Sniffles, Sneezes & Cincinnati: A Love-Hate Allergy Letter

What’s the most times you’ve sneezed in a day?

Serious question.

According to Google, “the average person sneezes between 1 and 4 times per day.”

That’s cute. I’m not average. I’m in the “some individuals” category... the lucky few who sneeze over 50 times a day. Some days, it feels like I’m chasing 100. It’s a full-body cardio experience and I am giving myself whiplash.

Last year, after one too many sneeze attacks at work, I finally caved and saw an allergist. I needed answers. And boy, did I get them.

Turns out I’m allergic to… pretty much everything.

✔️ All the trees

✔️ All the grass

✔️ Small pets (yes, dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets)

✔️ Dust mites

✔️ Mold

✔️ Ragweed

✔️ Cockroaches (I mean, gross... but still)

I don’t even know what ragweed looks like, but I’m convinced it wants me dead.

And dust mites? My office has carpeted floors and mysterious air vents that probably hadn’t been cleaned since Y2K. I am breathing in centuries of dust history...

The weird part is, I didn’t grow up with allergies. Not really. I had the classic poison ivy sensitivity (once got it from the air when neighbors burned wood - that was fun), and I reacted to sulfur, but that was about it.

Then I moved to Cincinnati...

Apparently, Cincinnati is an allergy hotspot. Why? Because we live in the Ohio River Valley - a giant allergen bowl. The basin traps pollen, dust, and general sneeze fuel like a giant invisible Tupperware lid. Add in long growing seasons and a rotating cast of pollen producers, and voilà: itchy eyes and nasal sprays for everyone (or at least me)!

And here's a new fun fact I just learned in the last two weeks: sneezing and constantly blowing your nose can actually contribute to dehydration. Yeah. Because when you’re blowing your nose 600 times a day (or at least it feels that way), you’re expelling mucus and moisture... literally drying yourself out. Plus, the irritation from all that tissue use can cause your nasal lining to lose even more fluid. So if you’re sneezing, wheezing, and still feeling like crap despite doing “everything right,” maybe… drink some water.

So yeah, this blog doesn’t have a big inspirational takeaway. It’s just me venting on behalf of my histamines and sinuses.

To my fellow sufferers out there: I see you. I hear your sniffles. I stand with you (while rubbing my eyes and doing 2x the amount of antihistamines). We are not alone. We are the sneezy, the itchy, the wheezy. And we are strong.

🫡 With puffy eyes and a hopeful heart,

-CC