Living with Hay Fever

I was born and raised in Minnesota. Even though I grew up in St. Paul suburbia (read: city girl), woods and parks are easy to find. I’ve always preferred warm weather over cold, and spring has always been my favorite time of year. Watching the trees turn green, getting soaked outside in a humid thunderstorm, seeing all the flowers bloom… well, you get the idea. There’s just one downside: I have hay fever.

I have a pretty standard case of hay fever, along with a few other allergies. Up until the age of five, I didn’t take medication. As a result, when the flowers opened up, my nose and lungs did the opposite. My mom used to say I was built upside down – my feet smelled and my nose ran. I developed the habit of breathing through my mouth, including when I slept, producing what I’m sure was some of the loudest snoring ever heard from a pre-schooler. I itched all over, and had chronic hives. My asthma (undiagnosed at the time) also flared up, making tag and general running around difficult due to shortness of breath. In summary, I missed out on quite a few of the joys of childhood.

When I was five years old, my mom and I went for a visit to the allergist at the beginning of the summer. Mom knew she had allergies, and was pretty sure I did, too. After a standard pin-prick test, I tested positive for hay fever, dust mites, cat dander, cottonwood spores, and a few types of grass. The next day, I started Claritin, and my quality of life quickly improved. I stopped snoring, scratching, and constantly blowing my nose. The next spring I switched medications – I had maxed out on the dosage of Claritin for my age and weight. I started taking 10mg of Zyrtec once a day, and Zantac 75 in the morning. We later added another Zantac 75 in the evening and upped my Zyrtec to 15mg.

I’m 21 years old now. Although I didn’t outgrow my allergies, I’m down to 15mg of Zyrtec and 50mg of Zantac a day. I use an inhaler for my asthma (exercise-induced, diagnosed at 14). I enjoy the warm seasons to the fullest – I love having picnics, going camping, hiking, or simply having a day in the sun. Needless to say, I’m a very “happy camper.” I am grateful to this website for allowing me to share my story, and I hope it helps and encourages other readers suffering from allergies.

Have a great spring and summer, everyone!
-SJIT.