Cold , Allergy, and Smoker

Air quality in China was really bad. The saddest thing is that the situation seems getting even worse in some northern cities. I seldom heard any people around had allergy in China. But cold and flu are very common, especially during winter and spring there. The virus and bacteria are much stronger and more effective than their American pals.

The most obvious first impression for Chinese visitor to US is air quality. Such blue sky, so many trees, flowers and greenness. The air is so crispy clean that it even hurts a little for inhaling. The flu/cold virus and bacteria are just weak. Normally, Chinese are immune from flu/cold for the first couple of years. When Americans line up to get flu shots, new Chinese immigrants are safe and sound. Even later hit by flu, we feel much less messy in US than in China.

However, an annoying uncomfortableness catches up. Suddenly from nowhere, I began to sneeze, feel pressure on eyes and forehead, with running nose and stuffing nose. I thought it was cold, it was not. Allergy is common in US just because the environment is too cozy and friendly. Teeny tiny things grow and hurt people. Pharmacy makes good cash on it. There are many allergic OTC brands. For example, I once took Claritin-D, for over 1 dollar per pill, and whole day of dry mouth. Unfortunately it gets less effective little by little for me.

People sometimes become so frustrated about it. They spend long and precious time to let the doctor figure out what causes their allergy, and the process is painful itself. One of my colleagues went even further. He took a surgery and had his sinus removed. No matter what, I won'’t do it. Tell you why. The surgery was so unsuccessful that he went back ER twice! When he was back to work after 2 weeks recovery, he started nose-bleeding, from nowhere, during a lunch . The blood ran out of his nose just like tap water from an open faucet. He fainted and were transported to hospital emergency room.

Say, the medicine is expensive, uncomfortable and useless for me. What the cure? By chance I took a cigarette. After a piece, my running nose stops, and I feel not so stuffed anymore.