Many people in the Ida B. Wells High School community have terrible allergies. Stuffy noses, puffy eyes, and itchiness are all symptoms that were made to ruin people’s lives. This time of the year cold snowy days turn into fake spring with sunshine and rain, and temperatures start to rise for a couple of days then back to cold. Springtime is when flowers and trees start to bloom and the bees come out of their hibernation. However, there is a pesky thing called pollen, a weird yellow powdery substance that comes from the trees, weeds, and flowers that irritates the senses causing congestion, sneezing, and coughing.
Why does something so beautiful make people feel so terrible? Blame pollen for your troubles. But there are some ways you can feel better and try to throw your allergies away! Some people just take allergy meds like Benadryl, but according to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), you shouldn’t use Benadryl in high doses because it can cause bodily problems like seizures, heart problems and even death. There have been multiple reports of teenagers taking too much and ending up in emergency rooms or even dying.
Other ways to easily get rid of your symptoms of seasonal allergies are to clean up your car or your home from pollen such as springtime cleaning. Drink lots of water to flush out nasty things that maybe aren’t letting you breathe correctly or try some off-brand medications that can help you and not make you so drowsy like how Benadryl makes you feel. Other options include staying indoors on dry windy days and wearing different clothes after you have been outside to avoid bringing pollen inside. Allergies are the perfect opportunity to get out of your chores and avoid mowing the lawn or pulling weeds.
According to the Mayo Clinic, you can even take extra steps to avoid your allergies like looking at the news to see the weather for pollen forecasts and start taking allergy medication before your symptoms even start. Avoid outdoor activities to stay away from high pollen counts, you should also have your windows closed during the night and day so pollen doesn’t get into your room. Kick pollen out of your life to keep allergies at bay.
