Allergies: a surprisingly high chance of death.

So, I have allergies. This is supposed to be good, as it means my immune system is horrendously effective (and it’s true, while I get a lot of colds, serious things don’t take me down that easy). Now, this is going to come across a bit first world problems, really, but being allergic to common-place every day things sucks. It sucks now, in a time when if it’s really bad I can go to the Dr’s and get a prescription for an effective antihistimine. How much worse is it going to be when I don’t have recourse to my usual coping methods?

Bear in mind that allergies can run the spectrum from a little irritating to lethal. Obviously, if you have a lethal allergy to something you can’t avoid, there’s not much that can be done for you. Sure, you can raid Pharmacies for medications and epi-pens, but eventually you’ll run out and die. Sorry. Thems the breaks. But what about non-lethal allergies? How would they kill you?

Oh, poor, innocent little readers. You have no idea. Let mummy paranoia over here give you a run down.

Your Allergies can attract enemy attention:

So, you have hayfever, or a food intolerance. You’re probably aware of the symptoms of these (I’m snuffling along while writing this, and I’ve taken the afore-mentioned prescription only anti-histamine). You’re probably aware that those symptoms are noisy, or smelly. Well, sharp-eared or sharp-nosed predators will know that too. And they’ll be hungry, and those noises/smells you’re making indicate that you’re weak…

Boom. You’re on the floor with a pack of feral dogs fighting over your innards.

 

Your Allergies could mean you don’t get proper nutritional benefits from food.

Food intelorances or allergies here. People evolved to get a wide range of nutrients from several different sources. In post apocalyptia, our sources for those nutrients are likely to be greatly reduced. If you are intolerant or have an allergy to one of your main sources of nutrition, things are going to get hard. And even if your intolerance isn’t severe, eating the allergen could prevent your stomach from absorbing nutrients from other food properly.

Result? You’re weak, and tired, making you a liability at best and dead at worst.

 

Your Allergies can distract you:

Anyone with hayfever in the UK knows how bad it is this year. Ridculous pollen count, and even when medicated you’re wandering around in a dopey haze. Your eyes are swollen, and smeared over with crap, your chest is tight.  Do you honestly think you can pay attention to survival when you feel this rubbish?

While your staring into space, cursing the pollen, you’re murdered by a gang of raiders for your paltry posessions.

 

So what can you do to stop your allergies killing you outright? Controlling the symptoms is the best option- if there are even ways to do that post-apocalypse.  But really, you’re just going to have to cope. I keep saying this, I know, but it really is true. Force yourself to focus past it. Don’t be weak. Weak dies.

Good luck, fellow paranoids.

 

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