Monthly Archives: June 2022

How to Fight Summer Allergies

Summer is the season for having fun in the sun – the breezes, and cool beach water actually create humidity and warm conditions actually attract allergies.

For adults, summer allergies can become a nuisance at a minimum. For children, the summer allergy symptoms can be more disruptive and can exacerbate other medical complications. It has been discovered that allergies go hand-in-hand with other chronic illnesses like asthma, which can normally cause medical emergencies for children like asthma.

If you are curious to know how to fight allergies in the summer, you can find an allergy doctor. It would also be good if you are aware of what to do in order to prevent allergies during the summer. Read on to learn more:

Avoidance

You should keep your home allergen-free. Shut down the windows so the pollen stays out. You need to try staying indoors during the morning, and the pollen counts are high when it is windy. Remove your shoes and change clothes right away after you come indoors. Dust using a damp cloth and a vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter every day. You must shower before bed so you can rinse off the pollen that you collect on your skin and hair throughout the day.

Allergy Shots

Immunotherapy or allergy shots is a further option for treatment when you have seasonal allergies. They work by injecting your body with small allergen doses over a couple of years to build allergen resistance.

If avoiding allergens and using medications are not helpful to your allergy symptoms, you must see an allergist to ask about different treatment options you can choose from.

Limit Your Exposure to Allergens

If you have pollen allergies, you can lessen pollen exposure by staying indoors when you can by using air conditioning aside from changing clothes and showering after going outside.

It would also be an excellent idea to monitor humidity levels using a hygrometer and ensure that humidity stays below 45%. You should pay attention to mold buildup inside your home and reduce any dampness when possible.

To keep track of allergy symptoms, you can look at ozone levels around your area and avoid any strenuous activities when there are high ozone smog levels.

Air Conditioning

Air conditioning – regardless if it is a central or window unit filters air so that allergens are unable to circulate. Even if you do not turn on the cool setting, make sure to run the fan. The air filter should be changed every 3 months at least, and you can consider one rated while having a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of at least 11, which removes allergens a lot better than filters with a lower rating.

Wash Your Eyes

You can buy high-quality air filters for your HVAC. They can be more expensive, but normally offer maximum protection of up to 3 months compared to the normal filters that you normally have to change monthly.

Exercise

Allergy sufferers have discovered that running on a treadmill have found out that doing so for 30 minutes at moderate speed can significantly relieve symptoms like sneezing and congestion. Researchers have suggested that the workouts will benefit you because they can help in controlling allergy inflammatory proteins; in addition, exercise opens up nasal passages which eases congestion. The study does not check whether outdoor workouts can help as well.

Modify Your Diet

If you are allergic to certain pollens, symptoms might get worse after you eat them. For instance, cherries and apples react with birch tree pollen, and cucumbers with ragweed.

You can also talk to an allergy specialist doctor Germantown MD.

How to Manage Allergies While Travelling

Millions of people are suffering from allergic rhinitis, which is a sensitive reaction to environmental things, like dust mites, pollen, or even pet dander. If you have experienced a runny or stuffy nose or itchy eyes, you most likely have allergic rhinitis.

Seasonal allergies might be a nuisance to a lot of people, especially while you travel. This year could pose even more challenges, while allergy sufferers should prepare for high pollen count in the air. Trees started to release pollen later that year because of colder weather. If you are traveling, you can ask your allergy specialist about anything you might have to worry about while being abroad. If you want to have more knowledge on how to prevent allergies while traveling, read on.

Things to Consider Before You Go

Prevention and preparation give you a way to travel successfully even if you have allergies. Here are the tips you can consider before going:

Consider a destination that is allergy-free – Mountains and beaches are great destinations to visit all year round for those who suffer from allergies. Ocean breezes are normally allergen-free, dust mites are fewer at elevations that are above 2,500 feet, and mold spores cannot survive in the snow.
You have to check pollen and weather forecasts so you can plan. For instance, if you are allergic to ragweed, you should visit New York in early August compared to other months.

Pack Wisely

Pack everything you require in order to fight off allergies in your carry-on or bag if you are going to fly. Planes have a lot of allergens and germs. Other flight crew or passengers that travel from high-pollen areas might have them on their personal belongings or clothes. Dust mites and mold spores also travel through the air inside an airport or airplane. Allergens stick their seats, tray tables, and seats, which makes it more likely that you will have contact with them.

Food Allergies

It can be hard to travel with food allergies, especially if you experience severe allergic reactions. You should do some research when it comes to food labeling in the countries, you will visit. It is also crucial to consider which airline will be able to accommodate your dietary restrictions.

Find out what the contact details are in the country you are traveling to. Take note of the switchboard number in your hotel because this might vary. Consider getting a foreign language travel card in regards to your allergy to show which restaurants can cater to your needs in your destination.

It Might be Wise to Bring Your Own Pillow

Dust mites are common when you are in a motel. You can, partially, fight them by taking your own pillow with you and putting a hypoallergenic cover on it.

Ask Your Allergist

Check-in with your allergist before your departure because it is important if you will be traveling abroad and might require immunizations or vaccinations. Discuss with them where you are going to go and what activities you are allowed to do. For instance, locations that are elevated above 5,000 feet might make breathing hard for you and cold weather can trigger asthma patients. People who have asthma should consult with their allergist before doing activities like scuba diving.

Be Picky About Hotel Rooms

Regardless if you are staying in a 3-star or 5-star hotel, you need to be picky. Before traveling, ask the hotel if their rooms are allergy-free. In case they do not, ask for a room that was pet-free or one that is facing the sunlight.

Visit an allergy clinic Germantown MD before traveling.

Tips to Improve Indoor Allergens in Your Home

The control of asthma and allergy starts at home. A lot of people who have allergies stay in their homes when the outdoor air has a lot of spores and pollen. However, dust mites, animal dander, and cockroaches can cause problems indoors. If you want to reduce indoor air pollution, you need to have adequate ventilation, control pollution sources and clean your indoor air.

After you see an allergy specialist, you should also do your part by controlling indoor allergens in your home. If you want to know what to do so that the allergens in your home are kept at bay, this article is going to give you what you need. Read on to know more.

Control Dust Mites

Keep surfaces in your home clean and uncluttered. The best ones are bare walls and floors, specifically the one in your bedroom where you spend most of your nights. If you have a carpet, throw rugs that are washable or low-pile carpets are even better.

The most important method is to put zippered allergen impermeable or pillow covers, box springs, and mattresses. Encased mattresses work better compared to air cleaners in order to reduce allergy symptoms. You should wash your bedding, uncovered pillows, and stuffed toys every week in hot water.

If you are turning on the heat, allergens such as pet dander and dust are lurking in the air ducts. It is recommended that you use a high-efficiency furnace filter to lessen indoor allergens that circulate in your home. It is recommended that you immediately change your filters every 90 days. You should start to change it with the seasons so that you can remember.

Limit How Much Pollen Goes Inside Your Home

You should ask as much, to keep your window closed if you require air conditioning to keep pollen from being blown inside your home. Remember to take off your shoes outside, or put a mat outside the door so you can wipe dirt off your feet. When you keep temperatures inside cool is also helpful in preventing humidity. This creates the best environment for dust mites and mold.

Clean Your House Regularly

Vacuuming your home with a HEPA filter weekly will also cut down allergens indoors like pet dander and dust mites. When you dust around your knick-knacks and books, you should use electrostatic cloth or microfiber that holds dust instead of only moving it around. As you dust and vacuum, dust is going to get stirred up in the air, so if you are allergic, you can use an N95 filter mask while you clean.

When it is possible, you should use wall-to-wall carpeting, even in the bedrooms. Hardwood floors become easier to clean because you can see the dust while cleaning. However, you can use washable area rugs as well to cut down allergens.

Avoid Any Mold Spores

You should reduce moisture around your bathroom, kitchen, and other water areas in your home. Dehumidifiers are also helpful in reducing dust mites and mold. You should limit yourself to a couple of house plants. You should fix every leak and other cause of the damp areas in your home. Clean the moldy surfaces. Get rid of the moldy firewood, and piles of weeds and leaves.

Keep the Cockroaches Controlled

You should not leave any garbage or food uncovered. You should use boric acid, poison baits, and traps instead of chemical agents that will irritate your rhinitis and/or trigger asthma.

If you cannot control indoor allergens, you can always contact the allergy doctor Manassas VA.