Surviving Spring Allergies in the Southeast: Tips and Tricks

Raise Your Hand if Mother Nature has Personally victimized you. Throws hand up so far; it pulls the joint out of the socket! Spring is here. Yay?! Maybe not. This gal has mixed feelings. Spring brings warm weather. Sometimes. But also rain and showstopping pollen. Traveling to the Southern US this year, you may experience hay fever. This sounds adorable, like someone who can't get enough ponies, but the symptoms are not cute. Children raised in the Southern US are more likely to experience hay fever than in other states. MORE LIKELY. We're punished for warm weather, sweet tea, and top-notch hospitality. Who doesn't love Cherry Blossoms and Magnolias? Other than allergy sufferers, I mean. And allergies are already ahead of schedule on the East Coast. Just check out this graph from HS Allergy of everything that will take you out between now and August. Mother Nature can be particularly savage. Think it doesn't apply to you? Guess again. You can develop allergies late in life based on environmental factors. Nasal allergies affect 30% of adults these days. I used to be fun and fancy-free, running through fields of sunflowers and daisies. And then Georgia happened—the state, not a person. Georgia, followed by SC and NC, has left me debilitated by itchy eyes and a runny nose. And it's not just the South. Factory-heavy areas like China (smog, anyone!) can also cause them. You can't get rid of allergies once you have them, but there are some remedies to minimize your suffering. While traveling this spring, prepare for these seasonal ninjas with my handy-dandy Spring Allergy Survival Guide. Trust me. I'm an expert, **But not a doctor, so find an actual medical professional if it gets out of control!!