8 Allergy Mistakes You Don't Want to Make


Do you have runny, watery eyes, pressure in your sinuses, and a stuffy nose all year? 

You might have suffered from allergies for a long time and failed to find an effective treatment. You may have seasonal allergies like itching, watery eyes, or even a runny nose, which may last for months regardless of a particular season.

Even in the springtime, tree pollens might bother you if you live near oak trees, cedar, elm, or even trees whose blooms produce itchy pollens. Grass pollen is around in the middle to end of summer. Ragweed pollen may trigger a runny nose and watery eyes by the time autumn rolls around. Anyone who suffers from allergies understands how frustrating they can be.

Allergies may either be seasonal or perennial. Trees, grasses, and weeds may all trigger symptoms at different times of the year. Thus, we classify these conditions as seasonal. 

Mold spores, weeds, wild grasses, or tree/plant pollens mostly cause seasonal allergic rhinitis. Chronic or perpetual allergic rhinitis causes hay fever that affects a person's health at any season due to an allergy to environmental dust, animal dander, dust mites, mildew, or mold spores. Removal of a dog, cat, or other creature from the house does not always alleviate an allergic reaction.

You presumably take the necessary measures, such as if you're susceptible to seasonal allergies like hay fever −

  • Getting rid of pollen on your clothing

  • Inactivity during the pollen season

  • Clear and moist eyes may be maintained with the use of eye drops.

  • Frequent hand washing

Only put off getting allergy medication once you are unable to breathe. When pollen or ragweed season starts this year, make an appointment with your doctor to acquire the finest allergy treatment.

Good allergy symptom management requires medication and measures to avoid exposure to the allergen(s). Think about what may be triggering your allergies and what you can do to alleviate them right now.

1. Shower Immediately After Being Outside

Pollen may settle on your skin and hair if you spend much time outdoors, primarily working out in the garden, which can aggravate allergy symptoms. If you suffer from severe pollen allergies, it is recommended that you take an additional shower after you return inside.

2. Leave Your Shoes and Pollen at the Front Door

When you come inside after working or exercising outdoors, you might bring a lot of pollen. You might be bringing pollen into every area of the home if you wait to remove your shoes as soon as you enter. Your clothing is no different. If you suffer from severe hay fever or other seasonal allergies, change out of your outdoor clothing and into clean ones as soon as you get inside.

3. Avoid Opening Windows Once Spring Hits

As the weather warms up in the spring, throwing up the windows and letting the fresh air in might be tempting. But doing so during peak allergy season is like inviting pollen into your home. If you suffer from allergies, you may get relief from the symptoms by closing the windows and utilizing an air conditioner equipped with an allergen filter.

4. Skip Having a Drink With Dinner

Nasal allergy symptoms may be exacerbated by alcohol use because it increases blood flow to the nasal linings. This situation is further aggravated by alcohol use if the drinker already has year-round nasal problems, such as regular congestion. If you suffer from seasonal allergies and are already feeling congested, you should avoid drinking alcohol.

5. Stay Away From Chlorine and Strong Perfumes

Coughing may be caused by irritants to the nasal passages and lungs, such as chlorine from a swimming pool or a powerful perfume. Fragrances and colors used in personal care and household goods could trigger an allergic response. Rashes and itching caused by dermatitis may make allergy symptoms even more intolerable.

6. Put the Humidifier Away

Using a humidifier, particularly in a room with dust mites, might aggravate allergy symptoms. Dust mite populations explode in damp environments. Dry air is the most excellent antidote for dust mite allergies. Stop using the humidifier if you have a dust mite allergy, and observe if your symptoms disappear.

7. Avoid a Reaction Causing Food Item

Having antibodies that produce an immune system overreaction to food is common among those who suffer from seasonal allergies. Cross-reactivity describes this occurrence. 

Lips and tongue, and even the mouth get irritated after consuming certain fruits like bananas, melons, cucumbers, and zucchini if you have a ragweed allergy. Birch tree pollen allergies have symptoms while consuming fruits like apples, pears and peaches, carrots, kiwis, and hazelnuts. Some issues may only manifest themselves when pollen counts are high.

8. Skip Short-Acting Allergy Meds at Night

Certain allergy drugs, such as Zyrtec (cetirizine) and Allegra (fexofenadine), don't need to be taken at night since they last 24 hours. But, if you take an alternative antihistamine in the morning to treat allergy symptoms, remember that its benefits will last only six to eight hours. Further allergy problems in the morning may be avoided if you retake it before night. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, taking the prescribed medicine as directed is essential.

Regardless of the time of year, keeping track of all these allergens and avoiding them as much as possible can help reduce the severity of your allergy symptoms.

Updated on: 24-Apr-2023

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