please don't tell me i have allergies...

a couple of days ago, i woke up with a stuffy nose. as soon as i got out of bed, i had a sneezing fit -- at least 5 sneezes in a row. i didn't think much about it until a few minutes later, i had another sneezing fit and my nose just wouldn't stop running. i groaned, "oh no, i have a cold!". i popped 2 vitamin C tablets and a zinc tablet, and contemplated going back to bed.

i checked for the usual symptoms, like a scratchy throat, but my throat seemed fine. then, i had another sneezing fit and i started rubbing my eyes. they felt really itchy at the inner most corner of my eye and i just couldn't resist rubbing them.

then a horrid thought entered my brain -- is this an allergic reaction? am i having hay fear? DO I HAVE ALLERGIES?! i panicked :b and started praying the symptoms would go away and hoping i was indeed sick. i've been allergy free all my life and so thankful that i didn't have to endure the pain and suffering my dad and brother went through when Spring came around the corner.

my eyes were itchy all day and i had sneezing fits here and there. i didn't want to go outside. i just wanted to stay home and sleep, even though i wasn't tired. i figured if i slept, then maybe i won't sneeze or have to rub my eyes.

so i had lunch, checked my email again, took care of some work, hopped back into my pajamas and slid back into bed. my nose was stuffy, so i had to breathe through my mouth while i tried to fall asleep. luckily, i slept for almost 3 hours uninterrupted, but when i woke up and climbed out of bed, i had another sneezing attack.

*sigh* WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?! i went online, to BC Health Guide to find out what sort of home remedies there were to lessen the symptoms. Dust mites, mould spores, pollen from outside entering the home through open windows are the most common triggers of allergic reactions. "hmm", i thought. "i did open my window for most of the day yesterday... could that be the cause?" they recommend vacuuming and dusting once a week and washing the bedsheets every 2 weeks in order to cut down on the dust. keeping the windows closed will prevent mould spores and pollen from entering the home. washing curtains also helps keep the dust count down. they even recommend stripping the carpet of your home if a family member is sensitive to dust.

ok so i kept my window closed that day, and changed my sheets (even though i changed them only a week and a half ago). i was so not in the mood to dust (there isn't much dust anyways other than on the window sill), so i left it at that.

i was feeling a bit better later in the day -- a little stuffy and i still wanted to rub my eyes.

the next day, i was still feeling a bit stuffy but better. my eyes weren't as itchy and i wasn't engulfed in sneezing fits every 10 minutes. i went out in the sunny weather, did some window shopping on West 4th, and then headed home. my throat still wasn't scratchy, so i was hoping that whatever i had -- allergies or a cold -- it was going away!

and now today, i'm back to normal! :) no itchy eyes, and no sneezing fits. i hope this is a once in a lifetime ordeal. if it happens again though, i've been told to go get tested for allergies by my doctor.

YUCK.