While the spring weather begins to get warmer making many of us want to go outdoors for fresh air, there are also flowers and trees blooming! Yes, it can be beautiful, but for the millions of people that battle with allergies, it can cause sneezing, congestion, running noses, and itchy and watery eyes. Seasonal allergies may also be referred to as hay fever and allergic rhinitis, whatever you want to call it, this can be miserable! In this post, I am going to share the advice I have found to be useful when dealing with allergies! Please, be advised that I am NOT a medical professional, and I am not providing medical advice, I am just simply sharing some things that I have found to be beneficial. 

Ways to reduce exposure to allergy triggers are:

1. Stay inside on dry and windy days.

2. The best time to go outdoors is after a good rain as this helps to clear pollen from the air. 

3. Avoid lawn mowing, pulling weeds, and other gardening activities that may stir up additional allergens. 

4. Remove clothing that you wore outside and shower to rinse away pollen from your hair and skin. 

5. Do not hang laundry outdoors to dry as pollen will stick to anything that is outside. 

6. If you must do chores outdoors, wear a face mask. Most of us were used to wearing face masks during COVID. 

7. Check the weather for pollen forecast and the current pollen counts. 

8. If high pollen counts are in the forecast, be proactive and start taking allergy medicine before you experience symptoms. 

9. Keep your windows closed at night or anytime when pollen counts are high.

10.Avoid outdoor activities in the early mornings when pollen counts tend to be at their highest. 

Ways to keep your indoor air clean:

There is not a miracle product that is going to remove or eliminate allergens from the air in your home, but a few of the following recommendations may help!

-Use air conditioning in your home and car.

-If you use windows units for air conditioning, use high-efficiency filters and maintain regularly scheduled maintenance. 

-Keep indoor air dry with a dehumidifier. 

-Clean your floors often using a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter. It is suggested to vacuum floors twice a week, especially if you have pets.

Different Types of Nonprescription Allergy Medications:               

Oral antihistamines can help to relieve all those annoying symptoms such as sneezing, itchy, and watery eyes, or stuffy or running nose. Some examples include Zyrtec, Allegra, and Claritin.

Corticosteroid nasal sprays help to improve nasal symptoms. A few examples include Flonase Allergy Relief, Rhinocort Allergy, and Nasacort Allergy 24 hours. It is important to discuss the long-term use of any of these products with your healthcare provider.

Cromolyn Sodium Nasal Sprays may ease allergy symptoms by preventing the release of immune system agents causing the symptoms. This works most efficiently if treatment is started prior to exposure to allergies. This is a safe treatment but typically needs to be used 4-6 times daily.

Oral Decongestants can provide temporary relief from nasal discomforts, an example would be Sudafed. Many allergy medications may combine antihistamines with decongestants. A few examples include Zyrtec-D 12-hour, Allegra-D 12-hour for Allergy and Congestion, and Claritin-D.

As I already mentioned, I am not a medical professional, so I am not giving you medical advice. The information in this post is from research I have done, as I do suffer from not just seasonal allergies, but mine are year around allergies. I do understand how frustrating they can be, so I am hoping the information in this post will be helpful to you or someone you know that battles with allergies.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope the information in this post was helpful and it helps you to get some relief from any allergy issues you might experience. I would love the chance to read your comments and I will respond as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa