Allergy Season
Spring brings a welcomed change, especially after a long winter spent stuck indoors! While we are all excited to get outdoors more and enjoy the sunshine and new blooms, this time of year often causes allergy flareups for many people. The most common spring allergens are pollen and the symptoms include: congestion, runny nose, itchy and watery eyes, fatigue, trouble sleeping, and even asthma attacks. To help ease your allergy symptoms and ensure you enjoy all your favorite springtime activities, follow the tips below!
Tips for Allergy Relief
- Check the pollen count and smog levels and avoid going outside when they are high. This is especially important if you exercise outdoors.
- Keep your doors and windows closed and use an air purifier.
- Clean the air filters in your home and car often.
- Dust bookshelves, vents, or anywhere else pollen could collect.
- Wash bedding, throw blankets, and rugs in hot water to get rid of dust mites and other allergens.
- Keep the humidity in your house between 30% and 50% so dust mites can’t thrive.
- Pollen can collect on your clothes and in your hair, so take a shower and change your clothes after you go outside.
- Vacuum, especially if you have carpets, or sweep often.
- When it comes to mowing the lawn, consider wearing a dust mask to avoid grass pollen or look into a lawn service.
- If your spring allergies are severe, talk to your doctor about which allergy medicine might work best for you.
- You can also ask your doctor about a neti pot. Neti pots use sterile saline to flush out nasal passages and many patients have allergy relief when they use it in the spring.
Honey: Myth or Fact?
If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you have most likely been told to try consuming local honey. It’s one of the most common folk remedies that people swear by, however, the effectiveness of this remedy is controversial.
One randomized placebo-controlled trial published in the National Library of Medicine tested the effect honey had on allergic rhinitis (AR). Their results showed that only the group that ingested honey showed a significant improvement in individual AR symptoms. The improvement persisted for a month after the cessation of the treatment. There are a few other smaller studies that yield the same result as well as studies that disprove the theory completely. The truth is, there is very little supporting research and a majority of medical professionals agree that using honey to help treat your seasonal allergies is just a myth. In addition, as stated by Novant Health, most people who get seasonal allergies are actually reacting to tree and grass pollen, not flower pollen collected by bees.
