How to Fight Hay Fever
Monitor the pollen count., Wear a pollen mask., Rinse your sinuses., Limit the allergens in your home., Keep the humidity between 30-50 percent., Purchase mite-proof covers., Avoid using certain window treatments., Clean bathrooms and the kitchen...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Monitor the pollen count.
Since pollen is one of the main causes of hay fever reactions, you should monitor the pollen count every day, especially in pollen season.
You should try to stay indoors when the pollen count is at its peak.
To access the pollen count, you can visit multiple online sources to track what the pollen count is every day..
Most local television weather forecasts also include pollen counts.
The reports will usually state if the pollen count is low, moderate, medium, or high.
Make sure you avoid going out if the count is said to be high.
If you are extremely sensitive and highly allergic to pollen, you may consider staying indoors even if the count is moderate.You can talk to your doctor about your susceptibility to pollen. -
Step 2: Wear a pollen mask.
If you plan on doing yard work, you should use a pollen mask, such as the NIOSH-rated 95 filter mask.
This includes activities such as mowing the lawn, raking leaves, or gardening.
These kinds of masks can be purchased online or at the local pharmacy.
If a N95 mask is not available, you can use ordinary surgical mask or a handkerchief.
These will not filter the air as much as the N95 mask, but will prevent some of the pollen from being inhaled and landing on your nose.If your allergy is severe, consider having someone else mow your lawn.
You can also wear glasses or sunglasses to avoid getting the allergens in your eyes.
Your regular glasses or sunglasses should be sufficient, but you can also purchase safety glasses in a hardware store or online.
When you come in from outside, take a shower and wash your clothes.
If this cannot be done right away, wash your face and change your clothes until you can. , An inexpensive method to relieve hay fever symptoms is to rise your nasal passages using a neti pot or saline flush.
A saline flush is easier to use since it only requires spraying each nostril with the saline solution.
Neti pots, on the other hand, require you to mix your own saline solution.
If you choose this method, you can make your own saline solution by mixing 3 teaspoons of iodine free salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
Next, add 1 teaspoon of this mixture to 1 cup or 8 ounces of lukewarm distilled or bottled water.
Do not use tap water unless it has been boiled.
Make sure you rinse the irrigation device after each use with distilled or bottled water and leave it to air-dry.
This helps prevent bacterial growth., If you want to keep outside allergens out of your home, you should close your windows and turn on the air conditioner in your house and car, especially with pollen counts are high.
Make sure the AC units have been cleaned prior to use and purchase HEPA filters specifically designed for the unit you own.
Refer to the manufacturer's instructions or the store where you purchased the unit to find out what filter to use.
If possible, use vacuums with HEPA filters as well.
The HEPA filters traps allergens as the vacuum suctions the air and surrounding dust particles.
Refer to the manufacturer's instructions on when to replace them, though they are usually replaced after a couple of uses., In your home, you should keep the humidity levels between 30-50% to limit your exposure to mold.
You should get a hygrometer to measure each room's humidity.
You just place the device in a room and it reads the humidity levels in the room much like a thermometer reads temperature.You can purchase this device online or in stores.
Read manufacturer’s instruction on how to operate it properly prior to use. , To help cut down on allergens in your fabrics and on your furniture, you should buy cover for your pillows, mattresses, comforters, and duvets that are mite-proof.
This will help cut down on mite and allergen transference onto the fabrics, which will keep your hay fever at bay.
You should wash your bedding and covers frequently in hot water.
You may want to reduce the amount of pillows, blankets, or stuffed animals in you or your child's room. , There are certain kinds of window treatments that can draw pollen and mold into your house as well as accumulate dust.
Heavy draperies and dry clean only materials attract more dust and allergens compared to easy to vacuum or machine washable draperies.
You can use synthetic blinds as well because they are easy to wipe and clean.
Do not hang clothes outside to dry since allergens would gather on the clothes., Mold is another major trigger for hay fever.
To cut down on mold accumulation in your home, you should clean your bathrooms and kitchen frequently so mold or mildew will not grow there.
You can use cleaning solutions with bleach because it will kill the mold and other allergens in these areas.
You can also make your own bleach solution by mixing 1/2 cup bleach with 1 gallon (3.8Â L) of water., When you are cleaning your house, you should use tools that are damp in order to capture the most amount of allergens and dust particles in your home.
You should dampen your dust cloths, the mop, and the broom whenever you clean your home.
This is much more effective to keep dust from spreading compared to dry-dusting and sweeping., Since pollen is a hay fever trigger, you should avoid having live plants in your home.Instead, purchase fake flowers or green plants to liven up your living spaces.
These will help brighten up your living areas without contributing pollen to the air in your house.
Although there are some artificial plants that look fake, you can find some that look real.
Try to get plants that look as real as possible so they don't call too much attention to the fact that they are fake. , There are many ways you can avoid pet triggers.
If you know that you are allergic to a certain kind of animal, avoid getting one of those animals as a pet.
If you are allergic to all pet dander, keep your pets outside instead of inside your house.
If this isn't possible, try to keep them our of your bedroom so you don't have to breath the dander in at night.
You should also obtain an air purifier with HEPA filter and situate it in the areas where the pet spends most of her time.
If you come into contact with a pet, wash your hands afterward to remove the dander.If possible, take out wall-to-wall carpeting because carpet holds in the pet dander.
If this is not possible, vacuum often to prevent the accumulation of pet dander or fur.
Many vacuum cleaners come with special attachments or filters to reduce pet fur and dander.
You should groom and bathe your pets at least weekly to prevent excessive shedding.
It is best if you let someone else bathe the animal so you do not react to all the dander and fur.Some dogs or cats are known to be 'hypoallergenic'
which means they are less likely to cause allergies.
These may be a good choice for you if you really want a pet. -
Step 3: Rinse your sinuses.
-
Step 4: Limit the allergens in your home.
-
Step 5: Keep the humidity between 30-50 percent.
-
Step 6: Purchase mite-proof covers.
-
Step 7: Avoid using certain window treatments.
-
Step 8: Clean bathrooms and the kitchen frequently.
-
Step 9: Use damp cleaning tools.
-
Step 10: Avoid plants and flowers.
-
Step 11: Avoid pet triggers.
Detailed Guide
Since pollen is one of the main causes of hay fever reactions, you should monitor the pollen count every day, especially in pollen season.
You should try to stay indoors when the pollen count is at its peak.
To access the pollen count, you can visit multiple online sources to track what the pollen count is every day..
Most local television weather forecasts also include pollen counts.
The reports will usually state if the pollen count is low, moderate, medium, or high.
Make sure you avoid going out if the count is said to be high.
If you are extremely sensitive and highly allergic to pollen, you may consider staying indoors even if the count is moderate.You can talk to your doctor about your susceptibility to pollen.
If you plan on doing yard work, you should use a pollen mask, such as the NIOSH-rated 95 filter mask.
This includes activities such as mowing the lawn, raking leaves, or gardening.
These kinds of masks can be purchased online or at the local pharmacy.
If a N95 mask is not available, you can use ordinary surgical mask or a handkerchief.
These will not filter the air as much as the N95 mask, but will prevent some of the pollen from being inhaled and landing on your nose.If your allergy is severe, consider having someone else mow your lawn.
You can also wear glasses or sunglasses to avoid getting the allergens in your eyes.
Your regular glasses or sunglasses should be sufficient, but you can also purchase safety glasses in a hardware store or online.
When you come in from outside, take a shower and wash your clothes.
If this cannot be done right away, wash your face and change your clothes until you can. , An inexpensive method to relieve hay fever symptoms is to rise your nasal passages using a neti pot or saline flush.
A saline flush is easier to use since it only requires spraying each nostril with the saline solution.
Neti pots, on the other hand, require you to mix your own saline solution.
If you choose this method, you can make your own saline solution by mixing 3 teaspoons of iodine free salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
Next, add 1 teaspoon of this mixture to 1 cup or 8 ounces of lukewarm distilled or bottled water.
Do not use tap water unless it has been boiled.
Make sure you rinse the irrigation device after each use with distilled or bottled water and leave it to air-dry.
This helps prevent bacterial growth., If you want to keep outside allergens out of your home, you should close your windows and turn on the air conditioner in your house and car, especially with pollen counts are high.
Make sure the AC units have been cleaned prior to use and purchase HEPA filters specifically designed for the unit you own.
Refer to the manufacturer's instructions or the store where you purchased the unit to find out what filter to use.
If possible, use vacuums with HEPA filters as well.
The HEPA filters traps allergens as the vacuum suctions the air and surrounding dust particles.
Refer to the manufacturer's instructions on when to replace them, though they are usually replaced after a couple of uses., In your home, you should keep the humidity levels between 30-50% to limit your exposure to mold.
You should get a hygrometer to measure each room's humidity.
You just place the device in a room and it reads the humidity levels in the room much like a thermometer reads temperature.You can purchase this device online or in stores.
Read manufacturer’s instruction on how to operate it properly prior to use. , To help cut down on allergens in your fabrics and on your furniture, you should buy cover for your pillows, mattresses, comforters, and duvets that are mite-proof.
This will help cut down on mite and allergen transference onto the fabrics, which will keep your hay fever at bay.
You should wash your bedding and covers frequently in hot water.
You may want to reduce the amount of pillows, blankets, or stuffed animals in you or your child's room. , There are certain kinds of window treatments that can draw pollen and mold into your house as well as accumulate dust.
Heavy draperies and dry clean only materials attract more dust and allergens compared to easy to vacuum or machine washable draperies.
You can use synthetic blinds as well because they are easy to wipe and clean.
Do not hang clothes outside to dry since allergens would gather on the clothes., Mold is another major trigger for hay fever.
To cut down on mold accumulation in your home, you should clean your bathrooms and kitchen frequently so mold or mildew will not grow there.
You can use cleaning solutions with bleach because it will kill the mold and other allergens in these areas.
You can also make your own bleach solution by mixing 1/2 cup bleach with 1 gallon (3.8Â L) of water., When you are cleaning your house, you should use tools that are damp in order to capture the most amount of allergens and dust particles in your home.
You should dampen your dust cloths, the mop, and the broom whenever you clean your home.
This is much more effective to keep dust from spreading compared to dry-dusting and sweeping., Since pollen is a hay fever trigger, you should avoid having live plants in your home.Instead, purchase fake flowers or green plants to liven up your living spaces.
These will help brighten up your living areas without contributing pollen to the air in your house.
Although there are some artificial plants that look fake, you can find some that look real.
Try to get plants that look as real as possible so they don't call too much attention to the fact that they are fake. , There are many ways you can avoid pet triggers.
If you know that you are allergic to a certain kind of animal, avoid getting one of those animals as a pet.
If you are allergic to all pet dander, keep your pets outside instead of inside your house.
If this isn't possible, try to keep them our of your bedroom so you don't have to breath the dander in at night.
You should also obtain an air purifier with HEPA filter and situate it in the areas where the pet spends most of her time.
If you come into contact with a pet, wash your hands afterward to remove the dander.If possible, take out wall-to-wall carpeting because carpet holds in the pet dander.
If this is not possible, vacuum often to prevent the accumulation of pet dander or fur.
Many vacuum cleaners come with special attachments or filters to reduce pet fur and dander.
You should groom and bathe your pets at least weekly to prevent excessive shedding.
It is best if you let someone else bathe the animal so you do not react to all the dander and fur.Some dogs or cats are known to be 'hypoallergenic'
which means they are less likely to cause allergies.
These may be a good choice for you if you really want a pet.
About the Author
Nathan Cooper
Brings years of experience writing about DIY projects and related subjects.
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