When the weather is nice, you may be tempted to open the windows in your home to save money on cooling costs. However, this may not be such a good idea because it can cause your allergy symptoms to flare-up. For the best results, make sure your air conditioning unit is equipped with a special HEPA filter, to cut down the number of allergens inside your home. You can breathe easier when you apply this simple change.
Do you have allergies? Have they gotten to the point that you dread the time you know they will affect you? You came to the right place because the following information has a number of helpful tips that can alleviate your suffering during the height of the allergy season. Keep reading and see if any of the following tips will help you.
Make sure your bathroom is ventilated well so that mildew and mold can’t thrive. Allergens like these tend to do very well in warm and damp surroundings. Wet towels should be hung up, and a fan should be turned on after showering. If you don’t own a fan, crack the window and let fresh air circulate.
If you suffer from allergies, but you are wanting to have a pet anyways, you should try to have a pet with short fur. The majority of animals can trigger allergic reactions, but longer-haired animals can make the condition even worse. Also, try to minimize your pet’s effect on your allergies. Don’t allow them on your bed as you sleep.
In western states, olive trees are very popular when it comes to landscaping. However, these trees are notorious for producing a great deal of pollen. Therefore it is important to identify these trees and protect yourself. A great way to get rid of the pollen is to spray the tree down with a hose for a few minutes every day.
Pollen Levels
When planning a trip with a child suffering from food allergies, be sure to bring along plenty of safe foods. This is especially true if traveling abroad. It may be hard to find the ingredients on some foods, and this increases the chances of having an allergy attack.
If you are going to be exercising outside during the times of the year that there are high pollen levels, do so either very early in the morning or late in the evening. You will be more comfortable at those times of day, since pollen levels are lower.
When it is the height of allergy season, it’s a good idea to wear your hair naturally and not use excessive hair products. It’s inevitable that you’ll come home after a day spent outdoors with pollen and other airborne allergens stuck to your hair. Keep in mind that hair products are known for attracting pollen and can make your head a hotbed for allergens.
To cut down significantly on allergens in the home, you could always try to remove your carpeting. Carpet is known for harboring pollen, dust and dust mites. If you can afford it, consider replacing carpet with wood or laminate flooring. This will reduce the amount of allergens in your home. If you cannot change your floor, be sure to vacuum everyday.
Make your personal space as clean as it can be. Most allergy sufferers are affected by multiple allergens; the cleaner your environment is kept, the easier it will be to help you identify and eliminate problematic substances. Develop a cleaning routine and stick to it to combat the allergens in your environment.
Make sure you’re properly hydrated to treat a bronchial allergy. Your body needs fluids to function properly, so avoid letting your mucosal membranes from becoming inflamed or dry. Lack of sufficient hydration also affects the bronchial tubes by causing your mucosal glands to produce secretions that are difficult to break-up.
You may have hidden mold in your house that is triggering your allergies. One way to minimize mold is to give the gaskets on your refrigerator a good cleaning regularly. This area in particular can be a breeding ground for mold as it constantly collects water. If you do not clean the door and the seal, you could be releasing dangerous mold into your home each and every time the door is opened.
Allergy Treatments
Completely remove the carpets in your home, to remove a primary source of allergens. Rugs and carpeting can trap vast amounts of dust, pollen and pet dander–three of the most common triggers for allergic reactions. If you put on hardwood floors instead, and add a carpet for decoration. That carpet can be cleaned to rid it of allergens.
There are many allergy treatments, so don’t throw in the towel after only a couple of tries. When it comes to allergies, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. There are a wide range of medications and holistic treatments you can try. Allergy treatments include everything from eye drops and nasal sprays to prescription leukotriene blockers and steroids.
To reduce your allergies, stay away from tobacco smoke and try to prevent guests from smoking in your home or car. If you smoke, try quitting. Even the smoke from a wood fire can agitate allergies.
When traveling, if you have a child who suffers from food allergies, make sure you stock up on foods safe for his or consumption. This is especially important if you are touring in a foreign country. Sometimes, ingredients won’t be clearly labeled on food items, and you don’t want to risk your child consuming that item he is allergic to.
Give stinging nettles a shot. This remedy is noninvasive and it won’t cost you a lot of money to try it. However, the plant itself can irritate the skin slightly. But if you take it in the supplement form, you won’t experience any side effects.
A great way to avoid picking up allergens in your hair during the spring and summer months is to ensure that you refrain from using gels and mousse products in your hair. When you are outside all the time there are a lot of particles that you can pick up and bring home. But, such styling items tend to attract pollen, which will surely make your allergies worse.
Make sure your home is always clean. Be careful to avoid having a great deal of dust and dirt around the home. This will make your house a little more tolerable to live in, so be sure to keep it clean.
Don’t keep household garbage inside. Garbage can attract all sorts of pests. Remember, mice droppings are a common allergen. If you still find rodent droppings, you may need to use traps to rid your home of the pests. If you do not experience success, think about using poison.
If your kids suffer from mold allergies, do not let them play in fall leaves. These leaves often appear during the fall, when the weather is especially wet. The wet conditions allow mold and mildew to grow, which can cause breathing problems for children with allergies. If you have a leafblower-use that; if not use a rake to pick up all the leaves on your lawn.
Dust Mites
An air purifier with a HEPA filter is an excellent investment if your allergies are triggered by airborne allergens. When you use a HEPA filter, you will reduce the number of mold spores, pollen and pet dander that will stay in your home. Your best bet is to purchase a brand that can be cleaned and reused; this will save you quite a bit of money in the long-run.
Synthetic pillows are least likely to attract dust mites. Dust mites will go to these pillows last over ones made of natural materials. It is important to get allergy covers for the pillows, and launder both the covers and pillows often.
Your child may need to have allergy medication at the ready at school. Your doctor should provide a note along with the prescription to help your school understand your child’s allergies. Supply your child’s school with a few doses of allergy medication so that they are prepared for emergencies. Make sure the school knows about your child’s specific allergies, and keep a list in their backpack too in case of a medical emergency.
Don’t forget to take allergies into consideration when planning a vacation out of town. This can be a big problem if you get to your destination, but can’t enjoy the trip because allergens there keep you down. Instead, you should carry out detailed research into the weather conditions, any local allergens and pollen counts before you select a destination.
Don’t be shocked if your allergen tests show positive reactions to several different allergens. Many people are exposed to allergens several times a day, but their bodies do not react. Sometimes, allergies are not discovered for years.
Vitamin C
Eat foods rich in vitamin C to help relieve allergy symptoms. The vitamin itself works to strengthen immunities and functions as a natural form of antihistamine. Doctors sometimes recommend taking 1000 mg of vitamin C daily if you suffer from allergies. You should also focus on increasing your Omega-3 intake to aid prevention.
If you have itchy or dry eyes from your allergies, don’t rub them using your hands. Invest in antihistamine eye drops to control such symptoms. Continually rubbing your eyes can cause irritated follicles. This causes recurrent allergic styes to form.
Look into getting a humidifier to use in your home. This is a great way to reduce allergen circulation in your home. The droplets of water in your humidifier can attract things in your home that can cause allergies. Due to this you will not breathe them in.
Determine what is different with allergies and colds. Allergies usually do not have as severe symptoms as colds do, though they last longer. If you feel you always have a cold, you might just have allergies. If you do not know, visit your doctor and inform him or her of your symptoms.
Allergy season can become a traumatic time of year for allergy sufferers, but hopefully after reading this article you feel better prepared to manage your allergies. Even though you often can’t completely stop allergies, there are ways to ease the suffering. Use the tips that you learned here and apply them to your own situation to get help from those terrible allergies.