Spring means flower buds and blooming trees – but if you’re one of the millions of people who suffer from seasonal allergies, it also means sneezing, congestion, a runny nose and other annoying symptoms.
Four ways you can nip your allergies in the bud:
- Take extra precautions when pollen counts are high
Staying inside can help, especially when it’s windy or early in the morning when pollen counts are highest. When you do go outside, wear glasses or sunglasses to keep pollen out of your eyes. A cloth face mask (which is mandatory to wear in public anyway!) can help keep pollen from entering your nose and mouth.
Take a shower, wash your hair and change your clothing when you go back inside. This will reduce the amount of residual pollen that may end up in your home.
- Take allergy medicine
If high pollen counts are forecasted, start taking allergy medicine before your symptoms start.
Allergy medicine can help adults and children with sniffles and a runny nose. Antihistamines, which block your body’s response to allergies, usually work in less than an hour. Remember to read the package carefully before taking any allergy medicine.
For more severe allergies, try a nasal spray. Since these can have side effects like burning, dryness, or nosebleeds, use the lowest dose that controls your symptoms.
- Take your workout indoors
If there’s a lot of pollen (or dust) in the air, switch things up and exchange your usual exercise routine for an indoor workout. If you’ve suffered from seasonal allergies for a long time, consider investing in a treadmill or other gym equipment that you can use at home.
- Give your home an ‘air lift’
Shut all windows to keep out pollen. Use an air conditioner to cool your home instead of a fan, which draws in air from outside. We suggest the LG ArtCool air conditioner that has an ionizer that has been proven to sterilize over 99 per cent of adhering bacteria within 60 minutes.
Clean floors with a vacuum cleaner that has a high-efficiency particulate air filter. These filters trap 99.97 per cent of microscopic particles in the air.
And don’t line-dry clothes or sheets in warmer weather! They’ll collect pollen while they hang outside.
Remember that smoking can make allergy symptoms worse. If you or someone you live with smokes, now is a good time to quit.
