As spring begins and
pollen counts start to increase, those with seasonal allergies may start
to feel symptoms such as
sneezing, congestion, and
a runny nose. Over 50
million Americans experience allergies each year,
and we’d like to provide
you with some tips that
will help you during this
time.
• Start your medication
regimen early. If you
know you experience allergies each year, start
your allergy regimen
about a month before your
specific allergy season
starts. That way any medication has a chance to get
into your system and start
working before the season
starts.
• Go outside at the right
times. Pollen counts are
highest in the morning
and again at night, so if
you need to go outside,
try to do it when counts
are low.
• Stay inside if it’s
windy and warm. Pollen
counts tend to rise on dry,
warm, and windy days, so
if it’s breezy outside, try
to stay indoors.
• Shower at night. Because pollen can stick to
your clothes, skin, and
hair, it’s important to
shower each night to remove any irritants. Remember to also remove
and wash any clothing
that was exposed to the
pollen. You’ll sleep better
at night if the pollen doesn’t have a chance of getting into your bed.
There are a few options
for over-the-counter
remedies. They include:
• Oral antihistamines.
Antihistamines can help
relieve sneezing, itching,
a runny nose and watery
eyes. Examples include
loratadine (Claritin,
Alavert), cetirizine
(Zyrtec Allergy) and fexofenadine (Allegra Allergy).
• Decongestants. Oral
decongestants such as
pseudoephedrine
(Sudafed, Afrinol, others)
can provide temporary relief from nasal stuffiness.
Decongestants also come
in nasal sprays, such as
oxymetazoline (Afrin)
and phenylephrine (NeoSynephrine). Only use
nasal decongestants for a
few days in a row.
Longer-term use of decongestant nasal sprays
can actually worsen
symptoms.
• Nasal spray. Cromolyn sodium nasal spray
can ease allergy symptoms and doesn’t have serious side effects, though
it’s most effective when
you begin using it before
your symptoms start.
We hope that these tips
help you tackle the upcoming allergy season!
