Sufficient Rest
The irritation leads to snoring, plugged sinuses, lots of waking up and late starts. Naturally, this affects the waking hours as I'm less punctual, more groggy resulting in decreased productivity. I spent a good chunk of last night waking up and rolling over, inducing sneezing. I imagine there are some sleep apnea-esque effects as well due to inflamation.Asthma
I've dealt with asthma symptoms since I was little. Their severity comes and goes, but is often worst when I'm sick or having some allergic reaction. The asthma symptoms stem beyond air allergies to things I enjoy, mayonnaise is one example. In general, I take a daily medication which, when I'm feeling "normal", is all I need. It even keeps me feeling good when I'm exercising.
I often wonder if I'd have had an even better athletic career if my asthma was better controlled. I was a decent athlete, but I remember spending times at football practice struggling under wheezing and the compression of my shoulder pads. This was true in high school and college. Breathing comfort would have went a long way to pushing harder. I don't mean to be resentful of the past as I am grateful for the path I ended up on, but I can't help but wonder "what if?".
I also have my "rescue" inhaler. This was a mainstay in my school supplies growing up, but has really fallen to the wayside with the improved daily products. When pollen/hayfever asthma season is here I still feel normal...until I exercise. Apparently there is enough irritation, etc. to tighten up my chest. Without the pre-emptive albuterol, my runs get very tedious. We'll see how today's run goes.
Motivation and Focus
Right now, my nose has a constant tickle and is in a state of "partially stuffed". My eyes are also feeling puffy making the desire to close them, and get caught up on sleep strong. After waking up and hitting mass yesterday I felt compelled to sit in my recliner, watch the British Open and not get up until it was well over. FYI Jordan Spieth is a pretty good golfer.
I was able to muster enough of myself to begin working on deep cleaning my daughter's room, but the pace was slow. I got the shelving and dresser and her pet turtle's location figured out and dealt with the massive amount of clothing on her floor. It's to a point where I can now begin sorting; the girl hoards so much stuff!
Today's motivation level is also a bit low. The morning was a sluggish start and I was a little late to work. Part of the reduced motivation is not having a clear head to prioritize and get moving. I decided, since I need to start the proposal writing process that composing this blog would be a good warm up.
Meds and End
It is important to find ways to minimize its impact on my day-to-day so that I can be my best-self. Right now it means taking a medication. Right now, I'm trying a switch from Claritin to Zyrtec . I'm hoping that it will further trim symptoms, but so far I'm thinking I may switch back after this week's trial. There were some residual feelings with the Claritin, however after several days of the other medication I think I made a move for the worse. My nose is more itchy and I can't get passed the grogginess. This is also perhaps that Zyrtec is not non-drowsy.
To sum up. I dislike being allergy sensitive. There are a number of ways this sensitivity affects my quality of life. It may be worth eventually moving someplace with less pollen and weeds, but for now I just need to stay on top of managing the symptoms.
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