While there’s a lot to love about spring, the proliferation of pollen isn’t something to celebrate. If you’re sick of sniffling and sneezing, but don’t know what to do other than take antihistamines, we’ve got you covered. Here are some tips for handling allergies:
Avoiding Allergens
Though you can’t completely escape airborne allergens, health care experts do have some advice to reduce contact and ease the resulting symptoms.
First, dry and windy days are more likely to set off allergies — the best time to hang outside is after a rain storm.
If you are spending a good amount of time outside, wear a mask while doing activities that kick up dirt and dust, like gardening, mowing, and weed pulling.
Once you go back inside, be sure to change clothes to limit the allergens brought back into the house. Also, if you like to skip the dryer and line dry clothing, avoid hanging laundry outside — pollen can cling to fabric.
To keep your indoor air clean, use an air purifier or air conditioning and make sure to replace the filters regularly. You can also invest in a dehumidifier and portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters for your house and vacuum. (Pro-tip: indoor air purifiers also help tremendously during fire season!)
More Helpful Tips for High Pollen Days
On high pollen days, doctors recommend taking allergy medications before symptoms start, avoiding early morning outdoor activities when pollen is highest, and keeping windows and doors closed.
If you get really stuffy, nasal irrigation with a saline solution and neti-pot or rinse bottle might help you breathe easier.
To figure out what allergens (pollen, mold, dust, etc.) are hanging out in the air and how much, check out the pollen maps provided by The Weather Channel.
Air quality can also impact people prone to allergies and other sensitive groups. You can check Denver’s air quality index daily on the state’s website or Weather.com’s breathing index. This handy guide explains how air quality is measured and what each category means.
