Mystery Illness Solved Through Science

I just recently got over an absolutely miserable cold. It lasted over 3 weeks and it seemed to go through drastic phases with wildly varying symptoms. When I started having strange new symptoms a week ago, I naturally figured my cold was going to take me through another fun phase. Yay.

New symptoms: itchy eyes, sneezing and extreme snot.

When you look at the symptoms alone, it screams allergic reaction. (Duh.) But since I had been sick for so long with varying ailments, my judgement was clouded and I didn't immediately think it was an allergic reaction. I suffered for about a week before I started to do some scientific research on my problem.

I noted I didn't wake up with these problems. They began in the shower and persisted through out the day. The most intense symptoms were in the shower. To include the snot problem. That was mostly uncontrollable in the shower, which doesn't make you feel like you had a very clean shower.

I started to think about how bad my eyes would itch when I would take a shower at the gym after PT at Ft Campbell. I never solved that mystery. I didn't really even try to solve that, I just accepted it. Now that I'm more hyper vigilant about science and it's happening again with the vengeance of 1,000 angry wasps, I decided to take this experience into consideration. I added this memory to my scientific data that I had collected.

The only thing that these two showering experiences had in common (other than the obvious) was the Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner. My mom sent me the new Herbal Essences Naked shampoo and conditioner that smells SO GOOD like mint and lavender. But I am so very allergic to it! I must have been allergic to the other Herbal Essences shampoos too, but something about their Naked formula really triggered hate from my body.

 

Now that I know my problem, every time I touch my hair throughout the day, I notice the itchy eyes and sneezing return. And yes, I still am using the shampoo and conditioner even though I know I'm allergic to it. I'm too lazy to go to the FX and buy new stuff-- but I'm going to go tomorrow. I promise.

I did some Internet research and I read that a lot of people are allergic to this new Naked formula Herbal Essences has produced. Some of the complaints I read included raised rashes and itching. I'm glad my biggest complaint is snot. Which is still a pretty big complaint as far as I'm concerned.

Mostly, I'm just happy this isn't yet another phase of my epic cold. It's really over!

And I got to solve the mystery using science... I've become a bit of a scientist since I've been in Egypt. FYI.