Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash
This post was published on May 12, 2014, and co-authored by Marie Ann Bailey and me. Since allergies don’t seem to go away, I hope you find it useful.
Top Ten Things Not to Do When You Have Allergies
10 When you have allergies, do not offer to house sit for friends with animals. If you do, the best that will happen is that your sneezing will cause the animals to hide from you. At worst, you may find yourself in the ER on a respirator, trying to remember if you left the front door open.
9 When you have allergies, do not accept an offer to go for a nice ride in the country. If you do, at best, your nice ride will turn into a sneezing nightmare. At worst, your companion will leave you beside the road with your address written on a note pinned to your shirt.
8 When you have allergies, do not eat anything out unless you know the ingredients. If you do, at best, you may have to go home early to get some medicine. At worst, you might cause those around you concern as you begin to swell and turn purple as a reaction.
7 When you have allergies, do not volunteer to drive the hay wagon at the school fundraiser. If you do, at best, you will be the source of too many “bless you’s.” At worst, your sneezing will cause the horses to spook, allowing for a runaway wagon and terrified children and adults.
6 When you have allergies, do not leave home without a spare handkerchief or tissues. If you do, at best, you will need to use anything at hand to cover a sneezing fit. At worst, there will be nothing at hand, and you will cause everyone near you to run away in fear since they will assume you have the bubonic plague.
5 When you have allergies, do not think those who do not have allergies will understand your symptoms. If you do, at best, you may get some concerned looks when the sneezing hits. At worst, you might be trying to explain to the EMS team called by a well-meaning person that you are having an allergy attack.
4 When you have allergies, do not leave your medicine at home even for a short time. If you do, at best, you will get by without any symptoms. At worst, you will find yourself curled in the fetal position, praying to be spared another sneezing attack.
3. When you have allergies, do not think you can go on a picnic in the woods. If you do, at best, you will survive with only sneezing bouts. At worst, you will be stung by some strange insect and find you are slowly losing the ability to raise your arms to get your EPI-Pen.
2. When you have allergies, do not offer to deliver flowers on special holidays, no matter how heavily medicated you are. If you do, at best, you could have a reaction to an unknown flower. At worst, you could deliver only the stems after your sneezing caused all the blooms to fly off the bouquet.
1. When you have allergies and are heavily medicated, do not operate heavy machinery. If you do, at best, you may injure yourself. At worst, you may just take down one wall too many and have a boss who expects you to pay for the damage.
Fiction Favorites 
Allergy season seems to be expanding throughout the year. These are good recommendations, John.
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I’m an asthmatic, so I have 100% exposure.
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Yikes. Be careful ( I know you are).
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Medicate every day. So far, so good.
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I’m not allergic to anything, but you just described my mother.
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Poor mom.
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That’s so true!
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Best advice: Just stay indoors. Everything can be delivered.
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So true. Never have to leave.
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Been there, done that, got the note pinned to my shirt.
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Ha ha ha. Thanks, Craig.
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Once I got past my childhood allergy to corn pollen (not good for an Iowa child!) I was allergy free until I met Texas’s cedar pollen. My goodness. I live happily with the flowers and grasses, but those trees do me in — thank goodness for tips like yours, and medication.
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Texas almost did me in. Thank goodness for inhalers and meds.
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#6–If you use your hand because you forgot tissues, do not extend that hand in a handshake/greeting. It ain’t happening!
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Ha ha ha. Yes, a lesson in how to kill off a relationship before it begins.
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I had allergies when we lived in SC, but they disappeared when we moved to KY. Lucky me!
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Great list, John. I buy tissues by the case, so I relate to your Top Ten Things. 😄
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Grateful not to have any!! 👏
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I feel extremely blessed to not have any allergies!
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Whew! I’m glad I don’t have allergies!
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I’m very lucky and have grown out of my allergies. But if I hadn’t, I’d definitely follow this advice.
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My son-in-law to a T. People think you have Covid when you sneeze a lot!
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Having suffered from allergies all my life, I relate to all ten of these!
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Yes. Allergies are the worst. Thanks, Jan
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While everything else in my body seems to be wearing out, I’m grateful to be relatively free of allergies. You pointed out a lot of the potential problems associated with them.
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Yes indeed. I’m surprised the redwoods don’t give you fits. Thanks Pete.
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Yes, allergies can cause real problems, and medication can affect your reflexes and your basic behavior.
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That is so true, Tim.
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Sounds like a list of worst case scenarios. I’ll kindly pass and remain held grateful that is not among my many issues. 😉🤞🙏😇
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Yes good thing to pass on.
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Thankfully I no longer suffer from allergies, but man . . this brings back memories.
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I’m still in the thick of it with asthma on top of it.
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That sucks.
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It really does.
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#7 Funny! 🚜 So glad to no longer have allergies. 😌
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They are very annoying. That’s for sure. Thanks, Michele. 😊
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Welcome! 😊
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😊
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#10 is a nightmare, wondering if you left the front door open when you are at the ER, that would be a nightmare.
I am allergic to cats but luckily not to dogs. I used to have an allergy against something that appeared in the spring here in Texas. But it went away. I haven’t it it several years.
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I’m thinking cedar fever. Pollen from the Texas Juniper trees (called cedars) Most new arrivals get it since there is nothing like it where they are from. Thanks, Thomas.
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Oh I did not know that. That’s a quite plausible hypothesis. Thank you John.
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Some folks can develop antibodies and become immune. Others (like me) not so much.
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So glad to NOT have allergies.
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I can imagine that is a good feeling.
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I have allergies to seasonal, dust, hayfever, grass, and oranges. Oh, and pine. Had a few of those happen to me. The swelling up is not fun though I did feel my face itching a bit, I couldn’t tell till someone told my I needed to get to the hospital, despite my ex insisting I didn’t need to, and then the tightness about pulled my face and neck not to mention my hands in all directions like elastic. This was for accidently eating a recipe with oranges in it.
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My daughter ended up in the ER with similar symptoms. Still searching for the allergen.
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Hugs. So sorry to hear. Hope you find the culprit soon.
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Me too. She carries an EpiPen with her at all times.
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In #s 1 & 2, you mention being “heavily medicated.” Would you like to expound on that? You have my undivided attention.
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Ha ha ha. Liquids, pills, and injections are all the choices here.
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So funny!!
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Thanks, Jennie.
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You’re welcome.
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😊
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It’s probably wrong to laugh at this list because allergies are no laughing matter but I can’t help it. Wilson loves to rub his face under evergreen branches and recently I wasn’t able to discourage him on a particular tree-when he emerged from a particularly vigorous face rubbing, to top of his white head was yellow with pollen. He sneezed for half a block. 😆 #sillydog
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It’s okay to laugh. As an allergy sufferer, I certainly laugh at it too. Wilson might get the idea of leaving those evergreens alone one of these days. 😀
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The scent is just too enticing. But pine pollen is the WORST! And it stains white headed dogs too. 😉
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Yes, I can imagine the staining.
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Great list, dear John.😂Every year in need with the army of tissues & medicines.🍻🍤🍤🍤
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I know how you feel. I have asthma as well, so I have inhalers as well as medicine
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Poor you are! Asthma is a serious thing. Anyway, together we will win any disease! High spirit is our doctor, especially in spring! 🌞🌞🌞
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Yes indeed. High spirit works wonders. 🍰🥂
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While medication is perhaps necessary in many situations, I believe it hinders our resistance development. Over a period, dosage invariably needs to be increased. I am not a medic, but my two-bit suggestion is to medicate with caution.
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I agree with you. My choice is gin.
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“Over a period, dosage invariably needs to be increased.”
Read this line as a good thing.
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I found that to be true and a good thing.
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