The Never-Ending War With Allergies
By Stephen R. Farris
Will allergy season ever end here in the Lone Star state? Come on, it seems no sooner than we get through one type of pollen that another one hits, and here comes the allergies once again. Well by now, fellow Texans, we shouldn't be caught off guard by allergy season. Heck, we definitely know it's going to happen so we should at least be prepared.
What Causes Allergy Attacks?
Let's start at the beginning. The most common allergens here in the state are found from oak, grass, cottonwood, mountain cedar and ragweed. Texas is known for their mighty oak trees, well at least for their abundance of post oaks. We have plenty of different varieties of grass. We still haven't figured out what good cottonwood trees are other than making our yards look like they've been hit by a snow blizzard. But back to the question of what causes allergy attacks. It's pretty simple. Our sinuses react to pollens as if they were invaders to our bodies, thus releasing natural defense mechanisms. Then those defense mechanisms call for reinforcements and before you know it, we're sneezing, coughing, our eyes are runny and we may develop a sore throat over it. This is about as simple as I can put it without getting all technical and stuff with medical terminology.
Time to Defend Thyself
If you have an idea what triggers your allergies, then work towards treating it before it strikes. There are many corticosteriod nasal sprays now available on the market these days, both prescribed and over the counter products. Use your choice of spray everyday during allergy season, starting a month before you know it usually hits you. And for some of us, we experience allergies more than one season, so check the labels to see what side effects nasal sprays have. Some can cause drowsiness and could cause you to have an accident of some kind, including a fall.
In-Home Defense
Pollen can invade our homes as well. They can end up in our air conditioning vents, on our clothes and our bedding and furniture. Regular replacement of HEPA filters in your air conditioning or furnace can cut down on the amount of pollen that get in. Do laundry in hot water, keep windows closed, wear a mask when outside doing yard work and change your clothes as soon as you get back inside.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in McKinney, Tex.