Seasonal Allergies Bring Spring Sniffles

March is supposed to be a sign of new life and the renewal of sunny days, but for people with seasonal allergies it marks three more months of suffering. Itchy eyes, scratchy throats, and runny noses are tell-tale signs of hayfever. The fight against allergies is seen by most as less serious than those waged against the common cold. To add insult to injury, those afflicted by allergens regard them as nuisances whenever they sniffle or cough.

Senior Kailey Winters has suffered with seasonal allergies all her life. For the past three years, her allergies have worsened. She dreads sitting outside at lunch because the pollen aggravates her symptoms, which include a runny nose, itchy and watery eyes, a cough, and excessive sneezing and sniffling.

There are medications that relieve allergy symptoms, but they usually come with negative side effects. There are pills to take but not all are effective for sufferers. A common side effect of allergy pills is drowsiness, so some people avoid taking them at all. 

Another method to help allergy symptoms is to receive weekly or monthly shots. While these shots can eliminate one’s allergies, it takes around three to five years before you are able to tell if the treatment worked. On top of shots being a big time commitment, they also hurt. Some choose to not receive them because they are scared of needles. Every appointment, the patient usually has to have two or three shots to protect against all the allergens the patient is reactive to. 

Kailey does not get shots for her allergies. For three years she has claimed that she would get shots the next year, but never follows through due to her fear of needles. Like clockwork, she claims time and again that next year she will start getting her shots.

Mr. Jeremy Kuhn was also asked about his opinion on seasonal allergies, and he gave his entire life story. His father had an intense ragweed allergy. Ragweed is a common plant that blooms during spring and summer. His father was in his 40s when a young Mr. Kuhn could recall his “papa” sneezing and coughing like there was no tomorrow. All his life, Mr. Kuhn never had hay fever, but wouldn’t you know it, when he hit his 40s, ragweed started tormenting him.

Mr. Kuhn sympathizes with his students who have intense allergies. He commends them when they ask to leave class to blow a nose or let out a cough. Now that he too experiences allergic reactions, he leaves his door open to anyone suffering from the ache of seasonal allergies.

Lastly, Mr. David Smith was interviewed, because he is allergic to letting Mr. Kuhn get all the attention. Despite his advanced years, he claims he has never had any allergies ever. Mr. Smith is like a robot, because not even the slightest bit of hay fever gets to him. Mr. Smith barely tolerates people with seasonal allergies and pities the poor creatures that interrupt his class time by sniffling loudly. 

For me, seasonal allergies are the thorn in my nose. When spring time rolls around, I dread going to class and hearing the snifflers, the coughers and hackers. Although I know that people cannot control their seasonal allergies, I would be lying if I said those poor sniffling creatures didn't trigger something in me.