After a season filled with clouds and rain, I believe most of us are excited for the warmer temperatures that the spring is bringing us. However, not everyone is enjoying the fresh air of spring, especially not those suffering from allergies. Sneezing, itching, and watery eyes shouldn’t be synonymous with spring.
Reports have been made that this could be one of the toughest allergy seasons that we’ve seen in years. A recent pollen count in Atlanta just last week (4/11) was 8,024 (anything over 1,500 is considered extremely high). Pollen is everywhere so it can be difficult to avoid. Below are some steps you can take to reduce your exposure to pollen:
- Stay indoors as much as possible between 10 am and 4 pm.
- Use a HEPA filter on your furnace and air conditioner.
- Wipe pets down before they come indoors from being outside. Pollen can collect on their fur.
- Remove shoes before coming inside so you’re not trekking pollen off the bottom of your shoes.
- Do NOT line dry your clothes outside. Dry all clothes in the dryer.
- Wash bedding on a regular basis to remove pollen left on sheets.
- Shower before going to bed to remove the day’s pollen from your hair and skin.
- Vacuum, sweep, mop, and dust. Keeping floors and surfaces clear of allergens can help reduce the amount of pollen floating around your home. It is highly recommended that you wear a mask and gloves while cleaning.
- Treat allergy symptoms with over the counter allergy relief.
- Consult your Doctor. Your Doctor will be able to help you determine what exactly it is that you’re allergic to.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/spring-allergy-tips
http://www.atlantaallergy.com/
I moved from Baltimore to Santa Fe about 7 years ago. Allergies out here are a little difeerfnt so its hard to say what you will be sensitive to. My wife who never had allergies gets crippled for a week or so every year when the Juniper first blooms. Depending on who you believe,the Juniper that blooms here is the same as the Cedar that blooms in TX and AZ, regardless there does seem to be a great deal of overlap in sensitivites.In town there are much fewer trees and the building canyons tend to blow pollen out in fairly short order but there is still an uncomfortable period (late Feb thru early Mar) but not as bad as out here where we live surrounded by acres of Junipers. I had mild hayfever/ragweed issues in MD but out here I get a little Juniper discomfort but get hit hard by Chamisa a little pale green bush with yellow flowers, I actually call it ragweed of the desert’ and it is no fun. It can bloom almost anytime it isn’t below freezing and peaks after spring melt and our monsoon season (Sept) with 2 pretty large blooms a year.All in all the air quality is significantly better for me (I have chronic weak lungs from lots of childhood pneumonia), but my allergies are worse and my wife’s are a LOT worse. Another issue here is UV, we are close to 7000 feet depending on where you live (a couple hundred feet in either direction) and that surprises a lot of people when they visit.