5 Steps Toward Fall Allergy Relief

If you walked outside today and noticed that you have a sore throat and you feel congested, your body could be trying to tell you about the arrival of weed pollen which appears in the fall season. Rather than running back into your house until the season is over, here are 5 ways you can stay in control of your life and get allergy relief despite fall allergies.

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1.  Stay Aware of Your Situation
Check your local pollen count each morning via the Internet or your local TV news. Make it a habit to know what the pollen count is predicted to be and plan outdoor activities, accordingly.  The most non-invasive and proactive way to manage allergies is to avoid the trigger. And with seasonal airborne triggers such as pollen it can be done with careful planning.

2.  Let Others Help
When those first grains of pollen go airborne, get out of their way and avoid them as much as you can. Turn over mowing, weeding, and other outside activities to others, particularly on dry and windy days when ragweed and other pollen counts are sure to be higher.

3.  Say Yes To Helpful Medicine---Depending on how severe your allergies are, you may be able to find allergy relief with over-the-counter medication. Your neighborhood pharmacist is an excellent resource for suggesting medications that might help. However, most of these medicines treat the symptoms rather than the body's over reaction to the irritant.

4.  Get Professional Help---Ultimately, if your allergies are severe enough and are not well controlled with the use of non-prescription meds you will need to seek the professional help of an allergist. Over 50 million Americans suffer from allergies. Talk with friends and family to get the name of a doctor that they recommend for allergy relief. Word of mouth referrals are often the best and most reliable way to find a good doctor.

5.  Filter Your Indoor Air---Most people who suffer with allergies are sensitive to a number of allergens. Common indoor allergens include household dust, dust mites, mold and mildew spores, and pet dander. Adding a seasonal allergen to the ever-present indoor irritants often creates just enough more aggravation for your body so that it starts to react with symptoms. By continually filtering the air with a HEPA or high efficiency particle arresting filter, you can keep allergen levels low even with the additional weed pollen that will make its way indoors through doors and windows, and on clothes, hair, packages, and pets.