Allergies come in all kinds of different strands, from the ones that are little more than a nuisance to those that may lead to a life-threatening anaphylactic shock. Similarly, seasonal allergies are fairly diverse and affect people who have a lifelong condition to those who suddenly develop one, oftentimes something relatively mild like hay fever. The latter seems to be creeping up, and more and more people are joining those who suffer when either the pollen count or air pollution climb up.
Seasonal Allergies: Not a Love Story
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I have had hay fever ever since I can remember. Back in those days, the only way to alleviate the symptoms were first-generation antihistamines that, unfortunately, were the culprits of my constant sleepiness and drowsiness. So, every Spring I had seasonal allergies. I would try to avoid the antihistamines with very little success, especially if I went to the countryside in the spring which was a total nightmare for me. So, if you’re new to this I will try to describe 3 not fun facts that you may have to endure:
1. Sneezing
When some irritants, such as allergens, get into your system, there will be a reaction, for sure. If they come through the air in the form of dust or pollen and get into your nasal passages, it will trigger the sneezing reflex when hitting the mucous membranes. Depending on the amount of allergens and other conditions, this may result in something a bit worse than a bad hair day. The bouts of sneezing are sometimes frequent, can be hard to control, and may keep you from, say, performing surgery.
2. Runny or Stuffy Nose
Runny nose or rhinorrhea (neither sounds good, do they) takes place much in the way sneezing happens. In other words, allergens such as the ones I mentioned earlier affect the mucous membrane and produce excess mucus. This leads to drips from the nostrils. Most times, this goes on at the same time when the sneezing occurs. So if you are not carrying a handkerchief or paper tissue, you sure are out of luck, my friend. This is a nasty business you do not want to be unprepared for.
3. Watery or itchy eyes
Watery or itchy eyes are more often than not caused by the same culprits I discussed above. This time the allergens get busy irritating the conjuctiva, which is the membrane that protects the white of the eye. This leads to constant tearing and lots of itching in the eyes, which in turn would give you lots of discomfort and, sometimes, blurry vision. Also, if you have no way of alleviating the redness in the eyes, you may get “that look,” especially if it is around 4:20 PM. So, you know, blame it on the allergies.
Do Not Despair, You Can Live With This
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, at least a quarter of us have allergies of one kind or another. So, if you’re new to this, you’re certainly not alone. There are many ways and strategies to deal with symptoms, such as over-the-counter antihistamines, nasal irrigation by using saline nasal spray, nasal corticosteroids, etc. Also, you may “allergy-proof” your home by vacuuming frequently and using air purifiers or air conditioning.
It May Be Time to Look at the Big Picture
If you start getting symptoms of allergies you never had or are just getting worse, it’s never a bad idea to consult with your doctor. Maybe even go to a specialist like an immunologist. Because allergies are pretty much immune system deficiencies, there might be something going on there, and the reasons could potentially be a myriad of different things. So, stop and think for a minute about recent changes in habits that might have happened recently; the answer may be under your nose.
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