OK, you need help. I am here as a life long allergy sufferer to give you a rundown in very unscientific terms how this stuff works (I can't spell the scientific terms and am too lazy, but I do actually know all of it). No one else has yet. You are managing this all wrong due to ignorance and you're paying the price. You're miserable, right? Yeah. That's normal when you're still learning how to manage and thus not doing it right. We've all been there, its ok.
Allergies are your immune system reacting to stuff it shouldn't. You can develop allergies at any time. Moving allergy zones (or moving back to a previous allergy zone) can trigger development. When you moved to TN, your immune system said "AAGGGGHHHH!!!!! New stuff, I don't know what it is, it must be dangerous, ATTTACCCCKKKKK!!!!!!!!" This sucks. I sympathize, been there done that. So your entire system went nuts. It made you sick - tons of secondary infections/inflammation/crap because of the new allergies, on top of the allergy symptoms. And you didn't know what the heck was going on, so you didn't do anything to actually get it under control.
You finally got allergy tested and bingo! There's the problem. So you start taking allergy meds, but you don't
feel good and you don't like taking them, so you try to stop and you get worse. This is not how allergies work.
Histamine is released by your body as part of the immune response, it causes inflammation and is what makes you miserable. Allergy meds are antihistamines. In order for them to work, they need to be in your system ALL THE TIME. And they need to be there at a certain level. They work best if you start BEFORE the allergies start and thus get ahead of all the miserableness. You've missed that boat, so it will take a lot longer to get everything to an even keel. You do not actually know yet how it will feel when you're properly treated because you haven't been yet. This could take months to really get under control (sorry, immune system stuff is SOOOO fun /s) So, if you're allergic to pollen, it's best to start taking your allergy meds regularly a few weeks before the pollen shows up and then keep taking it consistently until all the pollen is gone. Same idea whatever your allergies actually are. Depending on your allergies and the patterns, it is very possible to be on allergy meds year round (like me).
You can also potentially try to retrain your immune system to teach it not to freak out. This involves treatment by an allergist. Not everyone is a good candidate (no idea what the details are). Basically, they give you teeny tiny doses of what you're allergic to over a long period of time (2-5 years depending is the range I've heard). Over time, your immune system will reduce or stop reacting to the harmless substance. Once you stop the treatments, this effect will remain for at least a while. It may or may not be permanent, and you can still develop new allergies. This treatment can be injections or drops under the tongue. If you're interested, talk to an allergist.
So, what do you do now to feel better?
1. Start taking your allergy meds. EVERY TIME. Do not miss a dose. Do not stop unless you're told to by a doctor. Do not stop even if you hate the idea of meds (well you can, but I'll shut you down because you're acting stupid.) If you miss a dose, you will feel it. It will take time to get everything settled down, be patient and stock up on the good tissues. Keep in mind that there are multiple meds - clartin, allergia, zyrtec, etc. You may need to experiment to see which works best for you. Clartin for example never did squat for me. I was on allegria for years, then had to switch to zyrtec. Just depends on your allergies and how you respond. Oh, and if your med is a 24 hour one, take it before bed (biology stuff, trust me).
2. You know what you're allergic to, right? Try to avoid. Easier said than done, I know. So you switch to getting it off you asap. Shower at night before bed. Vacuum/dust very regularly. Change sheets weekly, or even more often. Don't eat the foods you're allergic to. Whatever. If you tell us specific allergies, then I can help with more specifics. These are little tricks that help avoid your triggers. They don't fix the problem, but if you're allergic to grass pollen then taking a shower and putting on clean clothes right after mowing the lawn is going to help prevent the reaction. You can google this type of thing too, just be aware that sometimes you get crazy stuff in there. Common sense.
3. A saline rinse of your sinuses (neti pot, etc) can help. It doesn't work for everyone (despite what some people say), some people can't tolerate it for whatever reason. But it's worth a try. You can either buy or make your own. If you make your own, sanitation/sterilization is KEY.
4. Some people find that eliminating certain foods can reduce their allergies, and there's no apparent reason why. Dairy is a common one. You can find this stuff online, but again be aware you'll find a lot of craziness as well. At a basic level, these are things that you're probably being irritated by anyway, so removing that irritation can have a measurable impact.
5. There are nasal sprays that are on the market that can help. I personally can't use them, so not as aware of them in general. Most of them are steroids, so anyone that says you don't need to worry is not very smart. Always consider possible side effects of steroids. There are some people who SHOULD NOT use these unless absolutely necessary. If you've previously had lots of reactions to steroids, don't even bother.
6. The stuffy/can't smell/drippy stuff? Sorry, but there are those of us poor sufferers who can never get rid of it. Even if you've got periods when you're clear you will still have bad times. More practically, don't buy cheap tissues. They'll just tear your skin up. Toilet paper isn't good either. I prefer 3ply kleenix brand.
Good luck. Hope you're able to get everything dialed in so you can feel better.