I covered medical treatment of allergies in March of 2012, and wanted to briefly go over some important points for seasonal allergy sufferers. Spring time allergies arrive with the warmer weather, growing grass, and the pollen that is produced from those lovely newly budding trees. For many people, typical symptoms of season allergic rhinitis start in Springtime also.
Tips for allergy symptoms:
1. If you take medications for allergies, you may need to start treatment 2 weeks before your symptoms usually start. Antihistamines sometimes take that long to show a benefit.
2. Check pollen counts before going outside - you can find this information on line at aaaai.org/nab. If counts are high, limit your time outside and take your allergy medication.
3. No matter how tempting, you may need to keep your windows shut - at home and in the car, to minimize your exposure to airborne pollens.
4. Move outdoor activities to the afternoon - pollen counts are usually highest between 5-10 am. Wear a mask if you are working outside especially if you are mowing grass.
5. Plan outside activities on rainy days, or days in which it has rained, since moisture helps clear pollen from the air.
6. Discard your outside clothing and bathe or shower after you have spent a lot of times outdoors during allergy season.
7. Use HEPA filters in your house, and change them often.
8. Discuss medications with your doctor - some medications can cause elevated blood pressure and insomnia (Sudafed derivatives) or can make you sleepy (older antihistamines like Benadryl).
9. Consider using saline nasal spray or a Neti pot to flush your nasal passages.
