Fighting Back Against Seasonal Allergies
By Sara Butler
With every new season comes a new seasonal allergy to fight against. Millions of Americans struggle with seasonal allergies, living with constant coughing, itching, and sneezing, wondering if there’s anything they can do. You can’t stop the trees and plants from dropping their pollen, but you can learn how to fight back against seasonal allergies to make each season a little sweeter.
Try to Reduce Exposure
One of the best things you can do to help fight back against your seasonal allergies is to try to reduce exposure to the things that trigger them. So, maybe you can’t move to Bali where hay isn’t routinely around to cause itchy eyes, but you can use these strategies to avoid triggers:
- Stay inside – OK, this doesn’t mean you should stay inside like the boy in the bubble, but it does mean that on days in which it’s windy and dry -- and pollen is more prevalent outside -- that you try to limit the time you spend out of doors.
- Avoid certain tasks – There are some things that will kick up pollen such as gardening and yard work. During the peak of allergy season, you should try to get someone else who doesn’t struggle so much with allergies to do those tasks for you.
- Wear a mask – If you can’t avoid mowing the lawn, then think about buying a pollen mask to keep you from inhaling irritants that will kick your allergies up a notch.
- Take a shower – If you’ve been outside, it’s important to shower in order to rinse allergens off your body and out of your hair. Otherwise, you’ll just spread the allergens around your home and risk making your reaction worse.
Track Counts
When it comes to allergies, some days are worse than others. Look up the weather and find out what the pollen levels are forecasted to be so you can try to prepare yourself and plan activities that won’t make your allergies worse. You can help limit your exposure on high count days by:
- Keeping windows and doors closed
- Taking any prescribed allergy medication
- Run the air conditioning when pollen counts are high
- Change your furnace filters regularly
- Vacuum every day
Don’t forget that keeping your body in optimal working order with the help of your chiropractor can help you deal with allergies too!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Memphis, Tenn.