Beautiful green pastures filled with early-bloomed dandelions and the first blooming of dogwood trees. Spring is such a fulfilling season, the cold of the winter is fading and the warmth that spring brings is beginning. Truly everything should be wonderful but oh, the yellow that lingers with this season. It comes in storms and settles like snow. Pollen. Britannica’s definition is, “Pollen, a mass of microspores in a seed plant appearing usually as a fine dust.” It spreads and settles and repeats. Its mode of transportation is by the wind. Well, what is the good in that? And you are right it is not nice. With pollen comes seasonal allergies, and if you’re like me who suffers from this inevitable plague, here are some of my tips to help with the yellow of it.
First and foremost, recognize the following symptoms of seasonal allergies: runny nose, nonstop sneezing, irritating eyes, coughing, and sometimes fever. These symptoms are also that of a cold, which can be deceiving. At the start, I couldn’t tell if it was a cold or a seasonal allergy until it only occurred once that yellow started to settle every year. Once you’ve observed and identified these symptoms next comes the “pre” in prepare.
Even before pollen starts to take shape outside, I take allergy medicine. Before taking any, consult an adult, but I take Zyrtec. I prefer this medicine because it works for me. I’ve taken other allergy medicines like Claritin and Allegra but neither seemed to work for me. So, find the one that will suit your needs. Zyrtec primarily helps me with sneezing and coughing symptoms. But besides these symptoms that come along with seasonal allergies, I also tend to get a nasal infection, which is what primarily causes a stuffy and runny nose. For this, I take any type of nasal spray. Reminder, I take these beforehand to prepare for the worst. So, prepare.
Another useful action to take which should already be a daily occurrence, is to shower. Clean yourself thoroughly to get any pollen that might be unto you. A nice warm shower helps relieve those annoying symptoms that have already been stated. Along with this obvious tip, limit the time you spend outside; if you enjoy being outside like me because of how wonderful the sun feels, cover yourself! Wear a facemask and if only necessary go out. If you do want to explore the outdoors make sure to monitor the wind levels and pollen levels, some apps do that like the weather app.
By far the biggest and maybe most important tip: carry these items all the time! Tissues, hand sanitizer, allergy medicine, maybe a nasal spray, and a face mask. You are already having a hard time but you also don’t want to be bothersome to those around you who might not understand what you are going through. So if you’re at school, constantly wash your hands and apply hand sanitizer. Also, cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing. Although seasonal allergies are not contagious you don’t want to be yucky and sneeze all over people.
Finally, if things get from bad to worse, stay at home. Your health comes before anything, even school. It is okay to miss days if you’re not up for it. And while you’re at home remember the days when you were able to be outside, enjoying nature.
