If you battle seasonal irritants, like hay fever or pollen allergies, you may find yourself dreading summertime. Avoid staying inside while others enjoy the sun. Read on to find out how to deal with your allergies effectively.
If you have never tried a certain over-the-counter antihistamine yet, do so when you are home. Some of these drugs can make you sleepy and impair your reflexes. Even when there is no severe warning listed on the label, take the initial dose whey you are in the comfort of your own home and do not need to operate a vehicle or anything else potentially hazardous if you become drowsy.
Dust Mites
In the interest of safety, you should always try new allergy medications while safe at home. Most of these contain ingredients that could impair your reflexes and even make you drowsy. Even if there are no warnings on the labeling, refrain from driving when you take the first doses.
Dust mites are mostly likely in your home. As their name suggests, they love to make their home in mattresses and pillows, dining on shed skin flakes. Eww! It is possible to fight these home invaders, however. There are special mattress and pillowcases with zippers that are specifically designed to keep dust mites out. The follow-up is weekly cleaning of your bedding with a very hot wash, since heat is a dust mite killer.
Make sure your bathroom is ventilated well so that mildew and mold can’t thrive. This sort of allergen likes an environment that is warm and damp. Therefore, hang up wet washcloths and towels and turn on fan when showering. If your bathroom does not contain a fan, open a window to help remove the moisture.
An allergy test can help you understand what you are allergic to, but the test doesn’t tell you how severe your symptoms would be to those allergens. For instance, the skin test may reveal that you are sensitive to a spore that is common in your region. However, that spore may only result in a mild reaction or you might not have a reaction at all.
Although you may be enticed to open your windows to save cooling costs during nice weather, keep them closed. Opening your windows can lead to allergic reactions. Instead, run your air conditioner outfitted with an allergen reducing HEPA filter. The filter will help your breathing, even though it may not seem fresh.
It is possible to get many types of allergy and antihistamine medications on an over the counter basis, though such products are not effective for everyone. Therefore, ask for a sample from your doctor or buy a trial size pack of antihistamines to see if it is one right for you. If that product doesn’t minimize your symptoms, then you can try the next one, and you won’t have wasted much money.
Although avoiding triggers is something that you could do, there are other long-term solutions that do not involve avoiding parks or animals. Learn to live comfortably by knowing what options you have, starting with this article! You do not have to suffer from constant allergy symptoms; take control of your life!