Everything You Need to Know About Combating Spring Allergies

An in-depth review of spring allergies. Everything You Need to Know About Combating Spring Allergies thegearhunt.com

Everyone looks forward to the spring of the year. The breezes are balmy, the temperature is just right, and the flowers are blooming everywhere. That in itself can cause a serious problem for those of us who suffer from seasonal allergies. While we love spring, a prolonged amount of time in the fun and sun of the season can lead to sneezing, coughing, and itchy eyes that work to make you truly miserable and ready for winter to rear its head once again, well almost.

While, sadly, there is no cure for springtime allergies, there are ways out there that you can combat them and even prevent them from taking hold and ruining your fun in the sun during the spring. In this blog, we will go into a few of the signs and symptoms that you are suffering from springtime allergies and a few things to help you treat and prevent those allergies as well.

Hay-Fever

So, grab your glass of iced tea and let’s get started on our journey to fight spring allergies together, shall we?

Signs and Symptoms that You Suffer from Spring Allergies

Allergies in any season can make you miserable, but it seems like spring allergies are the worst for many of us. Sadly, depending on what part of the country you live in, you can suffer from seasonal allergies year-round. It seems that the further up north you live, the less likely you are to have allergies in the spring, winter, summer, and fall. In this section of our blog, we are going to concentrate on the signs and symptoms that you have spring allergies. We will list the symptoms below. Do you have any of these?

Most Common Spring Allergy Symptoms

  • Runny nose
  • Stuffy nose
  • Sneezing
  • Watery and itchy eyes
  • Ear congestion
  • Postnasal drip
  • Itchy sinuses
  • Itchy throat
  • Itchy ear canals

Less Common Spring Allergy Symptoms

  • Wheezing
  • Coughing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Headache

Some of these symptoms may be more common than others in seasonal allergies. For example, I have a headache with my spring allergies all of the time, other people don’t. It is important to note at this point, that people who have asthma need to be careful with seasonal allergies, as the symptoms could cause an asthma attack. So, if you have never had spring allergies before and move to an area that is prone to them, then you need to be more careful than most.

Triggers Associated with Spring Allergies

Almost everyone knows the most common spring allergy triggers. These are pet dander, pollen, and dust. Sadly, staying away from flowers and trees might not be enough to help you prevent them from attacking. There are actually quite a few less common things that could be triggering your spring allergies that we will go into as well.

Fruit Pollen

There are many of us, that though we suffer from spring allergies, we still look forward to the fresh fruit the spring season brings with it. Sadly, that fresh fruit has what is known as fruit pollen on it and can actually trigger your allergies or even make them worse. In order to lessen the pollen on your favorite fresh fruit, you can peel or cook the fruit before you eat it. Washing it may help as well.

Your Pets

It’s also highly possible that your pets can trigger your allergies during the spring of the year. This is the time when your pet is tracking pollen, dust, and even mold back into your home and those are triggers you want to avoid. The best way to combat this, because, of course, getting rid of your pet isn’t an option is to bathe them regularly and even wipe down their fur when they come inside with a wet cloth.

Spring-Allergies

Sticky Hair Products

For those of us that use hair spray, gels, and mousses, and other sticky hair products, spring can be a nightmare. You have to have the hair products to tame your hair during those humid, sometimes windy days. However, the pollen can stick to those hair products and follow you around all day, making you miserable. It’s recommended that you wash your hair every day during allergy season and avoid using hair products as well.

Sleeping with the Pollen and Dander

If you’re going to bed fine and waking up congested and feeling horrible, it is possible that you are sleeping with the pollen, dander and other spring allergy triggers that are causing your flareups. Make sure that you are showering and washing your hair before you go to bed and that you aren’t sleeping in the same shirt you wore all day. It’s also a good idea to wash your bedding on a weekly basis as well.

Wine

Believe it or not, wine can actually trigger your spring allergies as well. The reasons are pretty technical, but it seems that wine dilatates the sinuses and nasal passages of chronic allergy sufferers, which causes all of the allergy symptoms to worsen. While you might hate it, it could be a good idea to stay away from the wine, at least during spring allergy season.

Other Triggers of Spring Allergies Revealed

  • Chamomile tea
  • Rats
  • Being pregnant
  • Nasal decongestants
  • Books
  • Swimming
  • Some scented candles

Now, that we know the things that are triggering our spring allergies, and there seem to be a ton, it’s time to figure out just what we can do to prevent and treat those allergies.

Tips for Preventing Your Spring Allergies

Spring allergies develop when your body is overloaded with allergens that it has a reaction too. While some people don’t have a problem with spring allergies you might not be one of those lucky few. It is estimated that over eight percent of Americans suffer from seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever on a regular basis. Below we will go into a few tips for helping you prevent those spring allergies, to begin with, or at least try too.

Know What Your Triggers Are

If your spring allergies are extreme, then it might be time to contact an allergist to do testing. If you know what your triggers are ahead of time, it will be a lot easier to combat the allergies before they start.

Keep Your Windows Closed

We all love to fling our windows open on a warm spring day to let in the fresh air from outside. However, if you suffer from spring allergies that might not be the best idea for you. Keeping your doors and windows shut can help you keep the irritants outside as much as possible.

Try to Avoid Outdoor Chores

It’s best to avoid the outdoor chores such as mowing that lawn and tending to the garden if you have seasonal allergies. It’s best to delegate these chores to family members, but if you don’t have anyone to do it for you, make sure that you wear a mask while outside to help minimize the effects.

Pollen

Control the Air in Your Home

Controlling the air in your home is another good way to prevent your allergies from acting up during the spring of the year. You want an air conditioning unit with a HEPA air filter. It also helps to keep the humidity in your home below 55-percent in order to control dust and dust mites. In other words, the higher the humidity in your home is, the worse your allergies are going to be.

Wash the Allergens Away

When you come in from outside, go directly to the shower so that you can wash the allergens from the outside away. Never head to bed before taking a shower and don’t skip washing your hair for even a day during the spring.

Rid Your Home of the Allergen Catchers

If you truly want to get rid of the allergens in your home, then taking out the carpet and replacing it with hardwood flooring is the way to do it. Reducing clutter that attracts dust and making sure your pillows are allergy resistant are other ways to help as well.

Take Care of the Symptoms

The worst thing you can do for your allergy symptoms is to ignore them because they aren’t going to go away. Though there is certainly no cure for spring allergies, you can treat them with a variety of methods. There are over the counter medicines, prescription medicines, and natural home remedies that you can try to help you at least feel a little bit better.

Super Foods for Spring Allergies Revealed

There are said to be a few foods that help you to combat spring allergies. Below, you can find a few to do your research on and start trying this allergy season.

There are also a few foods that it is best to avoid if you have spring allergies. Let’s take a look at those as well.

Foods to Avoid when You have Spring Allergies Revealed

  • Yogurt
  • Tomatoes
  • Bananas
  • Spicy food
  • Mushrooms
  • Beer
  • Wine
  • Raw foods

These foods that you need to avoid and the ones that you need to eat during the spring to help prevent allergies are one way to help combat the allergies you hate in the season you love. Now, let’s look into a few of the home remedies you can try to help treat your spring allergies as well.

Home Remedies for Your Spring Allergies

If you’re like most of us, the last thing you want is to put drugs in your body to get rid of allergies, although at times it can’t be helped. Below we will go into a few home remedies to help you in your time of need.

Wash Out Your Nostrils

There are quite a few ways that you can wash the allergens that are causing your spring allergies out of your nostrils. From using a Neti pot to using a saline solution, it’s a good way to flush the allergens out and give you at least temporary relief. Saline spray also works well for this.

Nasal-Spray

Other Home Remedies to Use

  • Local honey
  • Nettle leaf
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Eat anti-inflammatory foods
  • Change up your diet
  • Get tested
  • Take probiotics

These are a few of the home remedies that have met with success when it comes to combating spring allergies. Try them out yourself to see what works for you.

It’s also important to make sure that you keep up with pollen count for each day before you go out. Looking at your local weather channel, or even downloading an app on your phone can help you know what to prepare for each day in the way of pollen. If you don’t have to, try to not go out on the days when the pollen count is at its highest.

As with anything else sickness related, it is best to contact your primary health care provider to ensure that your problem is indeed allergy related. If you have any of the signs and symptoms above, make sure to ask your doctor about them at your next appointment. If the symptoms are getting worse instead of better with the remedies below, you need to let your doctor know right away as well.

No one wants to have to stay inside when the flowers are blooming, and the long winter is over. These tips should help you to deal with allergy season the best way you can, and help you enjoy a little of it at the same time.

This concludes our blog on everything you need to know about spring allergies and how to combat them. Until next time, stay healthy everyone.

Sources:

  1. Wellness Mama: 9 Natural Remedies for Seasonal Allergy Relief
  2. Med Express: 7 Tips to Curb Your Seasonal Allergies
  3. Piedmont HealthCare: How to Combat Spring Allergies