Allergies

Sunday, August 13, 2006

I never suffered from allergies as a kid. I remember hearing the term "hay fever" in movies and on TV. I had friends who complained about seasonal allergies but always felt it was something of a literary convention, something the folks at Warner Brothers made up so Jerry could make Tom sneeze himself to death on a dash of pepper. That is until a few years ago.

I was with the family at Lagoon Amusement Park one Saturday when it happened. I was on the skyride with my oldest daughter when the intense spinning and vertigo hit. I panicked. I felt my throat swell and itch. My nose filled. I went straight to the doctor's office. I thought I was having a panic attack. Once the doctor saw the redness and fluid in my ears he recognized my symptoms as seasonal allergies.

He prescribed an antihistamine and the symptoms subsided. Since that day though. I have suffered every summer. My nose clogs, my ears stop up, and my throat itches so badly I am tempted to remedy it with a Dremel tool and 80 grid sandpaper.

I take Claritin regularly but only so I can feel as though I'm doing something proactive. It almost never helps. I guess I can add allergies to the list of things that changed when I turned 30.

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