We had a teaser last weekend with temperatures hitting the 70's, and now were back to the 40's agian. But many allergy sufferers started to feel the effects, although for only a few days, of the tree pollens in the air. We've already been getting calls of patients' eyes getting red, swelling and excruciatly itching, and some complaining of sneezing, runny nose and nasal and throat itching. Pollen allergy season hits very hard here in the Midwest thus various practical measures need to be taken if you know you have pollen allergies.A few outdoor pollen allergy tips include:
- Avoid the outdoors in the late mornings, during the times pollens peak in the day
- Its best to go outdoors immediately after it rains because the air gets washed and the air pollen counts drop dramatically
- Keep window and doors closed to prevent the millions of pollen grains from entering your home
- Install high-efficiency filters such as HEPA or electrostatic filters into your furnace, and allow your HVAC fan to run on the constant "on" setting rather than the intermittent "auto" setting.
- If possible delegate outside work to someone not afflicted by pollen allergies
- Wear a mask if doing work outdoors such as yardwork or gardening is unavoidable
- Remove clothing and wash after doing outdoor tasks
- Wash your hair, face, arms. or shower immediately working outdoors
If these measures do not help and your symptoms persist despite taking various over the counter antihistamines such as Loratidine or Cetirizine, then it is time to see an allergist.
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