If you find yourself suffering from sneezing, itchy eyes,
and pressure headaches every spring, welcome to the seasonal allergy club. Here
are some common questions about pollen allergies — and how to survive them
without losing your mind.
How do I know if I
have allergies, a cold, or a sinus infection?
It can be tough to tell sometimes. Unlike allergies, a cold or
respiratory infection often brings on a fever, so that’s a key indicator. If
your nasal congestion clears up within one to two weeks, chances are you had a
cold rather than allergies. Seasonal allergy symptoms tend to last three weeks
or more, depending on the types of pollen you’re allergic to.
Is it possible to
prevent allergies?
You can’t prevent seasonal allergy symptoms from occurring,
but you can do things to minimize the impact of the symptoms on your quality of
life. Here are some recommended steps you take before and during allergy
season:
- Start a steroid nasal spray about four to six weeks ahead
of pollen season.
- Stay indoors during peak pollen hours, such as mornings.
On high-pollen days, stay indoors as much as possible.
- Do your seasonal cleaning before pollen’s in the
air. You may still have to cope with dust allergies while cleaning, but at
least you won’t have to deal with dust and pollen.
- Keep windows closed when pollen counts are high.
- Place air filters inside your air conditioning vents to
prevent pollen from getting blown into your living space.
- Get a dehumidifier. These devices also filter the air in
your home, which may help improve your indoor air quality.
- Remove outer garments outside and shake them off before
bringing them indoors. Even though you may not be able to see pollen on your
clothing, it’s there.
- Wash pollen down the drain by showering as soon as you get
home. Pollen sticks to your hair and skin, so rinsing it off will help keep it
out of your bed, carpet, and furniture.
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