Weddingbee Blog

Oh spring. Harbinger of bunnies and butterflies and blue bonnets. This is the time of year that I like to go outside, stretch my limbs up to the sun, and go back inside until November.

I’ve mentioned my allergy to fragrances. But I’m also allergic to trees, weeds, pollen, mold, dust, dust mites, cats, dogs, horses, and hay. An outdoorswoman I am not. Nature and I have a bit of a tumultuous relationship. Although my allergies stay with me year-round, they’re always the worst during spring and early summer.

Who’s ready for a spring/early summer wedding?!

If you are a fellow allergy-sufferer, you know too well the havoc an attack can wreak on your body. It is terrible. The puffy face, the leaking nose, the red, itchy eyes. The day after an allergy attack I experience what I call an allergy hangover. My body is exhausted and I feel drained and loopy.

I used to suffer full-blown allergy attacks monthly, if not weekly (daily in April/May). Luckily, I rarely have allergy attacks anymore, maybe a few a year. Still, my dress doesn’t have pockets to hold my tissues so let’s review some anti-allergy strategies.

1. See an allergist. I got tested a few years ago and my doctor immediately started me on allergy shots. I got them once a week for a year, then biweekly for a couple years, and now I go every 3-4 weeks. It’s a five year “program” and sometimes a pain in the butt. And in the arms, where I receive one shot each (kidding, it doesn’t hurt, although my arms are sometimes slightly bruised). This is definitely a long-term plan, but it has helped me ENORMOUSLY and is the reason I don’t have frequent allergy attacks anymore.

2. Close those windows! I know, I like fresh air too. But from mid-April to early June, we have a strict closed-window policy in my house.

3. Wash your hair before you go to sleep. This is especially important if you spend any time outside. All that pollen in your hair goes right up your nose while you sleep! Or something like that.

4. Change your pillow case as often as possible. Same reason as above. I change mine a few times a week.

5. Embrace the Neti Pot.

Source

Will you look crazy? Yes. Does it feel a little weird at first? Yes. But a Neti Pot—or any other type of sinus-flushing mechanism—can clear the pollen and allergens out of your nose. I love mine. Just don’t use it if you’re massively stuffed up, or else you’ll end up with a bunch of water stuck up in your sinus cavity and you’ll wind up cursing the name of ol’ PChipz.

6. Take a look at the plants in your life. A lot of plants can harbor mold. I know, sad, because everyone likes plants. This warning comes straight from my doc!

7. Beware of clotheslines. Do people still use clotheslines to dry their clothes? My family does. But it’s a bad idea for allergy sufferers!

8. Make your fiance do all the vacuuming. Tell him/her you can’t because you’re allergic. That should do the trick.

Do you suffer from spring (or year-round) allergies? What tips do you have?