Oh dear Grass, you have bested me!

I am allergic to grass.  I sneeze and cough, and get itchy watery eyes whenever the lawn is cut.  I react most strongly in the summer, when grass cutting season is at it's peak, when the pollen is at it's most potent.

This last weekend, Hubby cut the grass while I hid inside the house.  Although the windows were wide open, due to the heat wave, I tried my best to limit my exposure to the grass.  At some point, I even took double-dosage of Reactine, 40 mg.  I actually KNOW that I can take up to 40 mg (double dose) since several years ago, I was prescribed that very same prescription, and told to take 1 double dose (40 mg) of Reactine, once, daily, for 30 days.  So this past week, I've been taking 40 mg of Reactine, daily, rather than 20 mg - but only when absolutely needed.  I know, it's bad of me to self-diagnose and self-prescribe, but it's been helping me, a TON.

The 40 mg of Reactine, isn't JUST for simple relief of watery eyes, and sneezing.  It's for an allergy cough that I've developed, that seems similar to an asthmatic cough.  It leaves me breathless, hacking, and dry-heaving into the sink.  I've resorted to sucking on candies to keep myself from coughing.  I put several of them safely into my pocket whenever I go out, just in case I am hit with a coughing fit.

Darn allergies seem much worse this year.  This is the first time since I've experienced coughing fits from my allergy.  I suppose I should see the doc about this, although I'm absolutely positive as to WHY I'm coughing.  I'm not too sure that anything else can be done to KEEP me from coughing.  Allergy shots, perhaps?  An inhaler??  For now, I'll stay holed up inside the house, whenever somebody cuts their grass...