The first day of spring is just around the corner, which means warmer weather and a lower risk of illness. With the close of cold and flu season, though, comes the unfortunate opening of the allergy season. Pollen, cottonwood, grass, whatever it is, anyone with allergies can attest that they’re no fun. Whether you have a runny nose, watery eyes, itchy ears, or maybe even worse, springtime is decidedly and unanimously the least favorite time of year for people experiencing allergies.
Fortunately, there is a solution available to us. Allergy medicine can be purchased at just about any store with an aisle for medicine. Claritin, ZyrTEC, Allegra, there are plenty of options to choose from. But many still wonder just how these medications work.
Chemistry Teacher Mrs. Mackey was able to provide an explanation. She explains that allergy symptoms come from our immune system attacking things it perceives as foreign. In other words, your immune system treats these allergens as an illness, which is why you get symptoms similar to being sick when you come in contact with these allergens.
Allergy medicine, Mackey goes on to explain, is used to “block those receptors” and prevent your immune system from flaring up, in turn preventing those well known and ever annoying allergy symptoms.
More interestingly, Mackey notes that allergies can fluctuate from year to year, meaning that even if you’ve been fine in previous years, you may find your eyes watering in the presence of pollen this year. If this happens, rest assured that it’s normal and there’s nothing to worry about.
So, to breathe easy this rapidly approaching spring, a good allergy medicine may be essential. A survey of students at Tahoma High School showed that Claritin was the most popular choice, with many also mentioning the much stronger Benadryl (though I wouldn’t recommend that one unless you intend to go to sleep after taking it).
If you experience allergies, allergy medicine is hopefully already part of your springtime daily routine. Now that you know how it works, it may be more interesting to take those little pills (or nasal spray, if you prefer) every day.
