Posts
Do you suffer from hay fever or other
allergies, but still like to spend time outdoors? I know this time of
year can be rough on some people, especially those of us who live in
suburban or rural areas. For instance, I live in Georgia. There have
been plenty of times when I have parked my car to go into someone's
house and come out to find my car positively covered with
pollen! If you have problems with outdoor allergies, you might think
that you have to spend the entire spring and summer indoors. Lucky
for you, this isn't necessarily true. Here are a few ways you can
enjoy the outdoors while reducing problems from allergies.
One thing that can work well is knowing
exactly what it is you are allergic to and adjusting accordingly.
This is usually done by a blood or skin test in an allergist's
office. Once you know which things bother you and to what degree,
your doctor can make suggestions about how you can avoid them. Things
such as changing which flowers you keep in your garden can help a
lot. Also, many gardening or drug stores sell paper masks that can
keep allergens out of your lungs.
Speaking of doctors, there are several
prescription drugs that work wonders for allergies. Sprays like
Nasonex might be a good alternative to pills and are usually covered
by insurance. Also, many of the more common medications (Claritin,
Zyrtec, Allegra, etc) are now available over the counter. If you
don't want to use drugs or find that they don't cover everything,
nasal washes such as saline, Alkalol and Neti pots are available in
most drug stores.
To avoid bringing allergens from
outdoors into the house, leave your shoes at the door. Since they
tend to have the most contact with allergens on the ground, it's no
surprise that the soles of your shoes practically collect
allergens. When you come inside from spending a lot of time outside,
change your clothes and put the ones you were wearing into a laundry
bag. That way, you won't get anything that might have been in the air
on the things you touch or sit on. If the symptoms are bothering you,
take a shower right away. Also, allergen levels tend to be higher
earlier in the day, so it may help to move your long walks or runs to
the evening rather than the morning. Don't open the windows in the
morning or leave them open all night if at all possible.
HEPA filters and air purifier machines
are an excellent way to reduce the amount of allergens in the air in
your home. These can be found in many general and home improvement
stores. Also, you may benefit from changing the other filters (air
conditioning, etc) in your home more often during allergy season more
often than you would other times of the year. Try to use cleaning
products (Swiffer dusters, dust-catching cloths, etc) that actually
remove dirt and dust rather than just spreading it around.
Keeping the floors and cloth-covered furniture vacuumed helps too.
When you're choosing a vacation,
consider cruises or beach trips. This way, you are less likely to
come into contact with a lot of allergen-producing plants.
As you can see, there are several ways
you can enjoy the outdoors in ways that are easier on your allergies.
Now all you have to do is find a way to keep your neighbor's dog out
of your garden. Sorry, I can't help you there. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment