Everything is coming into bloom all at once and the experts are saying that this means a rough time for those of us with allergies. Here are some of our coping mechanisms and links to help you find more advice.
Set Your Goals
As you visit the various links we provide below, you'll find that setting a few allergy battle goals may help you follow through on tips and think of a few new ways to stay ahead of the issue.
- Know the Enemy: If you suffer, then you should have a basic idea of how allergies work and how you can lessen your misery. This can mean choosing the time of day when you exercise or simply knowing which allergens impact your life and tracking when they are out and about.
- Keep Them Out: There are lots of things you can do to filter, remove, or leave outside your home the particles that make you suffer.
- Treat the Symptoms: Talk to your doctor about your best approach to treating allergies. Depending on the severity of your reaction, you may need to premedicate to stay ahead of the problem. However, those with milder cases may be able to just treat the symptom or symptoms that bother them most.
Know the Enemy
The Mayo clinic is one site we turn to for medical advice. They have published: Seasonal allergies: Nip them in the bud for those who just want a light version of allergy information. For a deeper look at the issue, we recommend the National Institutes of Health information on Allergic Rhinitis.
Keep the Allergens Out
We do a lot of simple things to avoid bringing the particles that bother us into our home. We use Ultra Allergen Reduction Filters
Treat the Symptoms
We both fall on the take-as-little-medication-as-possible side of the treatment spectrum. If rinsing with a neti pot
Links to More Tips
Boston-based writer Jacqueline Church has a great post on this topic. With some serious allergy issues of her own, Jackie is someone we depend on for expert advice on this topic and on food allergies.
Top Ten Tips to Ease Allergy Symptoms During Pollen Season – AKA Spring
We addressed the issue of allergies, when both you and your dog suffer, in our post:
Allergy Season Tips for Dog Lovers
The American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology has great tips on their site:
Cleaning Tips for Allergy and Asthma Sufferers
From the Atlantic's City Lab comes a post that includes what a city can do to help with this problem.
The Complete Guide to Fighting Seasonal Allergies Where You Live
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2011-2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino