Spring Is Here – A.K.A. Sneezing Season

As many of you know, today is the first day of Spring. Although we look forward to the birds chirping, flowers blooming, and the sun shining, it is also the season for allergies, sneezing, and tons of pollen. 

I envy the people who are not allergic to anything! They can rub their face in a fluffy dog's fur, grass, and pollen all at the same time and not catch watery-eyes, itchy-throat syndrome. For those of you who battle allergies this time of year, I certainly feel your pain. Pollen from the trees, flowers, and weeds are usually to blame for your discomfort.

Since Spring is the perfect time to enjoy enjoy the fresh, outdoor air, we have to find a way to deal with our allergy symptoms. We can't continue to fall victim to allergy season. The first important thing to do is to educate yourself about allergy season and all of the different allergens in your area. Different pollens flourish at different times depending on location.

According to WebMD, high-pollen days usually occur on windy days between 10 am. - 4 pm. On these days, you may want to schedule your errands or outdoor workouts later in the day to avoid severe, allergic reactions. Also, if you have a pet that is in and out of the house, wiping their fur down after they've been outside may help reduce the amount of pollen being brought indoors.

More tips include:  taking off your shoes before coming inside, bathing before bed, use the "recirculate" option in the car, dry clothes in dryer (not outdoor line), checking your area's daily pollen count, and taking over-the-counter allergy medicine to relive symptoms. Hopefully we can get a hold of our allergies and start enjoying Spring!