Allergies are one of the worst things ever

[Pithy_Moniker]

I get all sneezy and snotty every year around this time. The last few years itchy irritated eyes have been thrown into the mix too. Hooray!

I’ll usually start buying tissue around late January so I don’t look like such a fool buying 10 boxes at a time in March. I can go through a box a day when I’m really in the thick of things.

[Zabali_Clawbane]

@NinjaChick

I haven’t, nor have I ever seen an allergist. There’s a whole bunch of reasons but at this point, it wouldn’t be covered by insurance, and even if it was, it still wouldn’t make much financial sense - I’m only in this part of the country for about a year more, and then I (hopefully) will be moving someplace nice and urban where they’ve paved over all the nature and there’s far less pollen in the air.

Last night I managed to actually sleep, lying down, and continue breathing somewhat regularly, so that’s good.

Allergens can blow for 200 miles. So, even in a city you could still be stricken with them. Go to an allergist! stern

[Pithy_Moniker]

@Broomstick

My recommendation? Go to an allergist WHO HAS ALLERGIES. Those are the only people who have helped me. When I was referred to a dermatologist and given a list of same I asked “Which one of these suffers from eczema his or herself?” and THAT’s the one I picked.

I fucking HATE allergies. HATE HATE HATE!

I should take this advice. The one time I asked my doctor if there was something stronger than OTC remedies, he suggested that I get rid of my cats. He couldn’t provide me a satisfactory answer for why I’m only allergic to them during the spring.

[Broomstick]

And now for something more constructive…

Clean house! Dust! Wipe! Mop! Change sheets! Clean-clean-clean! Do you, the allergy sufferer, hear that all the time? Do you, like me, find that doing housework makes you feel worse? It can you know - you can’t clean up without kicking up dust, right? If you’re wet-wiping it can still get on your skin, right? I used to clean house for an hour or two and feel sick for days.

My allergist’s suggestion? Hire a housekeeper. Uh, right bitch, are you gonna fucking pay for it? No? I didn’t think so.

Here’s what I do, use any part of it that helps you:

1. I bought a big, honking filter mask. NOT a wimpy little flimsy disposal pieces of crap like the first picture on this page. Those don’t do shit, OK? Except maybe keep you from inhaling leaves and hell, I can use my teeth to strain those out of the atmosphere for free. No, you want something like what’s pictured here because THAT will fucking do something for you. Yes, it’s uncomfortable, it’s tight, you need to wipe down the rubber after you use it to keep it clean and it makes you look like a bug-eyed monster or that guy from The Fly. Sure as hell beats an asthma attack, though. And your pets will (eventually) get used to the Monster That Cleans House.

2. Rubber gloves. This keeps the shit off your hands. If you’re allergic to latex there are non-latex alternatives.

3. Cover up everything else - that’s long sleeves, pants, shoes, socks, etc. Keep a barrier between you and that Bad Stuff.

4. When you are done housecleaning remove all equipment. The clothes go in the wash pile. You shower.

Since I have been doing this it takes me longer to get started on cleaning but afterwards I can still breathe, I don’t sneeze as much, and my skin no longer looks like I had an argument with a gravel road. I don’t give a fuck if I look like a toxic waste worker, I fucking feel better.