littlest library on the side of the road

A short guide to Seasonal Allergies

by Nikko Ong

I have severe allergies. According to my most recent panel test, I’m allergic to every skin-nicking compound they had except dust mites and mold. My watch list includes every tree, grass, weed, and pollen producing plant they tested, as well as cats, dogs, and a host of other allergens.

Growing up, I had major struggles with my allergies, and usually just sucked it up. That meant, for 5 months of the year, I was miserable, congested, and generally not myself.

My symptoms are typically severe congestion out of both nostrils, itchy throat, fatigue and low energy, and a dripping nose (which eventually gets very irritate as I continue to blow it).

Here are a few lessons I’ve learned about my allergies, which may or may not help you. Everyone is different, so take this learning with a grain or two of nasal saline solution.

  1. Daily allergy pills are a must. For my seasonal pollen allergies, I’ve found that the best allergy pill is the extra-strength generic cetirizine HCl, also known as Zyrtec, that I get from Costco in the 10mg variety. It’s close to an order of magnitude cheaper than the Zyrtec I see in pharmacies, so take this win and get a Costco membership. I was worried about building resistance to these pills, rendering them ineffective (and ruining my life), but research has not shown conclusive evidence that this actually happens. Daily use is key here, since there is evidence that these pills are better at maintaining a consistent guard than retroactively stopping symptoms.
  2. Nasal Spray is key. I’ve tried many, but there are two that I keep coming back to. Fluticasone (brand name "Flonase", generic at Costco under "Aller-Flo") is a tried and true, that also requires daily use. Don’t try to use it only when symptoms kick in, make sure you get ahead of the problem. It pales strength in comparison to Oxymetazoline (brand name "Afrin"), but presents a few drawbacks. Primarily, use for more than 3 days can lead to potentially ruinous consequences, and some scary side effects including substance abuse. Afrin is a surefire way to clear up any issue for me, and I keep it in my bag in case there is an important event I need to be uncongested for. However, I’ve also had experiences where Afrin goes down my throat as part of a post-nasal drip (please use it correctly) and that causes extreme irritation - akin to strep throat. Use it carefully and infrequently, for with great power comes great responsibility.
  3. When coming into your house, change and take a shower. Walking outside can cause pollen to stick to my clothes, so when coming home on a particularly nice spring day, I’ll often change my shirt and wash my face to attempt to move pollen away from my poor nose.
  4. Vacuum frequently. As much as air purifiers are helpful, there is no evidence that they significantly impact the amount of dust or allergens in your house (unless you have a crazy big one, and even then it’s iffy). The actual solution for reducing airborne allergens, especially if you live with cats and are allergic to them? Vacuum every single day. Getting a light stick vacuum helps with this, as it lowers the amount of effort required to actually get around to doing it. Mounting your stick vacuum on a wall in a common area also helps lower the activation energy needed. Side note: I also suffer from asthma, directly related to my beautiful cats, so I take a Budesonide (Symbicort) inhaler every night, which makes a huge difference in my ability to breathe.
  5. Nasal saline rinse. This is my favorite tip to help reduce congestion and make a miserable day a bit better. You can buy saline rinse bottles (squeeze bottle or Netipot) (ones that go into your nasal cavities and out the other nostril, not the saline mist sprays) from NeilMed or any pharmacy with premixed saline packets. These effectively clean out all the gunk in your nasal passages and help clear out mucus and other nasty stuff back there. Some important things to know: buy a big jug of distilled water when you get the saline rinse bottle. You don’t want a brain-eating amoeba, so some precaution is needed when cleaning and using these rinses.

You will feel like a different person after completing nasal irrigation - it is a good daily practice if you suffer from severe allergies like I do. In general, if I follow the above recommendations, I’d say that my allergies are about 85-90% better than without. Your mileage may vary, but I hope this helps!