As spring flowers begin to sprout, allergy triggers do, too. Try these simple solutions to rid your house of allergens and ease your symptoms at home.
Dust, vacuum and sweep every room once or twice a week to eliminate dust and allergens. Wear a face mask to avoid inhaling allergens while cleaning.
Wash your sheets in hot water weekly, and don’t air-dry laundry outside—pollen and mold can stick to the fabric.
Clear your sinuses with a salt-water rinse and rid your nasal passages of dirt, germs and allergens. Try a Neti pot or other sinus rinses.
Here’s how it works: (Caution: don’t irrigate nasal passages if they are blocked.)
- Fill your Neti pot with 1 cup boiled or distilled water after it slightly cools. Mix with saline packet.
- Turn your head over a sink and pour the solution into one nostril until it comes out the other nostril, while breathing through your mouth.
- Then, turn your head and repeat to irrigate the other nostril. You may need to adjust the position of your head to prevent solution from going down your throat or into your ears.
When outdoors, pollen can get on your skin and hair. Taking a shower in the evening after being outside can prevent those allergens from getting on your bed sheets.
Minimize your allergies when you’re outside:
- Go outside on rainy, cloudy or windless days.
- Don’t touch your eyes or face if you’ve been gardening or doing lawn work.
- Check on pollen levels before going outside. Sign up to get free email alerts on pollen levels from the National Allergy Bureau here.
By Jean Cherry
Jean Cherry is a Program Development Manager in Clinical Programs and Quality with Walgreens. She has built and implemented many successful wellness and chronic disease management programs utilizing patient-friendly digital and web-based technologies.
Sources:
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: “Pollen Allergy.” http://acaai.org/resources/connect/ask-allergist/will-honey-relieve-my-seasonal-allergies
Rajan, T. V., Tennen, H., Lindquist, R. L., Cohen, L., & Clive, J. (January 01, 2002). Effect of ingestion of honey on symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Official Publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology, 88, 2, 198-203.
Saline sinus rinse recipe on American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology http://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/treatments/saline-sinus-rinse-recipe.aspx
Spring Allergies Article. https://www.aaaai.org/Aaaai/media/MediaLibrary/PDF%20Documents/Libraries/EL-Spring-Allergies-patient.pdf
Climate change and outdoor allergies article. https://www.aaaai.org/Aaaai/media/MediaLibrary/PDF%20Documents/Libraries/EL-climate-change-patient.pdf
