I Will Be Glad When Tree Pollen Season is Over

Since about mid-April I have been miserable. Quite simply, it is tree pollen season and I have the usual array of symptoms: itchy eyes, nasal congestion, itchy throat, and the inevitable allergy fatigue. I really haven't felt like doing much of anything the past few weeks, not even making posts to this blog.

Given I experience this every year from about mid-April to late May, it has always surprised me that allergies don't figure in pop culture larger than they due. When they due, they are usually part of a murder mystery or crime story, where the allergy plays a role.  The first thing that comes to my mind is the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Deadly Double," where a woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder has one alter who is allergic to fur and one who is not. Another TV episode in which an allergy plays a role is "Tear Down the Walls," in which penicillin is used to murder a preacher who is allergic to the drug. In the CSI: Crime Season Investigation episode, a juror had his peanut allergy used against him. 

As often as allergies are used in murder mysteries and crime shows, off the top of my head I can't recall seasonal allergies being used in the plots of TV shows and movies. This seems unusual given how common seasonal allergies are. According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation, 82 million Americans experience allergic rhinitis due to pollen or mold. One would think that in some TV show episode or movie, there would be at least one individual suffering from seasonal allergies, even if it is central to the plot. I am sure there must be TV shows or movies that feature someone experiencing seasonal allergies. If there is, please let me know.