The Gross, Glorious, Totally Worth-It Guide to Surviving DMV Allergies
The Gross, Glorious, Totally Worth-It Guide to Surviving DMV Allergies
We moved to the DMV thinking we were immune to allergies. Four years later, we were congested, cranky, and armed with a four-step plan to stop sinus infections in their tracks.
Surviving DMV Allergies (and the Sinus Infections They Ride In On)
When we moved to the DMV in 2010, everyone who had lived here before hit us with the same warning:
"You’re going to get allergies. Everyone here does."
I laughed. I had never had allergies. I was invincible.
Four years later? My wife and I were both fully inducted into the Sneezing, Sniffling, Congested Club. And the allergies brought friends — recurring sinus infections.
Over time, we’ve built a playbook that keeps us functional humans during peak pollen season. We’ve shared it with enough friends that it’s basically our second religion, so here it is:
1. The Neti Pot: Gross, Glorious, and Life-Changing
Get yourself a ceramic, dishwasher-safe neti pot. We got ours on Amazon. Fill it with a warm saline solution (salt + boiled water cooled for 45 minutes). Then… irrigate your nasal passages.
Yes, it feels weird the first time. Yes, what comes out is shocking. But that’s the magic — you’re rinsing away the bad stuff before it turns into a full-blown infection.
Twice a day (morning and night) is our standard. Think of it like brushing your teeth, except you’re brushing your sinuses.
2. Allergy Pills Every. Single. Day.
I used to “time” my allergy meds for spring and fall like some kind of genius. Problem is, I’d forget, skip a week, and boom — sinus infection.
Now? I just take one daily, year-round. Costco’s generic version is cheap, effective, and comes in a bottle that could survive the apocalypse. My allergies are basically background noise now.
3. Humidifier: Your Sinuses’ Spa Day
Running a humidifier in your bedroom at night keeps your sinuses happy and hydrated. Distilled water only, unless you want to grow stalactites in the tank.
This step is like giving your nasal passages a tiny all-inclusive resort while you sleep.
4. The German Leipzig (a.k.a. Advil Cold & Sinus)
When a sinus infection still breaks through the defenses, we go for the big guns: the red-box, non-drowsy Advil Cold & Sinus you have to ask for at the pharmacy counter. You want the red NOT the yellow box. The yellow box is bull shit.
We call it a “German Leipzig” because it’s so effective it feels like a military rescue mission. You can be a pile of human misery at 10 a.m., take one, and by 10:30 you’re doing laundry and paying bills like nothing happened.
If you’re new to the DMV and think you’re immune to allergies… enjoy your final months of freedom. For the rest of us, this routine has kept us from drowning in Kleenex and antibiotic prescriptions.
Not medical advice — just a battle-tested strategy from two allergy veterans who learned the hard way.
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