Having Allergies in 2023?
By Kealan Connors
Kealan Connors has always wanted to help people in any way, shape, or form. From a young age, he has always been engaged within his community, from building walking/biking trails in his local parks to helping his friends. This
desire led him to pursue a degree in communications from Southern Oregon University. Currently, at 22, he resides in Grants Pass, Oregon. He also holds an Associate's degree in Arts from Rogue Community College. He wants to work in a career where people are the focus, whether in health care, politics, or a nonprofit organization. His favorite hobbies are going on long walks with his yellow lab, Taffy, mountain biking, and generally, he loves to be outside. Right now, he is starting a new hobby in cooking.
As Springtime is in full swing, many people including my family are dealing with allergies relating to pollen or other things. In this article, I will be mentioning some of the different ways people can manage and stop their allergies from going out of control.
Reduce Your Exposure to Allergens
This part may seem obvious, though most people do not do this one simple thing. Staying indoors on dry windy days can help prevent someone's allergies tremendously. The best time to go outside is right after a good rain, which helps clear any pollen from the air around them. Other ways to prevent allergies is by not lawn mowing, pulling weeds, or rubbing your eyes after doing yard work. After a long day of working in the yard (if you have to), wash your clothes thoroughly and make sure you wash your body as well to ensure that any of the pollen residues is not on you anymore. Lastly, do not hang your laundry out to dry. This allows pollen to settle on clothes and it defeats the purpose of getting rid of your allergies.
Take Extra Steps When Pollen Counts are High
No miracle product will help eliminate all pollination from your house, though there are things people can do to limit the amount in the house. Use air conditioning in your house and car. By chance, if you have forced air conditioning and heating in your house, use high-efficiency filters and follow regular maintenance schedules. Keep indoor air dry with a dehumidifier and use a portable high-efficiency particulate air filter in the bedroom. Lastly, cleaning floors often with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter can help reduce the pollens in the household. Use air conditioning in your house and car.
Try Over-the-Counter Remedies
Several types of nonprescription medications can help ease allergy symptoms. They include:
● Oral antihistamines. Antihistamines can help relieve sneezing, itching, a stuffy or runny nose, and watery eyes. Examples of oral antihistamines include cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy), fexofenadine (Allegra Allergy), and loratadine (Claritin, Alavert).
● Corticosteroid nasal sprays. These medications improve nasal symptoms. Examples include fluticasone propionate (Flonase Allergy Relief), budesonide (Rhinocort Allergy), and triamcinolone (Nasacort Allergy 24 Hour). Talk to your healthcare provider about the long-term use of corticosteroid nasal sprays.
● Cromolyn sodium nasal spray. This nasal spray can ease allergy symptoms by blocking the release of immune system agents that cause symptoms. It works best if treatment is started before exposure to allergens. It's considered a very safe treatment, but it usually needs to be used 4 to 6 times daily.
● Oral decongestants. Oral decongestants such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) can provide temporary relief from nasal stuffiness. Some allergy medications combine an antihistamine with a decongestant. Examples include cetirizine-pseudoephedrine (Zyrtec-D 12 Hour), fexofenadine-pseudoephedrine (Allegra-D 12 Hour Allergy and Congestion) and loratadine-pseudoephedrine (Claritin-D). Talk to your healthcare provider about whether the use of a decongestant is good for treating your allergy symptoms.
