Winter has seemingly been a long one this time around, but spring is almost here. Although the cold will soon be gone, now you have to worry about another problem: the allergies that the blossoming flowers and blooming trees often bring. It’s a good thing, then, that there are quite a few ways to prepare in anticipation of the irritation. Let’s take a look at some of the more effective ones.
1. Consult a Health Professional About Allergy Medications
This usually means your primary care physician; however, given the commonality of most allergies, any qualified health professional can help in this regard. For many people, beginning to take your allergy medication before the season begins renders it much more effective. Essentially, it is sending your body’s defenses the signal to get ready. With just a couple weeks of lead time, you could suffer very little in the way of allergy symptoms this spring, just in time for the pollen that would otherwise cause inflammation in your body.
Alternatively, you could also opt for several over the counter treatments such as Benadryl, Sudafed, or Claritin. Antihistamines and decongestants are known to help relatively mild allergic responses to spring pollen.
2. Clean Your Home to Remove Dust
You may have been putting some of this off all year, given the fall and winter cold, as well as all-around busy schedule. Now is the time, however, to vacuum your rooms using a machine equipped with a HEPA filter. This will ensure you catch all the dust that can get kicked up by spring breezes and invade your nose, mouth, and eyes to trigger the body’s allergic response to foreign objects. Also, getting a dehumidifier can help a great deal—always look for one with an approved HEPA filter.
3. Separate the Outside Environment from the Inside Living Space
This covers several steps. As you’re well aware, kids get dirty almost as a rite of passage; you want to make sure the clothing they bring in from the outside is washed quickly to remove dust that could fly off and contaminate the internal home environment. This extends to making sure they bathe right after they come in from playing or working. For more severe allergic susceptibility, keep the windows closed and opt for the air conditioner as much as possible to separate environments. This is a bit more extreme, so check your local news channel for pollen count reports. If they are high, then keep the air in your house contained.
What Are the Different Types of Spring Allergies?
In particular, become familiar with the specific types of allergies that you and your children have. If you live near birch trees, for example, and you’ve shown a susceptibility to their pollen, then a health professional can come up with a protective concoction against that specific threat. Ragweed and grass are other types of specific allergies; clearly, some are more common than others depending on the plenitude of grass or birch trees in your area.
Visit a Walk-in Clinic for Allergy Treatment in Kensington or Silver Spring, MD
If you need to see a qualified medical professional quickly and you reside in Kensington or Silver Spring, Maryland, then Fast Track Urgent Care is your health facility of choice. You can simply walk in for issues that need urgent care or simply for physical checkups. This goes for injuries, the flu, strep throat, or even STDs.
Visit us at either of our two locations, call 800-417-1164, or contact us online today!
