months, spring allergies make us feel like we are going to be feeling this way forever.
My advice? Make sure that you are on top of your allergies. If you are new to the game, make an appointment with the doctor and get prescribed for something, or go to the pharmacy and pick something up. Take everything one step at a time, and know that summer is coming soon, and with it the end of your symptoms.