The 411 on Beating Spring Allergies

The bright side of spring is warm weather, clear skies and blooming flowers. However, there is a dark side that is characterized by burning eyes, sniffles and an itchy cough. The Williamsburg area has a notorious reputation for its horrible allergy seasons. Often times, students use this as their “ticket” to getting Residence Life to approve air conditioning units in dorm rooms. For the remainder of students, those who have legitimate allergies, they have it bad this time of year. It is said, that even if you have never had outdoor allergies before, the Williamsburg area can cause you to develop them. Let’s hope that’s a fallacy! If you are victim of allergy season, here are some ways to help you combat that nasty pollen.
 
1. Anti-Histamine: Pollen and allergens cause your body to secrete the hormone, histamine, which is known to trigger a scratchy throat, runny nose, difficulty breathing and, in severe cases, hives. A must-have, during this time of year is anti-histamine medicine such as Zyrtec. It is a great safeguard to take daily before going outdoors to prevent and alleviate allergy symptoms.
 
2. Sunglasses and/or Glasses: Pollen easily gets trapped in your contact lenses, so it helps to wear regular glasses or sunglasses when you are outdoors to protect your eyes from irritation. It is helpful to use lubricant eye drops as artificial tears, to calm the red, itchiness in your eyes. You can even find eye drops that are particularly for those who wear contacts.
 
3. Drink Up: Water is essential to helping with allergies. Usually, allergy medications have a common side effect of making it more difficult for your body to create saliva, which can lead to a dry mouth. Drinking water helps not only with dehydration but also moisture. Besides, drinking lots of water helps your skin glow while preventing wrinkles. 
 
4. Tissues and Concealer: To help with the constant sneezing, bring a travel packet of facial tissues along in your purse or backpack to help with your runny nose. It helps to get the “moisture” ones with lotion in them to help prevent redness around your nose area from the constant rubbing. Also, to alleviate the redness around the nasal area, it is a good idea to bring along some cover-up and powder, so that you don’t end up looking like Rudolph in the springtime.
 
Take it from me, allergies are b*tch to deal with! As someone who is their allergist’s “most severe case” and who needs allergy shots (this is no joke!), take action and follow these tips to beat the allergy season.