“It lasts for about six hours, so I would suggest it be used about a half-hour before expected exposure to allergies, like when you go to mow your lawn,” said Childers. “Consult with your physician before shopping for over-the-counter medications.”

Regina Christie knows what it’s like to deal with allergies, especially pollen. Christie keeps an eye on the weather to prepare for allergy problems, which often give her watery eyes and headaches or cause her to sneeze.

“Pollen [affects me the most], especially after it rains and flowers open up and the grass starts growing again,” said Christie. “Mold count is almost always up in Oklahoma, so I am usually prepared for that.”

Christie also keeps an eye on her surroundings and tries to stay inside when grass is being burned or cut nearby.

“I always try to carry some kind of antihistamine in the car or my purse,” said Christie. “You never know when something, maybe even in the air, will cause a reaction.”

Those who do not suffer from allergens may not completely understand the inconvenience caused by such tiny, often-microscopic particles, but some feel the need to pass along advice.

“Really, the only thing I’m allergic to is work,” said Greg Lance, Northeastern State University freshman. “But seriously, what really makes me mad is when people sneeze and don’t cover their mouths.”

Lance recalled a particularly bad example of how one person’s allergies ruined his day - or at the least his shirt. He then demonstrated what had happened.

“I remember some girl who sneezed all over my arm during finals week at NSU, right outside Seminary Hall,” said Lance. “She just turned and sneezed, and then I had all this junk on my arm. They just need to learn how to cover their mouths and wash their hands.”

Though it should be no surprise, germs are often unintentionally left on objects others might come in contact with.

“Washing your hands after sneezing, or covering your mouth when coughing, helps to decrease the spread of any

infection to others through inanimate objects, like telephones, that you may not realize you have,” said Boren.

Direct or indirect, effects of allergies can reach out to sufferers or non-sufferers.

“Living in Oklahoma, it’s just something you learn to cope with,” said Christie.