10-Tips On How to Deal With Seasonal Allergies
Spring is the worst time of year for allergy sufferers; flowers are in bloom, birds are chirping, bees are buzzing, and among all this delightful chaos, pollen is running amok. Allergies make it difficult to enjoy all the fun and beauty Spring brings, however, there are ways that you can protect yourself from these inconveniences. Here are 10 Tips toward avoiding allergies this season.
1. Perform Spring Cleaning Early: Spring is a prime time to clean out the winter gear and prep the house for warmer months. Unfortunately, with spring cleaning comes the unsettling of all the dust that built up throughout the house on unused surfaces and belongings. Dust alone is enough to cause fits of sneezing and red runny eyes, but when combined with the pollen Spring brings, it can quickly become a real nightmare. Get your Spring cleaning started early and give the house a real deep scrub.
By minimizing dust and germs in your home, you not only give yourself a place free of allergens when hiding out from pollen in the air, you also give your immune system a fighting chance. When cleaning, empty your vacuum cleaner regularly, dust on top of high areas like book shelves and television stands often, and get underneath beds and sofas to really remove excess dust from your home.
2. Keep Yourself Clean Too: It’s not just dust that accumulates in your home and causes allergies, pollen can begin building up inside as well. As you walk outside your boots, shoes, jacket, clothing, and even your hair collect pollen as it blows in the air. This means that you’re bringing it home with you. Shower every night before bed and be sure to wash your hair. Leave your boots outside if possible or reserve an area inside where boots and shoes can be stored away from the rest of your home. Keep your bedding clean and fresh for each night’s use and wipe your jacket down with a damp cloth or a lint brush before hanging it up after each use.
3. Reduce Indoor Exposure: Believe it or not, pollen blows into your home from outside, even through a screen window. As weather warms up it’s tempting to open windows and enjoy the cross breeze but remember that the wind is accompanied by pollen blowing around in the air outside. Keeping windows and doors shut during Spring helps reduce the amount of rogue pollen that wanders into your home. Consider an air filtration system, air conditioning, or fans instead of opening windows and doors this Spring.
4. Maximize Outdoor Time at Night: There’s less commotion in the evening hours when bees have stopped cross-pollenating, children are inside and not trekking through the dandelions, and most pet owners have brought their dogs in for the night. Allergy sufferers can enjoy the great outdoors without the fear of allergy symptoms by maximizing nighttime outdoor time and minimizing daytime indoor time.
Take an evening walk, sit out on the patio with an after-dinner drink, or use this time to workout with a night time job around the neighborhood. Whatever you choose to do with your night, you’re bound to notice a big difference from the day hours when allergies are at their worst.
5. Lose the Carpet: Winter makes the floors in your home cold, which is a great time to bring out carpets and rugs to keep your toes cozy. However, over the months these rugs become breeding grounds for dust mites, pet hair, and dirt, and when the Spring breeze starts blowing through your house you’re bound to notice.
Clean and roll up carpets throughout the Spring to reduce the amount of dust being collected inside and blowing through your home. Bring them back out when the weather cools again.
6. Try a Nasal Rinse: Whether you choose a saline nose spray, the old head over a bowl of steaming water trick, or a salt-water neti-pot, a nasal rinse can clear out any allergens which have already entered your nose. Flushing away these unwanted bits of debris will help you to feel better more quickly, and provide your nasal passages with some relief. Follow directions so that you don’t accidentally inhale any liquid, as this can be harmful, and cause choking or drowning.
7. Wear a Mask: They may not be the most attractive accessory, but you can purchase little white breathing masks at many pharmacies. These masks are used in many Asian countries to prevent the spread of airborne germs between sick and healthy people, but you can also use them here in America to keep allergens away from your mouth and nostrils. The masks attach behind the ears with small elastic bands, and are the perfect companion for yard work, or other outdoor projects which may bring you into contact with allergens.
8. Leave Allergens at the Door: You’re inside your house, so you must be safe from all of those outdoor allergens, right? Not quite. Your daily activities, whether you’ve been out for a jog, walking the dog, or you’ve just come in from work, can drag pollen and other allergens into your house on boots, sneakers, clothes, and even pet fur. Leaving outdoor wear at the door, and changing clothes following outdoor activities will help keep pollen from tracking into the house and attaching itself to your furnishings.
9. Keep it Clean: It’s a struggle to keep the house clean with work, kids, and extracurricular activities on the go, but a clean house provides less places for allergens to hide. Wiping down your tub and shower with a squeegee following bathing will keep mold spores and mildew from appearing. Sweeping up dirt once everybody is inside for the night will minimize dust floating around your house. Be sure to wipe window ledges where rogue pollen may have blown in, and keep them closed on windy days.
10. Watch the Weather: Windy days make it easier for pollen and other airborne allergens to get around the neighborhood. If you can avoid the windy weather, and wait for a mild day to do yardwork and other outdoor activities, it will help minimize your allergy symptoms. While many people prefer the sun to rainy days, the dampness in the air can help keep blowing pollen from attacking your nasal passages. On a rainy day, all of that dust and plant matter billowing through the air gets stuck to flowers, trees, and grass, making it easier for you to get around and do what you need to do without suffering from allergies.
After all is said, there are still going to be times when avoiding allergens is impossible. This is when consulting with your doctor comes in handy. He or she can recommend over the counter allergy medication, or in extreme circumstances, prescribe advanced allergy medication.
Taking allergy medication before heading out into the great wide world will reduce symptoms and protect you form the red eyes and runny nose that often accompanies the collection of pollen and pet dander in the air.
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