Ah, spring. The season when the hills turn green, the flowers pop and, the deciduous trees gain vibrant foliage. It also is the season where many of our noses and sinuses go absolutely crazy, in a display nobody wants to see and NOBODY wants to experience.
Pollen allergies are a rite of spring for many. Rain year, drought year, early spring or late: doesn’t matter. We pollen allergy sufferers suffer regardless: the only difference is the frequency and degree of sneezing, snuffling, runny nose, clogged sinuses, watery eyes, postnasal drip and headaches. We don’t suffer quietly; everyone within earshot knows and the closer they get, the louder and more disgusting the sound effects. We sufferers also are first-class complainers, which makes our affliction even less appealing to significant others, unless they are fellow sufferers. Misery loves company.
We – my significant other and I – have coined a name for this annual event: snotfest. It probably won’t catch on, but one never knows.
A range of pollens are responsible for pollen allergies and people purportedly react differently – some more, some less - depending on which pollens and the amount of each are in the air. Emphasis on purportedly. With one exception, I seem to react to them equally, which is to say, with a flamboyant display of pollen allergy symptoms. The exception is acacia; for some reason acacia sets me off worse than any other pollen. When driving in spring, I could always tell when I was approaching Napa Valley (where acacia grows abundantly) – my allergy symptoms got worse.
Every pollen allergy sufferer seems to have one or two symptoms that stand out. In my case, it is sneezing and a runny nose. There is nothing singular or subtle about my sneezes; they come in series and they are explosive. So explosive, in fact, they should be considered a test of my muscular-skeletal health.
Of all the health issues one can have, pollen allergies may be among the most benign. On rare occasions, pollen allergies will land a sufferer in the emergency room with anaphylactic shock. Almost no one dies solely from pollen allergies, though sometimes we sufferers become miserable enough to see the possibility.
For sufferers, pollen allergies also are not a spring constant. Some days - usually one but sometimes two in a row – I am absolutely fine. For similar stretches, I am a complete mess, with every symptom turned up full. It is probably the same for fellow sufferers. Is it the particular pollens in the air? The weather? Wind or a lack thereof? Karma? If anyone knows, please share.
There are over-the-counter medicines to treat pollen allergies. Many people find them beneficial. My significant other uses one, with modest success. I tried a few and gave up. Antihistamines left me completely clogged. Decongestants left me snottier and sneezier. Sometimes the cure is worse than the malady.
So nose blowing – LOTS of nose blowing - became my “go-to” solution to the spring pollen allergy onslaught. Handkerchiefs made sense initially, until they didn’t (for reasons best left undescribed). They soon gave way to facial tissues (i.e. Kleenex). On really bad days, paper towels come into play. As well as petroleum jelly, to soothe the resulting red nose.
Pollen allergies notwithstanding, spring is a season to be savored. However, for folks like myself, summer cannot arrive soon enough. Tomorrow would be good.
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