Oh how I love the springtime, all the blooming flowers and the grass getting greener again. The sun is shining finally and the streets of Isla Vista are filled with college kids walking, biking, and playing outside. While I love spending my days outside, I don’t love the seasonal allergies that sneak up on me. Sneezing four times in a row and blowing my nose every five seconds during a three hour lecture is not fun at all.
I didn’t even realize I had allergies until this spring season. Living in a college town, I’m sick all the time being constantly surrounded by people and their germs. I thought my most recent sickness was just another case of frat flu, but turns out, I have seasonal allergies!
Living with allergies can be incredibly annoying, especially with final exams and the end of the school year quickly coming to an end. Half the time my allergy medication does nothing to help me and Benadryl makes me terribly drowsy. What does a girl have to do to deal with allergies?
Well, I’ve been doing some research, and there’s quite a variety of things to help with seasonal allergies. If you’re like me and don’t have much luck with medication, there’s some homemade remedies and natural solutions to help you survive allergy season.
If you’re dealing with a runny nose and frequently sneezing, you can try this homemade saline solution. This will help relieve nasal congestion and it’s super easy to make! To create, you’ll need 1 liter of water (try to use bottled water or filtered water), 1.5 teaspoons of canning salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Combine everything and you’ll have yourself a quick and easy solution.
There are also some things allergy girlies should be aware of on a daily basis, like for example, actively checking the internet for pollen forecasts and daily pollen levels. While this doesn’t really do anything to help your allergies, it’ll give you a better idea of how much you will suffer if you go outside. If you’re planning on taking a hot girl walk, it might be a good idea to double check the pollen forecast before you venture outside and suffer the consequences.
Additionally, the Mayo Clinic offers some suggestions to help combat allergy season. One trick they mentioned is to use a dehumidifier inside your home to keep the air dry. They also recommended consistently using air conditioning in your car and your home, which is easy given the Santa Barbara forecast showing high seventies degrees next week.
My roommates also struggle with allergy season and have found some helpful solutions. One of my lovely roommates introduced me to manuka honey, which is basically just a fancier version of regular honey that can help with allergies. According to the National Institutes of Health, manuka honey has been found to be very beneficial in alleviating symptoms of allergies.
I took a spoonful, and at first thought it was a placebo effect because of how much she hyped up this magic honey, but I actually did notice a difference and felt better.
Another natural remedy you can try to survive allergy season is taking advantage of essential oils. Peppermint oils help aid in opening up clogged sinuses which will help if you’ve been dealing with allergy symptoms. Also, eucalyptus oil is another great option, and this oil helps open up your sinuses, leading to improved circulation.
Whether it’s creating a homemade saline solution, taking a spoonful of honey, or using essential oils, these tricks and tips will help you survive allergy season. We’re almost at the finish line!