Answers to yesterday’s questions at https://thefridayfive.livejournal.com/200499.html

1. Do you have Spring or Fall allergies?

I have some sort of food allergies and an atopic skin condition but nothing that is only seasonal. It’s always been year around thing.

2. Do you have something in particular that you are allergic to or is it just general?

My allergies used to triggered/worsened by certain foods (citrus fruit, chocolate etc.) but even when I avoided them, I always had rashes on my arms and legs year round. The rash would get better during summer as long as I got to swim in the ocean a lot. Then since I reached my 20s, it’s been just general allergy instead of specific foods and very mild and mostly only on my fingers. I still have to treat my skin with hydrocortisone creams fairly regularly when it flares up (only a few times a year instead of daily like when I was under 20), but still daily with emollient cream to keep my skin moisturized.

3. What do you take, if anything, to help?

I don’t need oral supplements for my allergies, luckily. Looking back, as a kid, I could have used something that reduced itching but I was never given anything orally – I don’t if such meds existed then in the 70s/80s? In any case, I’ve never been treated orally for my allergies. Only various creams, and this blue tincture which was used to “paint” the rash bits and which I loved because it eased the itching and made my rash skin feel cool (it always felt hot) 😀

4. Do you seem to be saying, “It’s just allergies” a lot more than usual these days (i.e. because of Covid)?

Nope.

5. What do you hope to get out and do this spring, allergies and pandemic willing?

Not so much “to get out and do something”, but I’d love to not have to wear a mask while grocery shopping/in the library. I hope it’s possible this spring/summer again like last year, and I’m looking forward to it so much! I hate wearing a mask – it fogs up my eye glasses and that messes up my depth vision (a problem going up and down stairs/getting on and out of the bus), makes my face sweat like crazy and my nose run. And if I’m having a bad headache day, it’ll start a migraine attack or makes it worse if I already have one on. So not having to mask up in the spring/summer is one my wish for the near future.