Taking the Zing Out of Spring Allergies

Spring is here – and so are spring allergies. If you’re feeling spring’s allergy effects, you may want to read these tips below to help reduce your symptoms:

Palm Trees in Malibu. Photo by Carole Jakucs, May 2015. Image subject to copyright.

• Wash your hair often to remove pollens
• Wash your bedding (including pillow cases) in hot water once per week to reduce the dust mite population and remove pollens too (think of your pollen laden hair on your pillow case).
• Stay indoors when the pollen counts are high.
• Keep your windows closed when the pollen counts are high.
• Get HEPA filters for your home to reduce the amounts of pollens, mold and dust in the air.
• Run the air in your car for a few minutes with the windows open. This will help reduce the amount of airborne irritants inside your car from the vents and send them to the outside.
• Try nasal saline sprays to help remove mucus and irritants from your nose. The saline also helps to reduce swelling inside the nasal passages.
• Use over the counter (OTC) medications as needed to treat your symptoms. Follow all package directions. Antihistamines help with the symptoms of sneezing, runny nose and itching. Decongestants help lessen the swelling of a stuffy nose. Mucolytics help to loosen and thin out mucus in the nasal, sinus and chest areas.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and help keep your mucous membranes moist and fluids moving.
• Consult with your physician/healthcare provider for any persisting or worsening of symptoms.

Allergies-Nothing to Sneeze At: 4 Tips on Medicines that Can Help

If you suffer from allergies and have tried various "natural" measures to reduce your symptoms, but find you and are still having problems, you may need allergy medication(s) to help you further. The following is a brief synopsis of four categories of allergy medicines that may make you more comfortable.

1. Antihistamines: These work to counter the effects of “histamine” in your body. These help to reduce the amount of sneezing, itching (skin and throat), runny nose and watery eyes.
2. Mucolytics: These work to help thin out the mucus you may have in your nose and the back of your throat to help get it out. If too much mucus builds up, it sets the stage for a possible bacterial infection to develop.
3. Oral Decongestants: These work to temporarily shrink nasal passages.
4. Steroid Nasal Spray: These also work to reduce the amount of swelling in your nose, are non-habit forming and can only be obtained by a prescription.

It’s important you drink enough water to stay hydrated when you have allergy symptoms and also when taking these medications. If your mucus membranes get too dry, you’re more vulnerable to picking up an infection and less able to fight it off.

Read and follow all package warnings and directions before you use any medications. This is important for everyone, but especially if you have certain medical conditions such as (but not limited to) high blood pressure, kidney or liver disease. Also, if you are on other medication(s); be certain to read all warnings and directions on the medication label/package.

See these links for more info on allergies.

http://carole-jakucs.blogspot.com/2012/03/control-your-allergies-by-controlling.html

http://carole-jakucs.blogspot.com/2012/03/attacking-spring-allergies-with-nasal.html

http://carole-jakucs.blogspot.com/2012/03/spring-into-action-3-more-tips-to.html

*Contact your doctor for any questions or concerns you have about your health.