Helpful Hints To Decrease Hay Fever Symptoms

The common symptoms of hay fever usually include sneezing, runny nose, irritated eyes, and nasal congestion. The primary part of the body affected is the membrane lining of the nasal passages that become swollen and uncomfortable. Hay fever is most often the results of an over-burdened immune system triggered by exposure to the pollens of grasses, trees, and flowers in the spring. Ragweed and molds cause problems in the late summer and fall.

There are many herbal and homeopathic medicines that benefit hay fever and allergy sufferers. Numerous herbal decongestants and natural medicines support adrenal function and the immune response that becomes compromised from prolonged allergic reactions. They can also clear out toxic metabolites from the body that result from the allergic response. Supplements such as vitamin C and bioflavonoids are particularly effective for inflammation. The following are helpful hints to decrease hay fever symptoms:

1.Time to cool down

Seek air-conditioning to escape the outdoor allergen load; central air systems are best. Keep window units off during the day if you are not home to avoid pulling in daytime pollen. After arriving home, turn on the unit and close the vent to the outside. Get out of the room when the unit is first turned on. Come back in about a half-hour or so, when the mold has settled.

2. What to do with nose chill

Set any air-conditioning at the highest comfortable setting; no lower than 70 degrees. A nose that is too cold can trigger nasal symptoms.

3. Sea breeze

Wind blowing off the ocean is great, providing it’s not passing over a land mass before it reaches you. Air blowing out to sea can cause intense allergy symptoms. Sea air is as pollen-free as you’ll find, if the wind is blowing in the right direction. A sea cruise certainly will get you away from pollens, but avoid the tropical drinks.

4. Seek shelter from winds, especially the hot ones

The worst weather for pollen and mold exposure is the kind of summertime climate that sends families down to the beach. A hot sun and a strong breeze ensure that you’ll be breathing in any allergens present in the air. Avoid outdoor activities in the early morning and late evening because pollen loads in the air are heaviest at these times. Minimize your outdoor activities on dry, windy days. Pollen is released and spread widely under these conditions. When the wind blows, air-conditioned places can help reduce your exposure. Symptoms can be even worse when mold blows off the plants themselves.

5. Bad weather is good for you

Open your umbrella, put on your raincoat, and enjoy those rainy days. Showers wash pollen right out of the air and create a chance for hay fever sufferers to step outside. If mold is your problem, symptoms may be worse for several days after a shower.

6. Resist the alcoholic drink

Alcoholic beverages increase symptoms in some people, especially when the air is thick with allergens. Wine is the worst, with beer a close second. Turning down a drink may turn down your symptoms.

7. Use your homeopathic medications ahead of time

If there will be exposure to allergens, take your homeopathic remedy before symptoms begin.

8. Beware of bee pollen

Many people must avoid bee pollen at any time of the year. Capsules and powders containing bee pollen usually contain high levels of ragweed and other high-allergy pollens. The risk of such a reaction is even greater when there are also high levels of pollen in the air. Yet, there are some people who benefit from bee pollen to decrease their hay fever symptoms. It can be helpful, not only in allergies and hay fever, but in asthma, sinus, and chronic pulmonary diseases. Be cautious when starting bee pollen and begin with low doses in case you are sensitive. Honey can have suspended solids in it with pollen being one of them. The label on the bottle may say clover honey, but how do you know that the bee did not stop off at a ragweed blossom?

9. Clean your filter

Air-conditioner filters can trap some pollen and other stuff you’d rather not breathe. If you haven’t cleaned yours lately, it is probably full of tree and grass pollen and mold. Wash or change it at least once a month from now on.

10. Stay clear of cornfields

Ragweed and other pollens just love to grow around grains, such as corn and soybeans.

11. Lower the moisture

Lowering your indoor humidity may prevent late fall and early winter indoor allergies. It also keeps dust mites to a minimum. The mites need humidity to thrive and multiply. They depend on a moist summer for their annual population explosion. Air-conditioning and dehumidifiers can really reduce their numbers.

12. Is it the watermelon?

If you are sensitive to ragweed, you can have a cross-reaction with a variety of similar species, such as watermelon. It is more common to develop an itchy mouth after eating a piece of watermelon when ragweed pollen is in the air. Beware of mangoes and watch those fruity ingredients in summertime tropical drinks.

13. Sneeze-free mountains

Mountains are often the most allergy-free areas in the Americas unless the dampness causes a problem.

14. Don’t get bugged

Many natural insecticides are derived from flowers, such as chrysanthemums. Inhaling even the tiniest bit of the powder can make people with hay fever miserable.

15. Medication in the car

Don’t keep medication in the car, glove compartment or car trunk. Cars get very hot in the summer. This can ruin homeopathic remedies as well as other medications. If you are traveling, you need to store medications in a cooler or take them with you.

16. Don’t high-dive

Swelling inside the ears is a fairly common allergy symptom. The pressure changes that occur when someone dives into water can greatly aggravate ears that get plugged up because of allergen exposure. This condition can lead to water being trapped inside the ear resulting in painful swimmer’s ear.

17. Take a ride

One way to get out and enjoy nature is to drive around in an air-conditioned car. It can keep your symptoms at a tolerable level.

18. Don’t pet that pet

Pets can carry on their fur any pollen, dust, mold, or other types of allergens. Pet fur and dander can shed indoors along with the allergen. Keep pets away from your favorite areas.

19. Groom that yard

Plant non-allergenic ground covers in place of grass. Remove any plants that are releasing lots of pollen. This will reduce your hay fever exposure.

20. Take off those clothes

During pollen season remove your outer clothing and shoes when coming indoors. Leave them outdoors in a protected area or put the clothes immediately into the washing machine. Shower and rinse your hair, particularly before going to bed. While you are outdoors pollen can attach to clothing and hair. Once you are indoors it can trigger allergy symptoms.

21. Not the Cheerios

Sometimes, certain foods are in the same family as certain pollens. Avoid eating foods related to grasses, such as wheat, rice, oats, etc. Eating these foods can aggravate airborne allergies.

22. No cows allowed

Another good reason not to drink milk is that pasteurized and raw cow’s milk contains enough antibodies of rye grass pollen, house dust mites, Aspergillus mold, and wheat proteins to cause allergic reactions in someone sensitive to these substances. These antibodies were detected in every sample tested, including all samples of commercially pasteurized milk.  When these types of proteins are absorbed in the intestinal tract they can result in allergic reactions. This can even affect people not usually sensitive to pollen, dust, mold, or wheat.

23. Cars can kill nose hairs

As pollutants increase in the air, hay fever symptoms also increase. Car exhaust contains nitrogen dioxide that can kill the cilia (hairs) in the nasal passages and respiratory tract.  Cilia help move mucus and foreign objects to the mouth and nose and then out of the body.  When nitrogen dioxide exposure kills the cilia, our body cannot rid itself of these allergens that burden the immune system. You may not be able to avoid car exhaust, but this is an example of how our environment can affect our health.

24. The food sensitivity-pollen connection

Reducing food hypersensitivities can decrease your seasonal hay fever symptoms. It is possible to decrease hay fever symptoms when you also reduce the total burden on the immune system and the digestive tract.