With baseball season has started and the weather has finally been gorgeous. Which means we are outside…a lot. The pollen will soon be flying around and the trees will be in full bloom (my number one seasonal allergy). This also means we will have to close the house up and put the air on. It’s sad that we can’t enjoy the spring breezes. Well, we can, but will pay for it.
I have been dealing with seasonal allergies for most of my life. And you learn a trick or two on how to manage them. Sometimes Mother Nature has other plans but, for the most part, you can get your allergies under control so you can actually enjoy springtime!
Allergy Management Tips
1. Beat the clock. Peak pollen production occurs in early morning, so try to plan outside activities at other times of the day. Download an app, like AllergyManager, to keep up to date on your local weather and pollen forecasts. The app provides a four-day look at your allergy forecast and lets you track your symptoms. You can also rate a variety of symptoms, including sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, and congestion on a scale of none to severe.
2. The change will do you good. If you are outside for awhile, you may want to jump in the shower one you head indoors. A quick shower and a fresh change of clothes will take care of pollen that may have collected on hair or fabrics while you were outside.
3. Clear the air. When driving, keep windows up and set the air conditioner on recirculate. At home, keep windows closed. Use air conditioning and change filters often.
I will admit that changing the AC filter always slips my mind. But it’s really important to change it! How often? That depends. Depending on where you live, the time of year, and how much you’re using your AC, you may need to change your air filter more often. If you are running your system 24/7 during a hot summer, you may end up having to change the filter more often than if the weather is nice and you can open the windows. Also, make sure your filter is HEPA filter so it can catch all those allergens!
4. Cover up. Cover air conditioning vents with cheesecloth for additional pollen filtration. Our A/C unit is in the back of our home facing a tree line. And boy do those trees drop pollen! In a few weeks, our deck and everything on it, including the A/C unit will be covered in a fine dust of pollen. I will be trying the cheesecloth trick this year for sure!
How do you keep your allergies in check?
