ForestWind   

1. Showering Only in the Morning

When you spend a lot of time outside, particularly if you’re working

out in the yard, pollen can end up on your skin and hair, worsening

allergy symptoms. If you’re highly allergic to pollen, it’s a good

idea to take a second shower after you come inside, to rinse away

the pollen and help avoid allergy symptoms, explains Mark S.

Dykewicz, MD, professor of internal medicine and director of

allergy and immunology at the Wake Forest University School of

Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C.

2. Wearing Shoes In and Around Your House

You can carry quite a bit of pollen into the house after you’ve been

exposed to it by exercising or working outside. If you don’t take off

your shoes as soon as you come into the house, you may be

tracking pollen into every room. The same goes for your

clothes. It’s not necessary for everyone, but if seasonal allergies

like hay fever are particularly troublesome for you, change your

clothes as soon as you come in and throw them in the wash to keep

allergy symptoms from following you home, Dr. Dykewicz advises.

3. Opening the Windows Once Spring Hits

It can be hard to resist the allure of a warm spring breeze once the

temperature rises, but opening your windows when seasonal

allergies are at their peak is like giving pollen an open invitation to

invade your living space and cause allergy symptoms. Keeping

your windows closed and using an air conditioner with an allergy

filter can be an effective way of treating allergies and may help you

breathe better, says Dykewicz.

4. Having a Drink With Dinner

Drinking any type of alcohol increases blood flow to the linings of

your nose and can make nasal allergy symptoms worse, notes

Dykewicz. Also, if you’re someone who has year-round nasal

issues, including frequent congestion, this scenario can be

complicated by alcohol. When seasonal allergies hit and you’re

already feeling congested, skip the beer or wine to avoid worsening

allergy symptoms.

5. Inhaling Chlorine and Strong Perfumes

Odors such as chlorine from a swimming pool and strong perfumes

can irritate the nasal airways and lungs and make you cough.

Irritants such as perfume and dyes in cosmetics and cleaning

products can also cause an allergic skin reaction, known as

contact dermatitis. Dermatitis can cause a rash, lead to itching,

which will make your other allergy symptoms feel even worse.

6. Skipping Short-Acting Allergy Meds at Night

Some medications for treating allergies like cetirizine (Zyrtec) and

fexofenadine (Allegra) last 24 hours and don’t need to be taken at

night. But if you’re combating allergy symptoms with a different

antihistamine first thing in the morning, keep in mind that its effects

will only last six to eight hours. If you don’t take it again before

going to bed, you may wake up to more allergy symptoms in the

morning, Dykewicz says. Check the label of your medication to be

sure you’re taking the correct number of doses for

your seasonal allergies.

7. Using a Humidifier

If you’re allergic to dust mites, using a humidifier may make your

allergy symptoms worse, especially if you use one in your

bedroom. Humidity promotes the growth of dust mites, Dykewicz

explains. The best thing for treating allergies from dust mites is dry

air. So if you suspect a dust mite allergy, stop using your humidifier

and see if your symptoms improve.

8. Eating Foods That Can Cause a Reaction

People with seasonal allergies often have antibodies that can cause

their immune system to overreact to certain foods. This

phenomenon is called cross-reactivity. For instance, if you’re

allergic to ragweed, you may experience allergy symptoms like

itching on your lips, tongue, and mouth if you eat bananas, melons,

cucumber, or zucchini, Dykewicz says. If you’re allergic to birch

tree pollen, you may have allergy symptoms after eating

apples, pears, peaches, hazelnuts, kiwi, carrots, or celery. These

problems may only occur during the season that your allergies are at

their worst. Regardless of the season, help minimize your allergy

symptoms by keeping all of these triggers in mind and avoiding them

as much as possible.

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Remember: every step you take to ensure an allergy friendly home and a less-reactive-you helps you enjoy your Siberian kitten with less worry that you will become reactive as time passes.