Spring has sprung! Flowers and trees are blooming, the sun is shining and grass is green again. For many people spring means spending time outdoors and enjoying the balmy weather before the heat of summer begins. Spring may also mean allergy season to many people, even people who are otherwise healthy with no chronic health problems. Are you sneezing, coughing, have itchy eyes? Is there pollen all over your car? You may have seasonal allergies. The best way to find out exactly what you are allergic to is to visit an allergist.
On your visit to the allergist, you will most likely get a skin allergy test. The skin is pricked slightly to allow an allergen, such as grass or mold, to enter the skin. In 15-20 minutes, the doctor will check to see if you have had a reaction, such as hives to the allergen that was injected into your skin. This can be helpful as it will help you know what exactly you are allergic to so that you can avoid it if possible. If it isn’t possible to avoid, such as trees or grass, it can be a helpful tool to let you know when you should start taking allergy medication.
There are many over the counter medications available now to help you deal with seasonal allergies. There are many antihistamines on the market that can be bought over the counter. Claritin and Allegra will not make you tired and can be taken during the day. Zrytec can also be effective, but it can make you sleepy so it is better to take it at night. It will last 24 hours so you will also get the benefit during the day. If you are having a sudden severe reaction, then Benedryl is fast acting. It might make you very drowsy, so you should not drive or operate heavy machinery while taking Benedryl.
If your nose is the problem, then it can be helpful to spray a saline spray in your nose in the morning and at night. There are also several steroid nose sprays that were previously prescription only that can now be bought over the counter. Flonanse and Nasacort are both effective nose sprays.
There are a few other things you can do to help lessen your symptoms. Make sure you wash your hands and face when you come inside after spending a lot of time outdoors with all the flowers and trees that are in bloom. It is a good idea to take your shoes off when you come inside so that you don’t track pollen all over the house. Always take a shower at night to get the pollen and allergens off your body and out of your hair so that you don’t transfer all the allergens to your bed where you will be sleeping with them all night. Hopefully these easy tips will keep you happy and healthy and able to enjoy this beautiful spring.