Now…how appropriate is this photos for an allergy season post. ? I have suffered from allergies since I was a wee little kid. Not just a little runny nose here and there but so bad I had 5 years worth of allergy shots, I’d have to stay home from school and every year I would miss state standardized testing. To get through the season, I have a few tips that I follow religiously to help the symptoms.

With COVID-19 lingering in the air, it’s a very weird time to have allergies. All the memes out there are hilarious. I have been a little afraid to even cough or sneeze in public in fear of eye glares. But the symptoms are drastically different.

Sunny Outfit Details

Sweater / Gap Pants / Target Shoes / Headband / Basket Bag

What are my allergy symptoms and how are they different? I’m NO doctor here, I just know I’ve had a runny nose for months and it’s not a symptom of the corona virus.

My nose runs constantly from 5 AM- Noon. Then again at 9PM – 12PM. Morning and night are the worst. I actually have no idea why, it’s always been that way for me as a kid. I’m actually more concerned about running out of tissues than TP LOL! Touching my eyes are a no no. Sometimes I will have a cough, mostly when I go outside and breath in that lovely pollen. There’s the yuck nasal drainage (no other way to say that nice ha) and this weird drowsy feeling that never seems to go away. If that sounds like you, I’m here to help!

• Runny nose
• itchy eyes
• slight cough
• nasal drainage
• drowsiness

My Tips for Getting Through Allergy Season

After suffering from allergies since as long as I can remember, praying for God to heal them, reading all the articles, having over 5 years of allergy shots and staying mainly indoors on pollen heavy days, these tips are truly what helps me feel like a normal human being from Feb-April.

Funny side story, in college I wrote an article called, Pollen Palloza, HAHA. Guess I’ve always had this thing with alliterations. The club who ran the magazine didn’t love the fashion articles I pitched and it was a highly competitive slot, so silly little me pitched the pollen idea and they LOVED it. ????

It was also around this time that I got tested for what I was *actually* allergic to after I could barely function in college where oak trees and a new atmosphere put me over the edge. The allergy doctor made me get naked, rubbed these different serums on my back and closed the doors to let it sit there. I guess they monitor it in time increments to see the effects and test how allergic you are to things like cats, grass and trees. Well after only a few minutes, the doctors were so alarmed at how my ENTIRE back swelled up red, they had to wipe it off and told me I was EXTREMELY allergic to things like grass, some cats and mostly all trees. Hopefully you aren’t experiencing such drastic symptoms as me but these tips really make a difference for me.

1. Take a FULL Shower Every Single Day

Cannot stress this enough. No matter how tired I am, I take a full shower that includes watching my hair every night. There might be 1 or 2 times that I need to workout in the AM and don’t want to have clean hair, so I will rinse off my body and then change my pillow case and wash my blankets the next AM just in case. Doing this lets me still enjoy going outside, it helps clear the sinuses and I don’t get my bed dirty that I sleep in for 8 hours.

2. Wash Sheets AT LEAST Once a Week and Change Pillow Case every other day.

I am a stickler for making sure my bed is extra clean during allergy season. If I can wash my sheets more than once a week I do. Besides that, making sure I change my pillow case at least every other day is a MUST. Even if it’s not allergy season, changing a pillow case helps keep hair less greasy ha!

I’m also a weirdo who sleeps with a blanket over my head, so I feel like I just trap any pollen I have on me if for some reason I didn’t shower. Just walking outside at night, there’s pollen everywhere and I know it attaches onto my hair/skin so easily. Changing my pillow case helps me breathe better at night and feel cleaner overall! Speaking of changing my pillowcase…BRB. ?

3. DO NOT Touch Your Eyes

Ugh, this is such a hard one for me. Allergies make my eyes itch like crazy. Especially if I’ve been outside all day or take a walk and the wind is just like hayyyy, lets blow pollen into Katie’s face. Sometimes I’ll do a quick little itch if it’s uncontrollable and all I can think about. Once you keep itching, your dunzo and won’t be able to stop. It’s like OCD itchy. Other than that I just ignore it and avoid all eye touching contact. With Corona lingering around, I am extra cautious of this.

4. Take an OTC Allergy Medication

Here’s the thing, I have not always taken my allergy meds everyday. When I was getting consistent allergy shots, I really didn’t need anything extra to help. Maybe it’s just a higher pollen count this year but man I am dying without any OTC meds. Some years I can escape it but not this year.

Zyrtec is my favorite ever! I’ve tried Claritin but it made me always feel like I was drugged out on Nyquil all day. That’s what allergies + meds make you feel like. Even with Zyrtec, I was taking it at night and wanting to sleep till Noon and felt so tired and drowsy no matter what. Then I came up with the brilliant idea of cutting the pill in half and taking 1/2 one day and 1/2 the next day. It’s really still doing the trick and I don’t feel so out of it! Does it defeat the purpose?! IDK but I think it helps and I can still get work done.

5. Use Steeped Green Tea Bags If Your Eyes Are Itchy

My mom taught me this little trick. When I was a kid, I could barely stand my itchy eyes and didn’t have the knowledge not to itch them. Plus, I’d be outside at recess or PE and couldn’t avoid pollen like I can now. Dang I miss recess! Steep two green tea bags, ring them out and place on your eyes. It will help take the sting/itch away. She read it somewhere years ago. Personally I don’t do this as an adult but if you have kids, it is actually really soothing and calm!

Lots of Sunshine,

Katie

Do you suffer form allergies? Have any extra or useful tips I should add? Leave a comment!