
How many people have seasonal allergies?
According to the Canadian Association for allergy/asthma information, about 30% of the Canadian population suffers from some form of allergy.
While the American Foundation for asthma and allergy notes that more than 40 million of Americans suffer from indoor/outdoor allergies each year.
Your nose runs like a faucet, your head feels like it will explode, and you are thinking of catching the eye with a fork. Sound familiar?
The uncomfortable and irritating symptoms of spring allergies will accompany you through the spring and summer season, leaving you in a haze and eager to be able to take a deep breath through your nose. . .
If you can. . . . stop. . . running.
If you are concerned about the upcoming spring/summer allergy season, there are ways to help you reduce and manage your allergy.
There is no need to lock yourself indoors.
Even people with seasonal allergies can enjoy warmer weather in the future, which only requires a little awareness and education.
Arm yourself with the following tips to make the allergy season more tolerable.
If you are an allergic patient and have some wisdom to share with us, don't forget to leave them in the comments section below!
Allergies and time lost at work each year, seasonal allergies are one of the highest causes of absenteeism.
Use nearly 4 million sick leave per allergy season.
Source: National Institute of Aging, what is the cause of allergy in spring 2000?
The most basic explanation for allergies: when foreign substances enter your body, allergic reactions occur, triggering an overreaction of the immune system.
How allergens enter your system: allergens can be consumed through food by direct contact with your skin, or allergens can be transmitted through air by drinking (
Like pollen in spring)
Enter the lungs by breathing.
Once an allergen is introduced into your system through one of these three pathways, your immune system will feel that it is invaded and speeding to drain the substance.
Your immune system produces chemicals such as tissue Amine, which your immune system releases to help remove allergens.
Result: Your nose is long, your eyes are in the water, and your mouth is itchy.
These symptoms cause your body to try to get rid of allergens.
Many people use spring time as an opportunity to open windows, pack up winter quilts and make an old-fashioned "spring cleaning" for their house ".
Spring cleaning is especially important for seasonal allergy patients, your home is the first step in your preparation for the spring allergy season.
Allergic spring cleaning: before packing all the heavy blankets and quilts, wash them in hot water at home to help kill any mites that have been snuggling around you throughout the winter.
Instead of simply storing them in a closet to collect summer dust, consider storing them in a vacuum-sealed storage bag to help minimize dust mites.
Wash all the spring sheets with hot water before re-putting them on and completely vacuum the mattress.
Remove the mattress from the bed and vacuum between the mattress and the spring.
Try to create a weekly bed cleaning program that includes cleaning sheets, blankets, pillows and pillowcases in hot water and running a vacuum on the mattress.
Regular cleaning of bedding helps minimize mites (
They worsen seasonal allergy symptoms).
Vacuuming your mattress helps remove traces of any pollen or other outdoor allergens you track during outdoor activities.
Take down all the curtains in the house and wash them with hot water.
If you have blinds, vacuum them or remove the dust with a cloth with hot water and mild soap.
Clean the house thoroughly.
Although you may have maintained a normal dust-sucking plan in the winter, it is time to go all out and pull the furniture out and vacuum under items that have never moved since last spring.
Allergic spring cleaning: Clean your yard thoroughly in the yard.
At the end of the winter snow melts and the rain shower is usually related to Spring, there may be a lot of wet dead leaves and grass in your yard.
These piles are breeding grounds for mold spores and will only make your allergic symptoms worse.
Rake all of this up and put it in a brown leaf bag and the garbage can be cleaned up the next day.
Be sure to wear personal protective equipment such as gardening gloves to limit exposure to allergens.
If your seasonal allergies are serious or you also have asthma, consider wearing a safety mask.
Thoroughly clean the patio furniture.
Soon enough to bask in the sun on your terrace again.
Your patio furniture is locked in the darkness of the garage or shed and is left out even throughout the winter.
Now is the time to wash with warm soapy water to remove any dust or mold that may reside in your patio furniture in winter.
How to limit outdoor allergens at home, as you are ready for the allergy season with spring cleaning, you will want to limit the number of outdoor allergens tracked to your home to help alleviate allergic symptoms.
Spring brings a lot of outdoor activities, which may allow you to bring pollen and other outdoor allergens home in your clothes and shoes without knowing it.
Remember the following tips to help reduce the allergens you bring home this spring.
Pollen is not bad for you, and although pollen can cause many people to have a runny nose and itchy eyes in the spring, pollen is actually not bad for you.
In fact, pollen is harmless to human body.
If you're allergic to pollen, blame your immune system. .
Not flowers and bees.
An allergic reaction is when your immune system thinks there are foreign invaders, it doesn't mean that the allergen itself is actually bad.
According to the American Foundation for asthma and allergy, allergies may be due to one or both of your parents being allergic, or to prolonged exposure to specific allergens.
Monitoring the pollen in your area you can monitor the amount of pollen in your area through the website of the American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology to help plan the best time of the day to take your dog out for a walk, to help limit the amount of pollen that Fei uses his fur to bring back to your home.
Close your window.
It may be a difficult time for some people.
Nothing is as lovely as a warm spring breeze blowing gently into your window, but if you have seasonal allergies, those open windows invite pollen and other outdoor allergens in the air to settle in at your home.
The grid on your window screen is not enough to filter the pollen.
If you 've been eager to bring some fresh air into your home after a long winter, consider "airing" your house for a few hours a day or two before you finish your spring cleaning.
After that, keep the windows closed.
Resist the urge to open the bedroom window at night.
This will only make you wake up in the morning and feel like you are sprinkled with pollen elves.
Not a good way to start a new day.
If you can never live without opening the window, choose a room to open the window instead of every window in your house.
It's much easier for you to vacuum and clean a room, rather than having to do a full spring clean every time you open all the windows in your home.
The kitchen is the best room to open the windows as you may be cleaning more often than any other room in the house.
Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum.
Keep your routine vacuuming program.
Especially if you have a lot of carpet in your house.
Use an air purifier with a Hepa filter.
If you don't already have an air purifier or you don't have an air filtration system in your home, consider investing in a separate air purifier.
They create miracles to purify the air in your home.
I have two, one downstairs and one upstairs.
Don't forget to clean the filter regularly.
Leave the shoes at the door.
After spending the day outside, your shoes will be covered with pollen and other outdoor allergens (
Even if you can't see it).
Before you enter the room, remove your shoes and limit tracking allergens into your home.
Adjust your dog's walking schedule.
The amount of pollen in the air usually peaks between 5: 00 in the morning and 10: 00 in the morning.
If possible, try to complete your dog's morning routine within these hours.
If Fido goes out when the pollen count reaches its peak, he will return to the house on his fur with the pollen.
How to deal with allergic symptoms & you will still go out just because you have seasonal allergies, which doesn't mean you have to lock yourself in this spring.
Monitoring the amount of pollen and making some minor adjustments to your outdoor activities can help you keep seasonal allergy symptoms to a minimum.
When the amount of pollen drops to a minimum, plan to do work in the yard, daily running or other outdoor activities.
The amount of pollen usually peaks early in the day (
Morning 5:00 to morning 10:00)and after dusk.
When pollen is blown away from plants and trees, try to limit your outdoor activities on windy days.
For a list of apps for free downloads for iphone and android phones, see below to help monitor pollen levels in your area. Use a Neti Pot.
Since its release on Dr, the popularity of these devices has surgedOz Show.
Although you may find it silly to use it, it helps to rinse your nasal passages with mucus, pollen, dust and others that can cause serious damage to your nasal passages
Keep an allergy record.
Place your notebook and pen in a central position (
Like your bedside table)
Write down when you experience the most serious symptoms.
Includes the time of day, what activity you were doing before the onset of symptoms and what symptoms you experienced (
Runny nose, itchy eyes, etc. )
This can make it easier for you to adjust your behavior and activities by finding out when and why symptoms appear.
The inventory of antigroup drugs increased.
On the counter (OTC)
Antiamine can reduce or prevent the production of chemical tissue amine in your system.
When your body feels compromised by a specific allergen, this is the chemical that your body releases.
Amine is the reason for your allergic symptoms, such as your continuous runny nose.
Important: always talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medication, including allergic counter antihistones.
Be sure to let your pharmacist know about any other drugs you are taking before you take antihistamine.
Track Seasonal allergies with your smartphone. There are some great apps for both iphone and android phones that you can download to help monitor the amount of pollen, air quality index in your area
All the apps listed below are free.
To monitor the amount of pollen in your area: The Weather Network app provides you with the latest pollen reports in your area, in addition to letting you know the current weather conditions.
Weather Network App (iTunes)
Weather Network App (Google Play)
To monitor and track your seasonal allergy symptoms: web md Allergy App This app provides a lot of the same information as the first two, including pollen reports and weather forecasts in your area, but it also allows you to monitor your symptoms and keep track of how you feel on any given day.
Links to other excellent articles that manage symptoms can also be found in this app.
Web MD allergy App (iTunes)
Web MD allergy App (Google Play)
For more information, the Canadian allergy/asthma Information Association is a great resource for information if you need more information, including other treatment options for seasonal and year-round allergies.