I’m in college right now and my roommate REFUSES to close the windows. I have really bad allergies, but every time I close them, she opens them. I can’t breathe. I’m taking allergy medication and switched it up sometimes but it’s not working. She claims ‘it’s too hot’. HElP
Do you have an RA you can talk together if you can’t work it out between yourselves? It sounds like a health issue, so it is important - hopefully you are almost done with this room mate.
What allergy meds are you on? Have you tried Zyrtec or Claritin? Do you have an inhaler? Have you seen the on campus health center?
would it make it worse that I close the window every time she opens the window?
You know…closing the window every time she opens it isn’t going to solve the issue. Right?
How much longer is your term?
How much time left before school ends? A week or two?
Do you have air conditioning in your room? If not, I can’t blame her for wanting to open the window if it’s hot.
@CADREAMIN We have talked to the RA about other issues but that didn’t really help the other issues. Do you have an alternative solution.
@thumper I’m taking benadryl because every other allergy medication I’ve tried has bad side effects with another medication I’m taking
Alternative: go over the RA’s head, to the housing office.
If this is a genuine issue, you would need to prove your side (your medical need) and get accommodations approved. Not sure they’ll do that with just a few weeks to go.
What negotiations ave you made with the roommate? It needs to be more than you close a window and she opens it, so you close it and…
You made other arrangements for next fall, right?
@lookingforward I’m not sure if it’s worth it to go to the RA’s office since I only have a week left. I am not living with her next fall. I’ve said “can you open the door” (since there’s air conditioning in the hallway) and turn on the fan but she says that doesn’t help her. She told me that she doesn’t get why I have to work in the room. But it’s my room too.
Well, that would be the compromise over the next week. You go to the library to study (better place to do so anyway). She keeps the windows shut at night when it is cooler so you can sleep.
@doschicos the only problem is that my allergies keep me up at night.
I suspect your allergies aren’t just because the windows are open. It is that season anyway, and it doesn’t sound like your medication is very effective. Agree that for one more week stay out of the room during the day. You maybe should see your family doctor or an allergist over the summer to try to figure out a more effective combo of meds.
The experts recommend you take a shower and take the allergy medicine before you go to bed. You could also change your pillow cases daily. This gets all the pollen off you before getting into bed (especially your hands which you might have near your face when you sleep.
Taking the allergy pills at night really helps. If you take it once a day and in the morning, it is wearing off at night. If you take it at night, it is at it’s most powerful right when you wake, and when the pollen has settled on the ground overnight.
Claritin does not interfere with many meds, so not sure what else you are taking. Get yourself some Flonase and if you have asthma, an inhaled steroid inhaler or Diskus, along with albuterol. In other words, see a doctor.
If the window is closed only at dawn and dusk, that might help. The worse time for allergies is early in the morning (well, until 10 am I believe) and evening. Perhaps you can work out a compromise, with the window open some of the time and closed some of the time, on a schedule.
My windows are closed but I am still having allergies, though of course open windows at those times would make them worse.
Can the heat be turned down?
This really is a case where both sides’ points of view are valid. So it may help if you each try to understand the other. This would be a good exercise for life.
If your allergies are making you too sick to function, then go to the doctor and get a note and take to the dean or other appropriate person. Perhaps you can be moved for a week or perhaps your roommate can.
ps It is not healthy to take Benadryl all the time: it can create dependency, both physical and psychological, and does have side effects. Be aware that if you take it every night, you may experience some withdrawal when you stop.
You have received some good suggestions, but if all else fails, try using a neti pot to irrigate your sinuses 2-3 x/day. The saline solution goes in one nostril and out the other, and flushes out the pollen. I find it helps me. It’s also good for generally reducing mucus and post nasal drip, making breathing easier.
Many pharmacies and health food stores sell neti pots. You can mix up your own saline solution or buy it prepackaged. Use 1/2 teaspoon non-iodized salt (or kosher salt) dissolved in one cup of water. Nuke it for 20 seconds to body temperature, for comfort.
If affordable, just buy a portable air conditioner & both of you should be happy. Sold everywhere including Lowe’s & Home Depot. They are on wheels & are NOT placed in a window. No installation necessary.
Also, whether or not you have a roommate, you should use this type of portable room air conditioner during allergy season as it will filter out the pollen present in your room air.
I cannot recommend this Honeywell HPA Air Purifier enough; however, depending on the power setting, it does make noise, but you get used to it:
This unit has a pre-filter and then three separate filters behind the pre-filter. And it does keep the room cool too, although it’s not an air conditioner.
My neighbors swear that the Honeywell noted above changed their lives for the better. But they have central A/C as the Honeywell is just a super efficient air purifier appropriate for year round use (since dust mites, for example, are not seasonal).
I have central A/C at home with a separate inline air purfier, but this portable Honeywell is unbelievable IMO. I have pets too, so I have two of them for separate areas of the home. For me, there’s no need to take allergy medicine with the portable Honeywell running. I’d rather burn electricity than take drugs. :))