I have a love hate relationship with the summer. When it’s gorgeous out, not too hot, I love heading outside. Taking a walk around the neighborhood or a bike ride just does wonders for your head. Except when it’s Allergy Season, that is.
Yeah, the summer love comes in the Great Outdoors, but the hate has everything to do with allergies. I have year-round allergies thanks to evil dust mites, but I’ve also got bad seasonal allergies to something out there in the spring and summer months.
My nose gets super congested and I’m clearing my throat way more often than I’d like. If it’s really bad out, my eyes will get a bit itchy. My kids have it bad in the summer too unfortunately. So playing outside is a double-edged sword. We have fun and can be healthy, but then it backfires and we feel like we’re sick. Bleh.
This week’s been really bad actually. Stuffy head. Scratchy throat. Itchy eyes. I just started using this new weather app called Poncho, and sure enough my misery is justified.
Poncho’s actually a fun little app that’s like having a weatherman for a best friend. It’s currently only available in NYC, but you can tell it what time you head out in the morning and head home at night. Then choose to receive info either via text or email.
Unlike most weather apps that just show a sun or say “rain,” Poncho’s your buddy. He loves giving it to you straight in a friendly and casual sort of way.
Besides giving you a quick and light-hearted forecast for the day, you can also get a pollen count update! And sure enough, the other day there was a real high count. The only good thing about a high pollen count alert from Poncho? They’ve teamed up with Duane Reade to offer allergy-med coupons on those days! Heck, even a site like Mashable must’ve been impressed because they wrote an article about Poncho and Duane Reade’s high pollen count relationship.
I like to get my alerts via text message rather than email, since I’ll see them quicker. I clicked a link in the latest message and was quickly shown a UPC coupon code for $3 off Allegra or Nasacor nasal spray at Duane Reade!
During my lunch break, I swung over to one of the 795 Duane Reades near my office, and quickly found the Allegra! I take this magical allergy-fighting elixir daily, so I was ecstatic to get $3 off!
You can also follow Poncho on Twitter to keep up with the weather and allergy awfulness in the New York City area. It’s great getting a text every morning when I wake up that tells me exactly what the day will be like or whether I should bring an umbrella or sweatshirt. Normally I just look at the weather app on my phone and have to guess at the little icons that are rarely ever correct.
Look for Poncho to spread out soon to other popular cities. And if you’re like me, I hope you’ll never need to use any of their allergy coupons, but chances are you will. So at least you’ve got a weather/allergy friend to watch your back. And your nose.
#DRAllergy #CollectiveBias
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I would love to be able to use this app. However, where I live it may take awhile to get her. Great idea though!
I feel the same way about spring and summer! If my allergies are under control then I can enjoy the season but when they aren’t, I’m a mess! #client
Cool app for allergy sufferers like myself! Thanks Andrew!
This is a really cool app and who doesn’t love coupons!
I need to get this app. I suffer from allergies and it would help me out a lot for those bad days.