Tips To Help Reduce Allergy Symptoms Associated With High Pollen Counts

If seasonal allergies, resulting from high pollen counts, have been causing you to sneeze continuously throughout each day and have been contributing to watery, itchy eyes, the following tips will help reduce the symptoms that you have been experiencing until you are able to be seen by a licensed allergist.

Use Saltwater

If you have been having difficulty breathing and over the counter allergy medications don't seem to be helping much at all, use a saline nasal spray to help clear out your nasal passages. Be sure to follow the instructions listed on the back of the spray's packaging before administering the product. Most sprays require users to add one or two drops of a saline solution to each nostril during a treatment session. Once applied, you may find that you are able to breathe easier after several minutes.

If you are also dealing with a scratchy throat due to allergies, lessen the unpleasant feeling by gargling with saltwater for a couple minutes. To prepare an effective solution, add a small amount of table salt to a glass of warm water. Stir the ingredients until the salt dissolves. Once finished gargling, spit out the saltwater and rinse out your mouth with plain water.

Wear Protective Gear And Try To Limit Time Outside During The Day

If you need to go out on a day in which the pollen count is high, cover your nostrils and mouth as well as you can with a scarf or face mask before leaving your home. Once you arrive at your destination, remove the protective gear and place it in a bag so that pollen on the item's surface does not linger near your face and cause an adverse reaction .

Pollen counts tend to be highest during the daytime, so try to handle most of your errands early in the morning or after the sun has set. If you are going to be out in your yard during the daytime for an extended amount of time, keep your face covered as much as possible.

Change And Shower After Arriving Home

Pollen spores often accumulate on outerwear and shoes and can be exposed to parts of your house if the items continue to be worn after arriving home. Keep a hamper and robe close to your home's entrance way and get into the habit of removing garments when you arrive home. Place the items inside of a hamper and launder them soon afterwards.

Put on a robe and head to the bathroom to take a shower or put on a fresh outfit. By continuing this practice, you won't be exposed to as much pollen and may be able to keep your allergy symptoms under control.

It is important to meet with an allergist, like The Regional Allergy Asthma & Immunology Center, PC, if your symptoms worsen or if you have difficulty completing tasks each day, due to feeling poorly. An allergist may prescribe medication to assist with keeping allergy symptoms at bay so that you feel better throughout each allergy season.