If you suffer from allergies, you are probably aware that the summer months are harder to get through than any other time of the year.
During the summer, pollen and mold are very high. This can cause people with allergies to feel like it is impossible to leave the house or cope.
However, there are ways to eliminate your exposure to allergens, or eliminate your allergic reaction to the allergens you encounter.
Consider the following steps for dealing with seasonal allergies that flare up during the summer months.
Filter Your Home
Most allergens are air born. This means they can travel through the air into your home through any opening. While opening your windows can allow fresh air into the home, fresh air can bring allergens.
You have two choices for getting fresh air into the home. You can open your windows if you install a filter to remove allergens, or you can use a fresh air intake that automatically filters your air. You might also consider installing an ultraviolet light which will kill mold spores.[Home air purifier]
Wear a Mask
If you enjoy outdoor activities, but don’t enjoy the sneezes and itchy eyes they bring, you may want to wear a mask. While a mask may not be a great fashion statement, blood shot eyes will not be either.
You can find many masks in your local garden supply store. You will want to make sure the mask you choose is specifically made to stop allergens from passing through.
Most painters’ masks or dust masks do not eliminate pollen and mold. You need a mask specifically designed to eliminate natural allergens.
Hire a Gardner
While gardening can be a great hobby and way to relax, it can quickly cause your allergies to flare up. A task as simple as pulling weeds can result in days of itchy eyes and sneezing. It is probably best if you hire a gardener to handle your outdoor chores.
On the days that the gardener will be working, you should stay indoors so that you don’t breathe any allergens that are stirred up. Make sure all of your windows are closed, and situate your gardening area far away from your fresh air intake.
Don’t Bring Allergens Indoors
Allergens such as mold or ragweed can attach to clothes and things that you take outside. If you go outside in the garden, and then go inside and sit on furniture or the bed, you are asking for trouble.
Any allergens you are carrying can be transferred. Later during the day you may lie down or sit down, and find that your allergies start acting up. If you are going outside, you will want to change your clothes and shower as soon as you come back inside.
This will help to keep allergens off of your furniture and out of your house. You may also want to immediately wash your clothing to eliminate allergens that can cause your allergies to flare. You may also want to leave your shoes outside, rather than bringing them indoors.
