Allergens

It does not seem right that Nature should torment us.  It seems unnatural that something of which we are a part should attack us with natural implements. Yet some of us suffer through the onslaught of Spring, itching eyes and nasal congestion. We suffer punishment, meted out simply for being who we are, where we are.  It’s true; we pay the consequences for our proximity to pollen and dust and grass and molds and, sometimes, cats and dogs and who knows what else.

I read somewhere that twenty percent of us experience symptoms of allergies. The WebMD seasonal allergy map asserts the symptoms in Garland County, Arkansas where I reside appear moderate to severe.  In my case, the only symptoms are nasal congestion and a late-night post nasal drip that occasionally leads to convulsive coughing.

According to WebMD, “Allergies are an abnormal response of the immune system. People who have allergies have an immune system that reacts to a usually harmless substance in the environment.”

So, it’s not nature that’s abnormal, it’s our response to nature. Well, I see evidence of that all the time.  I do.