Pollen problems
Taking care of ourselves in this desperate pollen season
More stories from Abri Hausman
Car that has sat in one spot for less than a week is covered with a dense layer of pollen. With this high pollen count, you need to know how to properly take care of yourself and not just suffer through it.
Okay people, let’s start adulting.
We are in the heat of pollen season right now, and by now most people are slowly succumbing to the feeling of near-death that comes with it. As we grow older, it’s important to recognize that it’s advised to make changes to your lifestyle in order to survive the Georgia pollen, so here’s my take on it.
Take a daily medication. There are the famed Zyrtec and Claritin, but any antihistamine will do. And as a person who has spent quite a lot of money buying these medications, don’t waste your money on the name brand medications or going to your doctor for a prescription of Zyrtec or Claritin.
The generic versions are the exact same medication with the same active ingredients, but they don’t have the big name brand printed on the package. While you can be charged up to $30 for a bottle of 40 doses of Zyrtec, you can get 400 doses of the generic version Cetirizine for $15 at Sam’s Club, which will get you through more than one pollen season.
Be careful that these medications do not dry out your nose too much, though, because it has been known to induce nosebleeds.
— Op-ed Editor Abri Hausman
The only useful thing about Zyrtec is that it can be sold in single dose packages which can be helpful if you’re traveling or want to keep an extra with you somewhere, but again, it is very expensive. You can just put it in a pillbox or even a plastic bag if you don’t worry about it being completely sterile.
Also, take some kind of cold medicine to try and relieve sinus pressure and a stuffy or runny nose. Be careful that these medications do not dry out your nose too much, though, because it has been known to induce nosebleeds.
Next, you want to make sure you keep anything that is consistently used outside clean and limit your time outside. If you have a golf cart, you might want to keep your stuff in plastic bags to keep off the pollen, and wipe off the seats and steering wheel consistently.
Speaking of transportation, wash your car a lot more during pollen season because you are taking all that pollen from the door and spreading it over everything, likely also your phone. You should also try and wash your car because pollen can erode your paint.
Basically, if you keep your stuff clean and take some medicine, the pollen situation should improve.
If you’re not willing to do that, the only advice I can give on how to survive the pollen season was summed up perfectly by our News Editor Jacob Hunt: “You don’t.”
