Every year, if you have seasonal allergies, you know exactly when things start to bloom. Your eyes start to itch, and you feel that tingle in your nose and throat. There is not one perfect strategy to reduce or eliminate allergy symptoms. Each person is a little bit different, and for anyone who spends more time outdoors, their symptoms will be more severe than a person staying inside an air-conditioned home. However, we have compiled a list of things to help you reduce your allergy symptoms. Many of these tips, if done well, can help you minimize many of the bad symptoms you experience and help you feel better.
According to the American College of Allergies, Asthma & Immunology(acaai.org) there are more than 50 million Americans that suffer from allergies each year. The cost to alleviate those allergies cost over $18 billion yearly, and the severity and symptoms varied considerably among the sufferers.
Popping pills every few hours to alleviate allergy symptoms is not recommended for anyone. There are natural remedies for allergy sufferers to ease their stuffy, runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes and itching of the nose, and throat. Some of these natural remedies will help ease to varying degrees some of the worst symptoms. Here is a comprehensive list of things you can do to reduce your seasonal allergy symptoms. Individually, none of these tips are a cure-all but can be used as a comprehensive strategy to greatly reduce your seasonal suffering.
Keep Windows Closed
We all want some fresh air when things warm up, but if it is allergy season for you, keep those windows closed. If you must open windows for some fresh air, consider opening them during a light rainfall, or right after, for a short while. The rain can help wash away pollen and reduce airborne allergens.
Air Conditioning and Filter
If your windows are closed, you are going to get hot. The AC is an allergy sufferer’s best friend. And if you buy a good filter that filters out allergens, you can stay cool and keep your air in your home clear of pollen.
Netty Pot – Nose Bidet
Flushing your nose with a warm saline solution 2-3 times a day will give you immediate relief from itchy eyes and other allergy symptoms. These can be bought at the drug store. Make sure you boil water first, and let it cool to a comfortable temperature.
Local Honey
Some people swear by local honey. The thought process is that the honey will contain the pollen in the area, and will help your body build up an immunity to it, thus reducing allergies. I have never tried this enough to see if it works or not, but it seems something worth trying if you like honey in your tea anyway.
Change Clothes
Pollen will come into your home in your hair, on your clothes, and on your shoes. The more often you change things and wash things the better. When you come in from doing something outside, consider changing to indoor clothing right away and isolate the outdoor clothing in a laundry area or a basket.
Change Towels
While it is great to use towels multiple times to reduce water usage, it can be bad during allergy season. As your towel gets more pollen on it, drying your face with it becomes a terrible idea. During allergy season, change your hand towels every day, and your bath towels every 2-3 days.
Clean Shoes
Shoes are the worst culprits for tracking pollen from the outside. If you can, keep shoes in a garage or isolated area. Frequently clean them and the floor where you keep them. Do not walk around the house wearing your shoes you wear outside.
Vacuum (Home, Car, Furniture)
The floor will get allergens on it no matter how hard you try. Mopping and sweeping is essential, and an easy task if you do it daily. Be especially careful of carpeted areas, like inside the car, on carpeted steps and even cloth-covered furniture. Leather furniture might even be a better choice for someone with bad allergies.
Window Treatments
Curtains are hard to clean frequently. If you have bad allergies, consider blinds that can be quickly dusted. This helps keep those allergens out of the home because they cannot build up in the curtains.
Wash Dog
If you have a dog, allergy season is a good time for a lot of baths, or at least being sprayed with the hose frequently. Depending on the breed, a dog can collect and bring in a lot of allergens. Choose your dog breed carefully and keep their hair short and clean during allergy season.
Shower and Wash Face
Getting allergens off of you is critical. You do not want to go to sleep with them in your hair or on your face, especially. Take showers in the evenings, and rinse off after you come in from outside activities. If you cannot shower, at least wash your face and hands well.
Generic Claritin
Lastly, while this is not a “natural” remedy for seasonal allergies, I consider this a great tip. Claritin works well for reducing allergy symptoms, but it is expensive. Most people do not realize that there is a generic form that you can buy on Amazon or sometimes at your pharmacist that is under $10 for 100 tablets. There are different names and brands, but the savings are incredible.
Natural options are the best choice for your allergies, but when symptoms become intolerable , keeping a bottle of allergy pills on hand to ease your symptoms can be an option too.