Sniff, sneeze, cough, repeat. Think to yourself: Am I sick? Talk yourself into saying you’re sick. You aren’t. You’re allergic to something around here. I’m here to help and tell you what is around the town and why you should maybe take an allergy medication. To be noted, I am not condoning the use of medication when not needed (always see a healthcare provider prior to this), but in my case, if I don’t have my allergy medicine, I can’t breathe. With the abundance of trees around town, who can blame me?!
Crops, grass, flowers, trees and all of the pretty things around us make Upstate New York no. 5 on the top 100 places with the highest rates of allergies to live, according to WebMD. Why? Because of our longer cold seasons and lake-effect snow, meaning shorter pollen cycles. Basically, we get hit in the face with pollen while others tolerate it all year long.
Something I do that makes my allergies worse, and can be a tip of “what not to do,” is sleep with my windows open. (That being said … if you happen to know where I live, please don’t rob me. I have a very ferocious 2-year-old cat as my bodyguard though.) So if you are a sufferer like I am, shut your windows!
A good way to beat allergies is saline solution. You can find that at Kinney or Rite Aid, but a simple mix of water and salt will do the trick. It helps clear out inflammation so you can breathe better. If you are mixing at home, just put it in a squirt bottle, wear a shirt you don’t like, tilt your head back and put a few drops in. Allow the drops to run out of your nose (hence the shirt you don’t like) and you should feel some relief.
An even easier solution is to simply take a shower and wash your clothes! Now I can recommend this to a few people in town for other reasons, but did you know pollen sticks to your hair and clothing? I surely don’t want my new TJMaxx dress or beautiful blonde locks covered with pollen when I get home from a day of shopping.
Menthol vapors, peppermint tea and neti pots can also be found around town to help clear us all up. No one wants to sound like they just woke up for their 11 a.m. conference call. So I urge you Cazenovia, take the steps to feel good so we can all get out there and enjoy the weather we are finally having. I promise it will help your outside time bloom with happiness!
