Spring is in the air and so are allergens. Allergies can be frustrating and symptoms affect everyone differently. If you experience a runny or stuffy nose, watery or itchy eyes, sneezing fits or you suffer from asthma, chances are this time of year can make you miserable.
You can live a normal life despite having allergies. Allergy symptoms can take a big toll on your well-being. If you feel symptoms, it may be time to get tested. Good allergy treatment can include three different treatment strategies: avoidance of allergens, medications, and/or immunotherapy (a treatment to train your immune system not to overreact). If you have bad allergies or think you may have allergies, visit Ohio ENT & Allergy Physicians. With multiple locations throughout central Ohio, Delaware, and Newark, Ohio ENT and Allergy Physicians can help you.
In the meantime, we’ve put together some tips that will help bring you relief.
1. Try a saline nasal rinse (either with a neti pot or rinse bottle), which helps clear allergens from your nasal membranes. USE DISTILLED WATER ONLY.
2. Nasal allergies can cause mucus drainage and sore throat. Gargling with salt water can soothe a sore or scratchy throat.
3. Shower at night to wash off any lingering pollen from your body
and hair before you get into bed.
4. Have pets? Wipe their paws and fur when they come inside
since pollen can cling to them.
5. Wear sunglasses and a hat. This will help keep pollen out of
your eyes and off your hair.
6. Dry your clothes in a clothes dryer, not on an outdoor line.
7. Check local pollen counts in the morning and try to stay indoors when they’re high. Pollen counts are the highest between 5am and 10am, so limit exposure on mornings that are especially warm and dry; these will usually be the high pollen count days.
8. If you’re allergic to pollen, keep your windows closed and run an air conditioner preferably with a HEPA filter attachment.
9. Start taking allergy medicine before pollen season begins. Most allergy medicines work best when taken this way.
10. Antihistamines come in a pill, liquid or nasal spray form. They can relieve sneezing and itching in the nose and eyes. They can also reduce a runny nose and nasal stuffiness.
11. Decongestants are available as pills, liquids, nasal sprays or drops. They help shrink the lining of the nasal passages and relieve nasal stuffiness, but do not use them for more than a few days unless approved by your physician.
12. If you’re having trouble with allergies, go inside and rest; overdoing it and running around when you feel bad will only make you feel worse.
Allergy tips presented by
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