🌻 Spring Allergies 🌻
🌼 Lifestyle Tips 🌼
Your top strategy is to avoid exposure to allergens as much as possible.
Here's How:
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Keep your Doors and Windows Closed.
Of course it's tempting to open your windows and let in the fresh spring breeze after a long winter, but when you do so, you're allowing a cloud of pollen to enter your house, says James Li, MD, board-certified asthma and allergy specialist and chair of the division of allergic diseases in the department of internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,
Minn. It may be a sacrifice, but it's better to keep the doors and windows of your home and car closed if you have spring allergies.
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Use Allergy Filters on Your AC.
It's better to
run your air conditioning than to open the windows on warm spring days,
but be sure to use a good air filter on your ventilation unit to catch
and filter out pollen.
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Check the Pollen Levels.
If your allergies are worse on high-pollen days, listen to the pollen count report before deciding how much time to spend outside. When pollen levels are high, exercise indoors and avoid outdoor activities if possible. You can get pollen and mold counts on your local news radio station or online with Everyday Health's allergy pollen counter.
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Saline Nasal Sprays or Rinses.
Over-the-counter saline sprays, squeeze bottles, or neti pot rinses can help to irrigate your nasal passages and remove mucus, debris, and allergens. These may not be as effective as corticosteroid nasal sprays, though.
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Antihistamines.
Over-the-counter antihistamines
work by blocking histamine that causes allergy symptoms such as sneezing, running nose, and itching. Some types of antihistamines are less likely to make you drowsy, such as loratadine (Claritin), and fexofenadine (Allegra). Cetirizine (Zyrtec) may cause mild drowsiness in some people. However, medications such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) definitely cause drowsiness, and you shouldn't drive when you take them, Li says. Be sure to read medication labels carefully. Antihistamines
can also be taken in the form of a nasal spray, such as azelastine (Astepro).
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Decongestants.
Decongestants can be taken as
pills or nasal sprays, and come in over-the-counter and prescription varieties. They're also sometimes combined with antihistamines. There are many over-the-counter decongestants, including the ingredients phenylephrine (Sudafed PE) or pseudoephedrine (Sudafed).
Decongestants can act as mild stimulants, so your doctor should monitor you if you take them regularly, even if it's only an over-the-counter formula, Li says. Possible side effects of decongestants may include sleeplessness or tremors. Also, people with high blood pressure may need to avoid oral decongestants; talk to your doctors before taking one, even if it's available over the counter.
Decongestant nasal sprays such as oxymetazoline (Afrin) and others shouldn't be used for longer than a few days because they will end up making nasal congestion worse if used for longer. Read the package instructions, and never exceed the recommended duration of use.
Decongestants can act as mild stimulants, so your doctor should monitor you if you take them regularly, even if it's only an over-the-counter formula, Li says. Possible side effects of decongestants may include sleeplessness or tremors. Also, people with high blood pressure may need to avoid oral decongestants; talk to your doctors before taking one, even if it's available over the counter.
Decongestant nasal sprays such as oxymetazoline (Afrin) and others shouldn't be used for longer than a few days because they will end up making nasal congestion worse if used for longer. Read the package instructions, and never exceed the recommended duration of use.
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Eye drops.
Antihistamine and
antihistamine-decongestant eye drops are available both by prescription
and over the counter. They work in a similar way to oral drugs.
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Allergy Shots.
If you aren't getting enough relief from medication or are experiencing side effects, allergy shots
at your doctor's office may be more effective. You will first need to be tested to identify exactly what is causing your symptoms. People who take several allergy medications can often reduce the number to one when they switch to shots, Li says. Allergy shots are usually given once a week during a build-up period, and then once a month for several months afterward.
You have many options to get relief from spring allergies. However, to most effectively manage your particular allergy symptoms, consult with your doctor to find the best long-term choices.
Household dust, pet dander, cockroach droppings, and mold are common indoor allergens that can trigger allergies in susceptible people.
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Tips for Reducing Indoor Allergies
Here are some ways you can reduce the potential allergens in your home: - Keep humidity levels low. "Keeping the relative humidity less than 50 percent is going to be important," says McNairn. You can lower the humidity in your home by using a dehumidifier in damp areas such as a basement.
- Use hardwood, linoleum, or tile. Replace carpeting and rugs with hard-surface flooring. Your carpet and rugs can trap in allergens within the fibers, as opposed to hard surface flooring, which you can regularly dust.
- Clean carpeting. If you are unable or unwilling to remove all carpet, have your carpeting and rugs regularly cleaned to reduce the amount of allergens in them.
- Cover your bedding. Use special allergen-proof mattress and pillow covers under regular sheets and pillowcases.
- Wash bedding. Wash bedding in hot water and dry it on high heat weekly.
- Leave the cleaning to someone else. Have your floors regularly vacuumed with a HEPA (high efficiency particle air) vacuum. "It's a good idea for the allergic person not to do the cleaning," says McNairn. "If they do, they should wear a face mask and goggles." HEPA vacuums suck up smaller particles than do traditional vacuum cleaners, leaving you with fewer allergens left behind.
- Find pets a new home. In the case of animal dander allergies, consider removing a pet from the home or keeping the pet outdoors. And keep pets out of the bedroom.
- Cover food. Store food in tight-lidded containers, and keep your home clean to prevent cockroach infestation.
- Rid the house of cockroaches. If you see a cockroach, have a professional exterminator get rid of any remaining roaches.
- Eliminate visible mold. "Any visible mold should be cleaned with a diluted bleach solution," says McNairn.
- Consider an indoor air cleaner. "HEPA air cleaners can help with pet dander," says McNairn. There are many varieties available; for more on air purifiers, see Allergy Relief for Indoor Air Pollution.
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🧹Dust Mites * Dander * Roaches * Mold 🧹
Household dust, pet dander, cockroach droppings, and mold are common indoor allergens that can trigger allergies in susceptible people.
- Dust. Found in all homes, dust is the breeding ground for microscopic organisms called dust mites. The droppings of these dust mites are a common trigger for indoor allergies. Though dust mites can be found just about everywhere, they are particularly common in humid parts of the house and where human dander (flakes of dead skin) collects.
- Animal dander, or the dead skin flakes of warm-blooded animals, contains proteins that can trigger allergies in some people.
- Cockroaches. If you needed another reason to hate them, here it is: A protein that is found in the droppings of cockroaches triggers allergy and asthma symptoms in some people.
- Mold. While many molds do not survive outdoors after the first winter frost, they can linger in your home throughout the winter, especially in humid areas such as basements or bathrooms. "Be very careful if you have a humidifier on your furnace or a room humidifier because you can end up with mold growth," says Dr. McNairn. Spores released by mold can act as allergens in some people.
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