Allergies are always a pain to deal with, and nobody likes having them. There are many reasons why our allergies are triggered, from eating the wrong food to breathing in pollen and the like. When it comes to the latter, there’s a lot of ways you can prevent or reduce the risk of triggering your allergies. These aren’t a guarantee, and it’s always best to get a health professional’s opinion, but these remedies and preventive measures can still provide considerable relief.
Below are some steps to treating or preventing allergies.
Purify and Filter Your Air
If you’ve been finding yourself sneezing while inside your house but not when you go out, a common piece of advice is to check your vents. Air quality heavily affects our health, and “bad air” can trigger allergies. The vents in our house catch, filter, and accumulate dust, which is why regular AC tune-up and maintenance should be a part of your seasonal chores list.
Alternatively, using an air purifier that has HEPA filters can capture allergens in the air. Using vacuuming your house regularly also helps. All in all, the best way to keep your air clean is to keep your house clean, as mold, bacteria, and dust mites develop when a house is left untidy.
Make Your Bedroom Allergy Free
We spend a lot of hours in our bedroom, and that’s where most of the allergens gather. This is the reason why many times during the year, we often wake up with sniffles or get an allergy attack first thing in the morning. Use hypoallergenic pillowcases, mattresses, and other blankets to reduce the chances of allergens, and make sure to clean your bedroom thoroughly at least once a week. Weekly changing of your sheets and pillowcases will help as well, and vacuuming as often as you can too.
Get Rid of Draft
The great outdoors might not sound so great when you realize that it’s filled with dust-based allergens. Pollen, dust, and other forms of environmental allergens are rife, especially during certain seasons. There’s a simple solution to this, however: close your doors and windows. Of course, that’s simpler to say than to do.
Include Your Pets in the Equation
If you have pets and you have allergies, it’s best to keep your fur babies away from your bedroom. Pet fur can carry various allergens like dust and pollen, and you don’t want those to stick to your bed where you sleep. So along with deep cleaning your bedroom and vacuuming all the dust, keep your room allergy-free by restricting it from your beloved pets.
Probiotics Help
Research has shown that taking probiotics can help fight off allergies. While the research is still ongoing, the results have been very clear. Gut flora affects our immune systems, affecting the body’s preliminary response to allergies. Probiotics like Lactobacillus casei Shirota balance the antibodies that help prevent seasonal allergies. Even if the study is still ongoing, there’s no harm in taking probiotics when you feel like you’re coming up with an allergy attack.
Try Saline
Here’s a simple remedy you can try: saline. The saline solution in a nasal spray can mitigate different kinds of allergies. It helps the nasal passage and sinus to become moist while preventing the inflammation of the inside of our nose. Some people prefer to use a neti pot, while some use a nasal spray. Regardless, if you’re coming down with allergies, this is something new that you can try.
Use Essential Oils
Essential oils often get negative attention for being touted as a cure-all. They’re not a panacea of any sort, but essential oils can still be useful. Essential oils like eucalyptus, thyme, lavender, and many others are anti-inflammatory and can bring relief for a clogged nose or a swollen eye. However, using them directly or at full strength can cause negative effects like irritation or headaches, so always remember to dilute them before using them. Be mindful of where your essential oils are sourced as well, as the quality can greatly affect its effects.
Proper Hygiene is King
Cleanliness is key, and as mentioned throughout this article, can reduce the risk of allergies. But this isn’t just for cleaning your house, but also your hygiene as well. Showering after staying outdoors for quite some time can remove the allergens that landed on your clothes and your body. And showering with warm water can help alleviate a clogged nose and remove the allergy source.
Pinpointing where your allergies are coming from is the first step, and the second is always addressing those allergies. Hopefully, the tips provided here help you get some relief, and help you in staying safe.
