Now that spring is in the air, the air is full of allergens, too. And I know from experience that allergies stink. Every year my allergies come charging in, and I spend a couple of months feeling like I've got a 24 hour a day head cold. Sure, there are pills and medicines to help those of us who suffer from allergies... but if your allergies are anything like mine, you've still got your fingers crossed hoping for a miracle cure.
Well, so far there isn't one. But in my sad, desperate research for some way to curb my sniffling and sneezing (and those red, itchy eyes that always make me look half-stoned!), I did learn some interesting facts about allergies. Facts which may come as a surprise and unfortunately, often a disappointment, as well.
1. Moving doesn't affect your allergies the way you'd think.
Does all of the ragweed in your area make you want to pack your bags and move to a ragweed-free city? Don't update your internet dating profile with a new location yet! According to allergists, moving generally doesn't have the effect on your outdoor allergies that you might think. Oftentimes, your allergies will follow you to a new location-- because most people with allergies to airborne pollens have allergies to several types. There's generally pollen wherever you are-- so running away from outdoor allergies usually doesn't work.
But sometimes it will work for indoor allergies. If you're allergic to dust mites or mold (two of the most common indoor allergies), moving to a dryer climate can really help cut down on your sniffles and sneezes.
2. After you move, your allergies get worse.
One of the reasons why so many people believe that moving to a new place gets rid of allergies is that, for a year or so, it does. But in the second year of your residence in a new place, often your allergies pick up full strength again. Why? Because it takes your body awhile to get sensitive to the new allergens you've encountered in your area. The more an immune system is exposed to these allergens, the more it will react-- it just takes awhile sometimes.
3. You're probably not allergic to flowers.
Have terrible allergies and cringe every time some guy you met at an internet dating site brings you a bouquet of daises? You probably don't need to. People with outdoor allergies are generally allergic to pollens, yes. But most of the decorative flowers we commonly buy don't have the kind of pollen that people are allergic to. The plants that make you want to take your tingling, stuffy nose off and store it in a box until winter generally have wind-carried pollens. The flowers you get in a nice bouquet, on the other hand, have a different kind of pollen (one which is usually carried by bees). So while it's not impossible to be allergic to decorative flowers, if you think you are it's possible you're being a bit paranoid. (Hey, some good allergy news at last!)
4. You cannot build a tolerance to allergy medication.
One reason why I started doing all this allergy research in the first place is that I feel like my current allergy medication is just not holding its own anymore. I still take it... but I still feel bad. It used to work better, it seems to me.
But the truth is, your body won't develop a tolerance to a certain allergy medication-- allergy medications keep working at the same level no matter how long you take them. If you notice your allergies worsening while your medication stays the same, it's generally due to a change in your environment rather than a change in your medication's effectiveness. In short, allergy medication works only up to a certain level. When you're exposed to more allergens, your medication can only hold back so much of the flood.
5. Rain is good if you have allergies.
When it gets really rainy in early spring, there's a good chance you begin to worry. With so much rain, the plants are really going to be able to go into full bloom! But the rain also has a positive side effect for people suffering from allergies. If it lasts long enough into the season, a period of heavy rain will impact the ways in which plants release their pollen. Rain can pull pollen from the air and wash it away, leaving far less pollen to torture you all spring long.
