Allergy Season Is Here: Easy Tips to Beat the Symptoms

We have still not hit spring yet, but it looks like allergy season is already upon us, with high cases of runny noses, itchy eyes and non-stop sneezing already being reported. According to experts, allergies are your body’s reaction to a foreign protein. If you have an allergy to a particular protein, your immune system overreacts to its presence in your body.

Doctors say even though the summer season is a struggle for many, allergies are now starting as early as February due to an early change in weather. Also, rising temperatures are causing tree pollen seasons to start earlier than normal at higher levels, making symptoms more severe than usual.

However, it may not necessarily be bad news for all allergy sufferers. There are a few easy tips and tricks you can follow to have an allergy-proof time.

There would be days when the pollen counts are extremely high, so the best ways to prevent sneezing, stuffy nose, and watery eyes are to keep your home clean and doors and windows closed. Stay inside, especially during afternoons and evenings when pollen levels are highest.

Clean your floor rugs and carpets daily as pollen and dust particles get easily trapped and build up. Cool your home using air conditioning but stay away from humidifiers and swamp coolers.

Pollen can get easily trapped in your hair and even your eyelashes—causing you to have endless sneezes and watery eyes. And so, according to doctors, it is best to take a shower before bed to wash off any allergens. This will make sure you avoid rubbing onto your pillow and incubating yourself all night.

Experts also recommend changing your bedsheets and covers every week and cleaning your pillowcases twice.

It is very important to know what allergies you have so that you may not suffer in the long run.

Experts say a simple blood test or a skin test at the doctor’s office can identify what you are allergic to. Identifying these allergens is important to developing an effective treatment plan.

It is important to follow up on the medications you need to take if you are prone to allergies. According to experts, antihistamines are the first-line treatment and help with sneezing, runny noses, and itchy eyes. If you have congestion, make sure to use nasal corticosteroid sprays that easily help reduce stuffiness along with that irritating runny feeling.

Several decongestants and medicines relieve a blocked nose and provide quick relief by shrinking blood vessels in the nose; however, make sure to use them only with a prescription from your doctor.

According to doctors, light therapy is a pretty unconventional method of putting an end to allergies. It involves shining a high-intensity UV light into each nostril with a Rhinolight machine. It helps alter the histamine release from the cells in your nasal passages and improve reactions to pollen and other allergens like house and dust mites.

While most people do find it comforting from the first couple of weeks, you must take up top-up sessions for long-term relief.

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