About 81 million — that’s the number of Americans of all ages who have hay fever, medically known as allergic rhinitis. Whatever you call it, this common issue leaves many people with itchy eyes, runny noses, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, and more. Especially during certain times of the year, such as spring, summer, and fall.
While we may be past the worst of the seasons — springtime when pollen is flying through the air — seasonal allergies can still plague you into summer and beyond.
To help you enjoy these warm months, Dr. Timothy Queen and the team at Advanced ENT & Allergy want to cover a few great strategies for reducing the impact of allergies on your life.
One of the best ways to manage hay fever is to ensure you have what you need to combat allergies and their symptoms. First, we can perform comprehensive allergy testing to make sure we’re targeting the right allergens.
From there, we can determine which strategies are best. As allergy specialists, we’re pleased to offer a comprehensive hay fever arsenal to help you manage seasonal allergies and their side effects. These treatments include:
As you can see, we have many solutions that can help you breathe more easily through your seasonal rhinitis.
Your home is your oasis, and you should make sure it’s also an oasis from your seasonal allergies. Keep your windows closed on windy days, and we highly recommend that you install a HEPA air filtration system to filter out pesky allergens.
You should also vacuum fabrics frequently — rugs, curtains, and upholstered furniture — to clear away any allergens. Also, remember to put a good air filter on your vacuum cleaner.
It’s also a good idea to pay attention to your clothing — if you’ve been running around outside, deposit those clothes directly into the laundry.
Just as we can get temperature and precipitation information from our weather apps, we can also get pollen counts. If pollen is one of your hay fever triggers, it’s a good idea to monitor the counts and alter your activities on high pollen days — choose something indoors instead.
If you go out, we suggest wearing a hat and glasses to protect your eyes.
If your hay fever acts up, shower daily, especially when you come inside. We also suggest laundering your sheets and towels a little more frequently.
And we don’t want you to forget your pets, who can carry allergens in and on their fur. So, when you call your dog or cat in, wipe them down and try to keep them out of your bed during allergy season.
Between our treatments and your efforts, we can help you more easily navigate hay fever season and keep your allergic rhinitis to a minimum.
For a more customized plan for managing your spring fever, we invite you to contact our office in Newport News, Virginia, to schedule a consultation with one of our allergy specialists.
