With super bloom there is allergy boom and gloom. There are flower buds and lush greens everywhere in sight and that means runny nose, watery eyes and sneezing for many. Hay fever, allergic rhinitis or seasonal allergies are same names for this miserable condition that affect 36 million Americans. If you have an allergy be it food, medicinal or pollen, your immune system reacts to something that doesn’t bother most other people.
Here are some ways you can avoid or lessen the symptoms of allergic rhinitis and still enjoy spring:
Non-prescription /Over the counter (OTC) medications:
- Oral antihistamines (Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra) can help with watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing. Some oral antihistamines can cause drowsiness – read labels carefully. There are non-drowsy antihistamines available OTC as well, know what you are taking and don’t drive or handle machinery if you are unsure or are using the standard OTC ones which are not labeled as “Non Drowsy”.
- Decongestants (available as tablets and nasal sprays) like Sudafed generally provide temporary symptom relief only. They are known to cause rebound symptoms, which are worse than your initial symptoms, can increase heart rate and blood pressure and therefore best avoided.
- Nasal sprays containing steroids like Nasonex and Flonase reduce inflammation locally to reduce symptoms. Cromolyn sodium nasal spray available OTC is anti-inflammatory, has no serious side effects and is easy to use. Nasal sprays can just be saline (sterile salt water) but they work best if you use it before and after allergen exposure.
Rinsing nasal/sinus passages:
- Nasal lavage gets rid of mucus and allergens. Sinus rinsing is what works for my allergic symptoms the best. It is by far a more effective way of rinsing the mucus and allergens that settle deep inside the nasal passages. You will need a squeeze bottle with a spout designed for nasal rinsing (also called neti pot and is available at most drug stores). Mayo Clinic recommends using water that’s distilled, sterile, previously boiled and cooled, or filtered using a filter with an absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller to make up the saline irrigation solution. Also be sure to rinse the irrigation device after each use with similarly distilled, sterile, previously boiled and cooled, or filtered water and leave open to air-dry. According to the FDA, tap water that is not filtered, treated, or processed in specific ways is not safe for use as a nasal rinse.
Reduce allergens inside the house:
We think about allergens when we leave our houses. But in reality keeping indoor air clean is important in reducing allergy symptoms inside the house. Using air conditioning in your home, office or car and cleaning and maintaining those AC filters can go a long way in eliminating indoor allergens. That means keeping your windows closed (sigh!) even if spring breeze is tempting. Keeping floors clean with a vacuum that has a HEPA filter (high efficiency particulate air) and using a dehumidifier in your bedroom can all help in keeping indoor air clean with reduced allergen count.
Spring-cleaning is a real thing as pet dander, fur and saliva can accumulate inside our houses in winter. Deep and thorough cleaning of the house, washing upholstery and regular linen washing if you own pets will help keep indoor allergens down.
Wear a protective mask if you have to mow the lawn or pull weeds. Best to delegate these chores to someone else in the house who is not bothered by seasonal allergies.
Know about local pollen counts:
Pollen is a fine powder released form flowers, which can play havoc with our nasal passages and produce severe allergy symptoms. Many weather apps and websites provide daily updates on the count and kind of pollen in your area. Pollen.com is one such website and it provides a national as well as local allergy map with easy to understand visuals. The National Allergy Bureau also offers pollen reports to the public but it is a bit more complicated to understand and not every region count is available.
Try to stay indoors when pollen counts are high (they are typically highest early in the morning) and start taking allergy medication before your symptoms appear. Know that counts typically are higher on a hot, windy, sunny day compared with a cool day without much wind.
Natural remedies:
Eating a healthy diet, consuming daily portions of fruits, vegetables and nuts have been shown to reduce allergy symptoms. A word of caution for people with fall allergies to ragweed is to watch carefully for cross allergies to bananas, melons, cucumbers, zucchini, sunflower seeds, and herbs such as Echinacea and chamomile. People with spring and pollen allergies should watch out for reactions to bee products, honey and propolis. Drinking plenty of water can thin the mucus in nasal passages and making breathing easier. Steam inhalation can provide symptomatic relief as well.
When all else fails, see your doctor:
If your seasonal allergies don’t respond to any of the above measures and are affecting your quality of life, your doctor may recommend allergy testing to find out exactly what allergens trigger your symptoms. Once your allergy triggers are known, specific steps can be taken to avoid those allergens and a unique treatment plan can be chalked out that works for you. Your doctor may recommend allergy shots (immunotherapy/desensitization) or specific tablets to make you feel better.
