If you live in the South and have allergy issues, you are probably feeling like me today. Sinus pressure, a tissue constantly in hand, and thoughts about how the D in the medication you took this morning must stand for something other than decongestant. Spring and Fall are bad times of year for those who suffer from outdoor allergens.

If you're not allergic to the outdoors, be glad. Go outside and enjoy yourself! If you currently live in the North, your time is coming. For those who live in the South, like me, all those blooming trees are a bad sign. They mean that everything else will also soon bloom. Grasses, trees and flowers are all wonderful to look at, but many produce pollen in bunches.

During the Spring and Fall, the weather can be more volatile as it tries to come to equilibrium with the cold air of Winter and warmth of Summer. The wind blows from the North one day and from the South the next day. Pollen comes at you from other parts of the country, along with dirt, smoke and other pollutants. Let's look at the national pollen map for today from Pollen.com. I live in one of those red areas and am currently envious of those in the green.  

For those who'd like more specifics about what allergens are out there, check out the National Allergy Bureau. Many places in the US have stations that measure the amount pollen and mold spores in the air. Through sampling the air and then examining it microscopically, they can provide actual counts of what may be causing you issues.

Not all congestion is caused by pollen during the Spring. Sudden changes in temperature and humidity can also be at fault, causing sinuses to swell. Or you may be sick, especially if you have a fever. The flu is being detected in many places too.

Weather can cause many issues that affect your health. Cold air can cause asthma attacks, extreme heat can lead to heart-attacks, damp weather causes pain in those with arthritis, and if you suffer from migraines then your latest might be due to falling barometric pressure. So, it's not just allergens that are leading to problems. 

For others who are suffering with allergies right now, I wish you days to come where you can breathe freely. I wish you nights where you can sleep without a nasal strip. I wish you trash cans no longer full of tissues. I wish for you to look less like Rudolph with his red nose and sound less like you're speaking with a clothespin on your nose. And finally, I wish that the D in your allergy medication actually begins to work.