If you have seasonal allergies, you need to pay attention to pollen counts and try to keep yourself and your family inside when the levels are high. Allergies left untreated can cause sinus swelling leading to chronic sinusitis. Allergies can also affect your digestive tract. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can be a direct response of the allergic response. So allergies can seriously affect your quality of life.
The pollen count tends to shoot up during certain time of the year,
- Late summer and early fall, during ragweed pollen season, pollen levels are highest in the morning.
- In the spring and summer, during the grass pollen season, pollen levels are highest in the evening.
- Some molds, another allergy trigger, may also be seasonal. For example, leaf mold is more common in the fall.
- Sunny, windy days can be especially troublesome for pollen allergy sufferers.
Also, during the grass pollen season, pollen levels are highest in the evening. In the late summer and early fall, during ragweed pollen season, pollen levels are highest in the morning.
There are Top 10 ways to keep your allergy symptoms under control:
- Stay indoors as much as possible between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when pollen counts are highest
- Use air conditioner, which cleans and dries the air
- Keep doors and windows closed
- Use an air purifier. Reduce the humidity in your home to 50% or less. You can control your home air quality by using a dehumidifier, keeping the temperature set at 70 degrees, and cleaning or replacing small-particle filters in your central air system.
- Keep windows closed of car and run the air conditioner.
- After being outdoors, remove your clothes and wash them immediately.
- Keep pollen-exposed clothes separate from clean clothes.
- Take a shower after being outside in order to remove pollen from your skin and hair.
- If your allergies are severe, give your pets away or at least keep them outside. Cat or dog dander often collects in house dust and takes 4 weeks or more to die down. Or use allergen-resistant bedding, bathe your pet frequently, and use an air filter to reduce pet dander. Ask your veterinarian for other ways to reduce pet dander in your home.
- Don’t carpet bathrooms or other damp rooms and use mold-proof paint instead of wallpaper. Replace carpets with linoleum or wood. Polished floors are best. Mop the floor often with a damp mop and wipe surfaces with a damp cloth. Vacuum regularly with a machine that has a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.
An allergy is nothing but the way your body overreacts to certain things. These things are called allergens. If you have allergies, when you are exposed to an allergen, your body releases chemicals. One type of chemical that your body releases is called histamine. Histamine is your body’s defense against the allergen. The release of histamine causes the symptoms.
You can fight allergy symptoms by modifying your lifestyle to a certain extent.
