Diagnosis?

Apparently I have allergies. It's either that, or the most transient colds I have ever encountered. This process all started years ago in high school when I would go to sleepovers at a friend's house and come home sniffly and congested and with itchy eyes. I always assumed it was the lack of sleep that always occurs at spend-the-night-parties, leading to some sort of bodily revolt. But after I began to experience the same kind of reaction at my own house, on college breaks, the truth became evident. All my friends had dogs, you see, and we had a cat. A slow reaction buildup, I suppose, since nothing affected me (as far as I can remember) before high school, but these things happen. I have unfortunately become more allergic with time, as it seems, and am unable to spend more than a few hours in the company of a pet even on antihistamines before my eyes and throat itch and, shortly thereafter, a pathetic wheezing emanates from my lungs. It's not a pretty sight, nor is it one that I am fond of.

But I was entirely taken back when on Sunday night I awoke from a peaceful slumber and endured several minutes of nose blowing and sneezing apparently out of nowhere. There was no relief until I commandeered my second pillow and propped myself up, at which point I promptly fell asleep again and in the morning felt mostly fine. A bit sniffly in the afternoon, but nothing serious. Perhaps I had picked up a tiny cold over the weekend or was again suffering from my standard lack-of-sleep ailments which are all too common. But then! This morning I awake, feeling just dandy, and yet within an hour of crawling from my bed I am visited by a serious bout of sneezes and nose-blowings that appear unstoppable. One claritin (actually Loratadine or whatever the generic is called) and within twenty minutes all symptoms were gone. I find this very odd, and very allergy-indicating. To what, I am not sure. I have had no such reactions in any of my previous time in this state, or any, for that matter. And I find it hard to believe that some allergen is present on Tuesdays but not Mondays. I also find it hard to believe that the issue is present in my room, since I have recently laundered and dusted and vacuumed. Perhaps I am only suffering from the 24-minute cold. Tomorrow we'll find out if I've got it licked.