Seasonal Allergies: Prevent Them Before They Happen

Use these tried-and-true techniques to relieve seasonal allergy symptoms.

Spring means blooming flowers and lush vegetation, and if you’re one of the millions of seasonal allergy sufferers, spring also means sneezing, stuffy nose, rhinorrhea, and other troublesome symptoms. Seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever and allergic rhinitis, can make you miserable. But before you settle for plastic flowers and artificial turf, try these simple strategies to manage seasonal allergies.

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Seasonal Allergies

Reduce Exposure to Allergy Triggers

Reduce exposure to things that can trigger allergic signs and symptoms (Allergens):

Stay indoors on dry, windy days. The best time to go outside is after a heavy rain, which can help remove pollen from the air.
Delegate lawn mowing, weeding, and other gardening tasks that may stir up allergens.
Remove any clothing worn outside and shower to flush pollen from skin and hair.
Do not hang clothes outside, as sheets and towels may be contaminated with pollen.
Wear a pollen mask when doing chores outside.

Go to Extra Measures When Pollen Counts are High

Seasonal allergy signs and symptoms can occur when the air is high in pollen. These measures can help reduce exposure:

Check your local TV or radio station, local newspaper or internet for pollen forecasts and current pollen levels.
If high pollen counts are predicted, start allergy medication before symptoms appear.
Close doors and windows at night or at any other time when pollen counts are high.
Avoid outdoor activities in the early morning when pollen tech is at its highest.

Keep Indoor Air Clean

There is no magic product that will eliminate all allergens from the air in your home, but the following suggestions may help:

Use air conditioners in your home and car.
If you have pressurized air heating or air conditioning in your home, use a high-efficiency filter and schedule regular maintenance.
Use a dehumidifier to keep indoor air dry.
Use portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters in bedrooms.
Clean floors with a HEPA -filtered vacuum cleaner.

Try Over-The-Counter Drugs

Several over-the-counter medications can relieve allergy symptoms. These include:

Oral Antihistamines. Antihistamines can help relieve symptoms of sneezing, itching, rhinorrhea, and watery eyes. Oral allergy meds incorporate loratadine (Claritin, Alavert), cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy), and fexofenadine (Allegra Allergy).
Decongestant. Oral deficient poisons such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed, Afrin, etc.) can temporarily relieve nasal congestion. Decongestants are likewise tracked down in nasal splashes, for example, oxymetazoline (Afrin) and phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine). Use only nasal decongestants for several days. Long haul utilization of decongestant nasal sprays can really deteriorate side effects (rebound congestion).
Nasal spray. Sodium cromoglycate nasal spray can relieve allergy symptoms and has no serious side effects, so it is most effective to start using it before symptoms appear.
Combination drugs. Some allergy medicines combine antihistamines and decongestants. Models incorporate loratadine-pseudoephedrine (Claritin-D) and fexofenadine-pseudoephedrine (Allegra-D).

Rinse the Sinuses

Rinsing the nasal passages with a saline solution (nasal irrigation) is a quick, inexpensive, and effective way to relieve nasal congestion. Rinsing directly flushes mucus and allergens from the nasal passages.

Buy a squeeze bottle or neti pot (a small container with a spout designed for rinsing your nasal passages) at a pharmacy or health food store. Use distilled water, sterile water, boiled and cooled water, or water filtered through a filter with an absolute pore size of 1 micron or less to prepare saline rinse solutions. Also be sure to rinse the rinsing unit with similarly distilled, sterile, boiled and cooled, or filtered water after each use and air dry.

Interested in Alternative Therapy? Consider These

There are many natural remedies used to treat hay fever symptoms. May help with treatments including shrub case membrane and spirulina (a type of dried algae) extract. However, its benefits and safety are unclear.

Some people claim that acupuncture can help relieve seasonal allergy symptoms. There is some evidence that acupuncture works, but little to no evidence of harm.

Please talk to your doctor before trying other treatments.

Seek Medical Attention When Home Treatment is Not Enough to Control the Condition

For some individuals, keeping away from allergens and assuming control non-prescription meds is sufficient to ease side effects. But if you’re still suffering from seasonal allergies, don’t give up. There are many other treatments.

If you have severe seasonal allergies, your doctor may recommend skin or blood tests to pinpoint the allergen causing your symptoms. Testing can help you determine what you need to do to avoid specific triggers and determine which treatments may be best for you.

For some people, allergy shots (allergen immunotherapy) are a good option. This treatment, also known as desensitization therapy, involves regular injections of the substance that causes the allergy in small doses. Over time, these injections reduce the immune system response that causes symptoms. Some allergies can be treated by placing a tablet under the tongue.

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