i love you pennsylvania, but i think i am allergic to you.

my allergies aren't so bad in the morning, but the tickle in my sinuses only gets more obnoxious, and my throat gets so sore that swallowing bothers my ears; eventually the edges of my eyelids itch as though i'm wearing poison ivy for eyeliner. i hold off as long as i can, but in the late afternoon i give in and take allergy medication. my eyes don't itch but i'm discombobulated and painfully tired. my inability to figure out or do anything frustrates me so i try to nap but i can't fall asleep because my heart is racing and my nerves are twitching and something vague is bothering me. eventually the confusion and anxiety subside and my body is calmed by an immobilizing hopelessness that washes over me.
i have tried 4 different kinds of allergy medicine; i wouldn't describe any of them as a 'relief'.