7 tips to get through Allergy Season

Pollen is everywhere when the weather gets warmer – and that makes life miserable for the millions and millions suffering from pollen allergy.

Are you suffering?

Spring might bring longer and warmer days, but if you suffer from pollen allergy, the Spring and Summer Months can be a nightmare.

Why do some people get allergic?

According to the Mayo Clinic, allergies happen when the immune system reacts to a foreign substance that gets inside the body. These substances are known as allergens. They include pollen, bee venom and pet dander. Allergies also can happen due to certain foods and medicines that don’t cause reactions in most people.

Can make Spring unsufferable

If you’re allergic to pollen, you know how insufferable the Spring and Summer can be, but fortunately there are some things you can do to lessen the suffering – and they don’t include medicine.

Stay Indoors

Unless you have a birch tree standing in your living room (which, in my opinion, is a far more pressing issue than allergies), it’s wise to stay inside when the pollen count is at its highest.

Check the numbers

Keep an eye on local pollen alerts and consider downloading an app that provides real-time updates for your area. Try and plab your day/week to avoid outdoor activities when the pollen count is off the chart.

Ventilate with Care

It’s important to air out your home, but when you open doors and windows, pollen will inevitably find its way into your living room, bedroom, etc.

Short and intense

The recommendation is to ventilate in shorter but more intense bursts, and consider doing a quick round of vacuuming and dusting after closing everything up again.

Wash Hair and Beard Every Evening

Pollen tends to stick to hair and body hair, so make it a habit to shower before going to bed in the evening.

Moustache is the biggest challenge

If you have a moustache be especially thorough in washing it, since any pollen trapped there will go straight into your nostrils.

Wear (Sun)Glasses

Even though pollen is nearly invisible to the naked eye, the individual particles are actually large enough that a pair of glasses or sunglasses can help keep them away from your eyes.

Everything can help

If you don’t normally wear glasses and don’t want to wear sunglasses (for example, in the evening), you might consider investing in a cheap pair of non-prescription glasses.

Change Bedding More Often

If you occasionally forget to wash your hair and beard before bed, you can be sure you’ll wake up with intense allergy symptoms the next morning.

It doesn’t go away

Unfortunately, pollen doesn’t just vanish, and if you had it in your hair when your head hit the pillow, it will end up in your bedding as well. Consider changing your sheets (especially your pillowcase) more frequently than usual during this period.

Keep Your Hands Away from Eyes and Nose

You can take all the precautions to keep pollen away from your eyes and nostrils, but do you remember to wash your hands regularly? Probably not—and that’s a problem when it comes to pollen.

You do it to yourself

If your hands or fingers have pollen on them and you then rub your eyes or nose, well, it doesn’t take a PhD to figure out what happens next.

Gloves or attention

You could solve this by wearing thin gloves outdoors, but for most people, it’s easier and more comfortable to simply pay closer attention to where your fingers go throughout the day – and wash your hands regularly.

Change Clothes Often

When you come home from work after being outside, it might be a good idea to change clothes right away. Just like hair, beards, and bedding, regular clothing also tends to trap pollen. That means you risk walking around in a cloud of pollen—even indoors.

Change earlier

Consider making it a habit to change clothes as soon as you walk through the door after work. You can then wear the same outfit again the next day—until it’s time to change again after coming home.