Tips For Lessening The Annoyance Of Seasonal Allergies

If you love the nice warm weather that comes with spring but are not so excited about what it does to your sinuses, then you will be pleased to learn there are many things you can do to lessen the annoyance of your seasonal allergy symptoms. While you cannot completely get rid of your allergies without getting special shots from an allergist, there are other ways to help yourself. To this end, follow each of these tips to help you feel a lot better during this spring's allergy season:

Tip: Use Your Home's HVAC System Over Opening Windows or Using Portable Fans

Since keeping pollen out of your home's air is one of the best ways to lessen your seasonal allergy symptoms, you should always use your home's HVAC system instead of portable fans or opening up the windows. The mesh on your window screens is too large to screen out pollen and other irritants, so when you open your windows, you are inviting irritants into your living space. However, if you use your HVAC system for heating and cooling, then the air is filtered through the system's filter and the resulting air in your home will be cleaner than the air outdoors. Using portable fans will simply blow the pollen around your home and irritate your allergies.

Tip: Put a HEPA Filter in Your Home's Furnace

Since you are prone to seasonal allergies that are caused by pollen, you need to change your home's furnace filter on a monthly basis. Next time you replace the filter, make sure that you buy one that is labeled as a HEPA filter. The acronym HEPA stands for "high-efficiency particulate arrestance" and as the name implies, HEPA filters remove much more pollen and other particulate matter from your home's air than regular filters do. Using a HEPA filter in your furnace will make your home's air cleaner and will lessen your seasonal allergy symptoms.

Tip: Take an Over-the-Counter Antihistamine Medication

Finally, there is no reason to suffer from seasonal allergies when you can simply take an over-the-counter antihistamine. If you are treating your symptoms during the day, then you should choose an allergy treatment that is labeled as being non-drowsy. All non-drowsy antihistamines are not created equal because some of them will still make you sleepy, so you may need to try a variety of different brands until you find the one that works the best to alleviate your annoying seasonal allergy symptoms.


Share