It’s time to put away the winter blues. Spring has sprung and with it, we welcome some of our favorite things: more sunlight, warmer weather, blooming flowers, less clothing and of course, the end of our academic school year! Sounds perfect, right? If only! For some of us, spring time means we have to enjoy all of this all the while accompanied by our very least-favorite spring find: seasonal allergies. Ah-choo!
Constant sneezing, runny noses, congestion, irritated/itchy/red/watery eyes… those are just a few of the symptoms experienced when dealing with seasonal allergies. Consider yourself lucky if spring time doesn’t welcome you with such a rude awakening, but if it does, we’ve got some tips to help you combat those allergies!
1. Rain isn’t always a bad thing. Pollen counts, which can be found on either television or online forecasts, are most high on days that are dry and windy and least high after a period of rain – which does a wonderful job of clearing pollen from the air outside. Try to stay in during pollen-high periods, but if you have to go out on days that look like a pollen-wonderland, make sure to wash the clothes you wore while you were outside as soon as possible, so as not to let the pollen linger on your new spring time threads.
2. Get in the shower! Even if you’ve done so already, showering frequently and washing your hair helps eliminate the pollen that accumulated on your body throughout the day.
3. Spring cleaning? Wear a dust mask! Dust masks help prevent the inhalation of dust when cleaning and doing other chore-like activities.
4. When at home or in the car, make sure you’re breathing in clean, filtered air. Turning the air conditioner or dehumidifier allows you to have control over at least some of the environments you’re in.
5. If all of the above-mentioned fail in reducing helping you allergy situation, you may want to try some over-the-counter medications but if that doesn’t prove to be successful, you may want to consult your primary doctor about a more serious treatment.
* Remember: the key in combating spring time seasonal allergies is exposure of allergen reduction. While we can’t offer you a cure to allergies, reducing your contact with allergens (the things that trigger your allergies) or treating your allergies with the appropriate medication, if needed, makes suffering from allergies more bearable. Happy Spring!