The Ultimate Guide to Preventing Allergies and Managing Allergy Symptoms
If allergy symptoms are bothering you, these simple strategies are your best defense from least to invasive allergies. Try the first few, and you may not need to hit the pharmacy for over the counter medicines for allergy or alternatively you can also visit your doctor’s clinic to get the prescription treatment.
Seasonal allergies, also called hay fever, are the most common allergies experienced by people in the United States, and it results from an allergic reaction to pollen. Symptoms of spring allergies are commonly triggered by tree pollen. Other allergies are prevalent during other seasons. Children are more likely to experience grass allergies during the summer, while those with ragweed allergies will suffer allergic symptoms in the fall. You may be suffering from spring allergies if you are going through congestion or sinus pressure, itchy or watery eyes, cough, runny nose or irritated nasal passages, itchy or sore throat, reduced sense of tastes of smell, swollen under eyes.
These mild symptoms can be annoying and disappear after some time. However, severe pollen allergies can interfere with your child’s schoolwork and prevent him/her from playing their favourite outdoor games. The best way to prevent allergy is to prevent allergen that triggers allergic symptoms, but at a certain time for a year, that may be quite difficult. Below is some practical advice that Safeguards you against allergies and will keep stuffiness and sneezing at bay.
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- Wear a mask- Prefer wearing a mask whenever you do gardening. This will help you keep pollen out of your nose and mouth.
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- Shampoo at night- It is important to rinse the pollen out to avoid allergies. Products like gel or mousse can trap pollen, therefore make sure you rinse out before you go to bed.
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- Keep your nose clean- pollens are more likely to stick to your nose. You can try a saline sinus rinse to clean your nose. If that doesn’t do the trick, you can buy an herbal nasal spray that you can find at any drugstore to prevent allergic reactions in your nose. If nasal washes and antihistamines don’t help to eliminate your allergic reaction. Try prescription sprays like Flonase to get rid of allergic symptoms. Make sure you use medicines for allergy under the supervision of a doctor.
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- Ditch the carpeting- Opt for wood flooring over wall carpets, if possible. It may feel cushy underfoot, but carpet, especially in the bedroom where you spend your most of the time, can be a haven for dust mites. Because carpets interfere with the evaporation of moisture, it can result in dust mites and mold. Both are common allergens that are known to thrive in high levels of humidity. Choosing wood flooring over carpet is a good option.
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- Don’t let your pets sleep with you– Do not let your kids sleep with the family dog, cat or any other pets. Snuggling with all that fur is not a good idea. Pet’s hair, dander, saliva, are known to be the real allergen that can cause sniffles even in adults who are not highly allergic. If your child sneezes or has a runny nose for three or more weeks, your child may be allergic to your pet.
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- Think twice about houseplants- If you love to put plants, rethink while putting them during spring. You might not know that houseplants can be surprisingly irritating, and they can become the house of mold spores that live in the warm and wet dirt. If you can completely avoid them, then make sure to avoid overwatering to keep the molds away. Keep a close eye on rotten leaves that can e a sign of overwatering, leasing to an allergic reaction. Remember, fake plants or silk plants are not good substitutes to real plants; they are notorious dust collectors.
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- Turn on the air conditioners- Running your air conditioner is a great way to prevent allergy and pollens from entering your house, which is more likely to happen when your windows are open. Air condition helps allergy sufferers by reducing the humidity in the home. If you can’t sue your air conditioner, keep your windows closed until the afternoon. Moring is the time when the pollen counts are higher. Also, switch off your fans as using a fan will end up blowing pollens around the room.
- Check your bathroom- The green stuff that forms in your bathtub or near the tap gives off spores that get sent into the air. These spores can result in sneezing, wheezing and cause other allergic reactions. To the mildew scrub the tub or tap with a combo of one cup of bleach to a gallon of water. Do not leave your bathmat wet, hang it over the shower rod and allow it to dry and be sure to wash it regularly.
Also Read: The Ultimate Allergy Survival Guide
