As spring approaches many people dread this otherwise wonderful time of the year due to seasonal allergies. Seasonal allergies can be a burden even when they are only mild in symptoms. Allergies can make it difficult for a person to function normally, because having Hay Fever, asthma or just a runny nose and itchy eyes can be miserable. Personally, I suffer from only mild seasonal allergies, however mother nature launches and all out attack on my daughter. There are many ways one can quell the symptoms of seasonal allergies, from over the counter medicines and natural remedies to simple daily behavior changes. Small obvious things, that we may overlook can make a huge difference in the quality of our lives during this time of the year.
When experiencing the onset of symptoms associated with seasonal allergies, the first thing most people do is rush to the pharmacy to purchase an over the counter allergy medicine. Most of these over the counter medicines work as histamine blockers and are perfectly adequate for mild to moderate symptoms. I myself prefer Claritan, because I have never experienced any drowsiness while taking it. It also comes with or without a decongestant which is nice to have as an option. Benadryl is great as well, I don’t usually chose Benadryl, simply for the fact that the formula of Benadryl that works best for me is the extra strength which can tend to make me drowsy. However, some times I will take it before I go to bed and it really knocks me out which is helpful when your are all stuffed up and congested. Nasal sprays are good as well especially if you need quick relief. However, over use of nasal sprays can cause swelling of the membranes which may cause your symptoms to worsen.
There are also many natural remedies that can help relieve seasonal allergy symptoms as well. Natural remedies can be used most times in conjunction with over the counter medicines.Many times however, they work well enough to be used alone which is great for people who don’t like taking synthetic drugs. For instance, my father is a life long allergy sufferer and relies solely on natural remedies with great success. Some things that are worth looking in to are:
Vitamin C- is said to have a natural antihistamine effect on the body and it also supports the immune system.
Vitamin A, E and B complex -support the immune system.
Bee Pollen- seems to help prevent the sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, and other symptoms of seasonal pollen allergies.
Butterbur Extract- can help reduce nasal allergy symptoms, including sneezing, itching, runny nose, stuffiness, and watery eyes.
Nettle Leaf- promotes a clear upper respritory system.
Alfalfa- believed to relieve runny nose, sneezing and itching.This is also believed to help the immune system.
These are just some of the natural remedies I have heard about through the years. I have not tried them all myself, but they are certainly worth investigating and discussing with your physician. In my opinion at the very least you should be taking an age suitable multi-vitamin on a daily basis. Multi-vitamins have to many benefits to list, but they support the body in it’s entirety which is always positive.
Personally, I am a huge proponent of making lifestyle changes to help reduce the instance of attacks and symptoms related to your allergies. Getting evaluated by your physician, to find out what exactly you’re allergic to is very important if your are consistently experiencing problems. This evaluation will give you a better understanding of what is triggering your symptoms, and it will provide you the ability to better manage your treatment. Once you know what it is that you are allergic to, you can keep track of high pollen days for your specific allergy by either watching the local news or visiting sites like weather.com for pollen level updates. Knowing what days might be bad for you enables you to make small changes, that you may not have done prior to having this knowledge. Some of the changes are: keeping the windows in your home closed on those days, limiting your exposure to the outdoors, driving with your windows up etc.. There are many other changes you can make in your everyday life that help as well. Using an air purifier with a HEPA filter can help tremendously. Try holding off on your yard work when pollen counts are high or when it is windy outside. Keep the dust in your home to a minium, by using pillow and mattress covers and vacuuming regularly. Additionally, you should change the filters on your heater and air conditioner once a month.
Making these small changes can make a huge difference in the symptoms you experience on a daily basis. Although you may not completely rid yourself of your symptoms altogther, being proactive in your own care is an important step in controlling your allergies. Investigating these suggestions and doing your own research will be beneficial to you and help you have a more enjoyable spring.
