How to Get Ahead on Spring Allergies

Spring is right around the corner, and with that comes allergy season. Allergy season can make you have symptoms like congestion, sneezing, runny nose, and several other symptoms that can interrupt your day-to-day activities. There are several things that you can do to help to improve your seasonal allergies.

How To Lessen Your Seasonal Allergies

Here are several things that you can do to help minimize your allergy symptoms:

• Reduce triggers. Allergies can be triggered by things like going out on windy days or doing things like mowing the grass or gardening on high pollen days. Staying indoors when the pollen count is high and delegating chores like mowing the grass and gardening to other people can help you to reduce your exposure to allergens.
• Clean your indoor air. Using your air conditioner with a good filter can help to catch any allergens that may come into your home.
• Air purifiers. You can also get stand alone air purifiers to help to mitigate allergens in the air of your home. These can be purchased as whole room models or individual room models.

Treating Your Seasonal Allergies

You may do all the things above and still have an issue with seasonal allergies. There are several things that you can do to help treat your allergies, and they include:

• Decongestants. If you find that you are dealing with nasal stuffiness, there are oral decongestants that can help you to experience temporary relief of your symptoms.
• Oral antihistamines. Antihistamines can help to reduce your runny nose, watery eyes, itching, and sneezing. There are several different brands on the market, and you will need to determine which one will work best for your symptoms. Your doctor can help you figure out what you need.
• Nasal spray. Nasal sprays can help to alleviate your symptoms. It is important to note that if you use decongestant nasal sprays that you can have rebound congestion if you use it too often.
• Combination medication. There are several combination allergy medications out there that combine decongestants with antihistamines. These work well to help treat all aspects of your allergies.
• Sinus rinse. Nasal irrigation with a saline solution can help to reduce nasal congestion and other sinus issues. A neti pot or a squeeze bottle is the best to use for this process.
• Natural remedies. There are several natural remedies that can help with allergies. These include things like spirulina and elderberry.
• Allergy shots. If you suffer from severe allergies, your doctor may determine that you need allergy shots. These shots can help to reduce the immune system’s reaction to the allergens.

If you are suffering from allergy symptoms and you do not experience much relief from over-the-counter options or natural remedies, please call Alabama Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialists today. We are happy to get to the bottom of what is causing your allergies and help you to come up with a solution that will have you symptom-free in no time.