It's finally here with less than a week away from Spring everyone's least (or favorite) time of the year! I don't know about you, but I'd rather just skip this entire season altogether and go straight to summer. There's nothing likable about spring for people with pollen allergies, for me it's the worst time of the year; I prefer the cold over pollen. I can't go outside without taking medication and even then I still feel sick and awful. Nothing is for certain: the only thing I'm sure of is that Spring's the worst. It hasn't even started and I already want it to be over. I hope we make it but before then if you haven't already purchased some or knew all your options for taking care of your allergies here's a few I found to be helpful for this upcoming season.

1. Taking the medication necessary to treat yourself

The best way to make sure you don't get the full effect of pollen season is to start early. I've been taking Zyrtec since the end of March. There's a variety of things you can take Claritin, Benadryl, Allegra and plenty more. Even though it fully doesn't get rid of the allergy, it definitely helps to ease the pain. It's best to take it in the morning before heading out because later the effects aren't as powerful since you would have already been exposed to the pollen. This is probably the most important step so I recommend finding the medication that works best for you.

2. Make sure to have enough tissues

You can never have enough tissues especially because you don't want to run out before pollen season ends or it'll be the end of you. Before heading out anywhere I make sure to pack a sufficient amount and on extremely high pollen count days I think it's best to stuff an entire Kleenex box in my backpack just to make it through the day. That might seem like an overreaction, but trust me, it gets so bad that you need to take precaution. With the amount of blowing you do it's best to invest in some really soft tissues and trust me you'll be thankful you did.

3. Carry nasal spray although discomforting at first works

Although it is an extra expense you have to make for your allergies, I think it makes a difference. Just like medication, it works best if you use it in the morning. Despite the fact that it is a little pricier, you don't have to go out and get the most expensive there are plenty affordable sprays that work just as well. The plus side of buying nasal spray is you don't have to carry as many tissues with you and it's easier to stuff a little spray as opposed to a whole box of kleenex. I will say this helps a lot coming from someone who is guilty of having doing this before.

4. Washing your hands is crucial

Although this seems basic (and obvious) you would be surprised sometimes without thinking you touch your face with your pollen infested hands. Before you know it, the effects start to kick in and by then it's too late. Your eyes get all swollen and red, you can stop coughing and your sneezing uncontrollably. If you're not near a bathroom the best thing to do is carry hand sanitizer and while you need to use more than you normally would it does help. After you wash your hands and face you can rub as much as you want, but I wouldn't recommend it because it will get irritated.

5. Eye drops will save you

If you have never used eye drops before definitely consider it because I know I wouldn't make it through Spring without it. Not only does it alleviate the pain of pollen but it also helps flush the pollen out of your eyes. When you first put it on, it hurts because of the pollen, but after a while, it starts to feel so soothing. Just close your eyes, lay down, and let the eye drops take their effect. With eye drops there's not a limit to how many times you can put it on but I recommend doing it in the morning and night for the best results on top of that it also helps with dry eyes. They are pretty expensive but worth the investment.