The Awkward Struggles Of Having Seasonal Allergies

A new video from BuzzFeed Yellow portrays the daily challenges of having seasonal allergies, from having everyone assume you’re sick all the time to constantly having pockets full of wet Kleenex. I am someone who has had awful seasonal allergies since childhood, and this video speaks deeply to my soul. Guys, THE STRUGGLE IS REAL.

For people like me, who are allergic to approximately everything (Things that make me sneeze like a banshee include: pollen, dust, cats, mold, sunshine, rainbows, natural beauty, and joyful innocence), allergies are a constant disruption in our daily lives. Sneezing, runny noses, and congestion are so common that it doesn’t even occur to us that being constantly sort of sick isn’t normal. We are not alone: The American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology estimates that 50 million Americans suffer from nasal allergies, and environmental health scientists have suggested that, due to climate change causing an increase in grass pollen, it’s only going to get worse in the next century. (Apparently in the dystopian future, we’ll all be sneezing our faces off).

Some of the annoyances of having seasonal allergies (Question: Are they “seasonal” if you have them ALL THE TIME?) include…

Having everyone assume you’re sick and therefore avoid you like the plague.

Getting stuck in an endless “Bless you” loop as you sneeze and sneeze and sneeze.

Having crumpled Kleenex in every pocket, nook, and crevice.

(Seriously, my friends and family have learned the hard way to never, under any circumstances, reach into my purse because there WILL be Kleenex in there and it WILL be gross.)

Watch the whole video:

Images: YouTube (4)