There’s something in the air this spring that no allergy medicine can subdue. It’s contagious, and it has contaminated the trees, the birds, the students, maybe even the occasional professor. It’s an outbreak of spring fever—a familiar phrase with a mysterious meaning. Who knew it was a real condition—one that you may be experiencing yourself?
Spring fever refers to the carefree temperament that seems to settle over many during these sunny months. Everyone gets a little friendlier after shaking the gloom of winter off his or her shoulders. Little do they know, changes are occurring in more areas than just the weather.
Over winter, the body stores up a neurotoxin called melatonin, which is responsible for waking and sleeping cues. Once the cold weather subsides, so do melatonin levels, and this chemical drop results in greater wakefulness. Maybe you’ve noticed that those 8:00A.M. classes aren’t quite as painful as they were last quarter? Well okay, some things never change. In addition, studies have revealed people have higher serotonin levels in the spring. Serotonin is the mood-boosting chemical responsible for all those springtime smiles.
Not only is there more happiness to go around, but there is more time for it to spread as the days stretch longer and longer. While it often takes a while for the shock of a sunny 7:00P.M. to fade away, your body is way ahead of your mind. Human eyes detect longer days almost immediately, and this triggers increased levels of testosterone, estrogen, and endorphins as the body begins to adjust to longer periods of activity.
But why do all these chemical changes suddenly happen in the spring? Why not in winter, when we need some extra happiness to fight the bitter cold? One theory suggests spring fever originates from cavemen, and back in the day it was nature’s way of kicking humans and other animals back into gear after months of hibernation. Wake up, have babies.
Some people think of spring as a time when love is in the air, and sexual tension is at its tautest between boys and girls of all ages. While spring is in fact the season with the highest rate of unplanned pregnancies in women, and greatest sperm count in males, it is not actually the peak sex season—fall is. Spring is not the time for babies to be made. It’s for them to be born. This is when the land is most fertile and conditions are ideal for youngsters. While humans no longer adhere as closely to nature’s suggestions, evidence of this is in rows of ducklings trailing behind their momma ducks during May. Or herds of raccoons parading through UCSB’s campus at night.
So grab a tissue for your nose, a cough drop for your throat, and some CVS knockoff of Claritin for any other symptoms you may be suffering, but face the fact that there is no cure for spring fever. But is that really so bad? As Robin Williams said, “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party’.” Can’t argue with that.
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