The 5 Best Ways to Fight Spring Allergy Symptoms
For millions of Americans, spring marks much more than the beginning of March Madness—it is also the beginning of allergy season, where sniffing, sneezing and sore throats take center stage. These are just a few of the spring allergy symptoms that can plague your everyday activities, draining your energy and making it difficult for you to work or concentrate.
We’ll take a closer look at these spring allergy symptoms, what causes spring allergies, and how our internal medicine physicians in Cary can effectively treat them.
The 5 Best Ways to Fight Spring Allergies
1. Limit Your Time Outside—Especially During High Pollen Count Days
Pollen, ragweed and grass are some of the outdoor allergens that can make you miserable. Therefore, it often helps to limit your time outdoors, particularly on days where the pollen count is high. You can learn about the pollen level by monitoring your local news and weather websites.
2. Keep “Outdoor Clothes” Separated from “Indoor Clothes”
While limiting your time outside will help you control your spring allergies, who wants to spend time inside when the weather is beautiful? We realize that it’s impossible to stay indoors all the time, but this useful step can help you.
When you come in from outdoors, allergens, such as pollen, may be “hitchhiking” their way indoors by being on your clothes. Changing clothes as soon as you come inside can keep you from spreading them all over your home.
3. Take Steps to “Allergy-Proof” Your Home
Keep your windows shut, and use an air conditioner instead of a fan to cool your house. We also recommend vacuuming often and using a vacuum with a HEPA filter, which will help trap microscopic allergens in the air.
4. Take Medication
There are several over-the-counter medications that can help, although we realize that these don’t necessarily work for everyone. If over-the-counter treatment doesn’t work, then schedule an appointment with us.
5. Start Immunotherapy for Allergies
Allergies occur when your body “overreacts” to an allergen, creating the hallmark signs of stuffiness, sneezing and other spring allergy symptoms.
Immunotherapy involves exposing your body to a diluted amount of the allergen causing the problem. This teaches your body to develop an appropriate response. These are often called “allergy shots.”
If chronic allergies bother you and over-the-counter medicine doesn’t help — or you don’t want to be on medication for the long term — our internal medicine physicians in Cary can help.
What Causes Spring Allergies?
As we mentioned earlier, an allergic reaction occurs when your body overreacts to an allergen. An allergen is anything that can cause this reaction. The most common allergens include pollen, ragweed and pet dander.
What Causes Spring Allergy Symptoms in the Cary and Triangle Areas?
We love the Raleigh, Cary and Triangle areas. The opportunities for outdoor recreation, as well as sports and cultural events, make it a great place to live.
Unfortunately, the Triangle is also home to a lot of allergens. The most common allergens that cause spring allergy symptoms in Cary are tree pollens, which often give way to ragweed and grass pollens in May.
What Are the Main Spring Allergy Symptoms?
Symptoms may vary from one individual to another, but in general, signs of chronic spring allergies include:
- Watery, itchy, red eyes
- Sneezing
- Runny nose
- Nasal congestion
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Coughing
- Loss of smell
Cary Medical Group Helps Allergy Sufferers Find Relief
For more than two decades, we’ve helped residents in the Cary and Triangle areas by enabling them to live the healthiest life possible. As internal medicine physicians in Cary, we’re keenly aware of how all your body’s systems work together, and we understand that allergies affect more than just your nose—they can contribute to fatigue, headaches, and other symptoms that make it difficult to function at work or school.
See how we can provide relief through innovative, effective treatment, enabling you to get your life back and helping you look forward to spring again. Schedule an appointment today.
For more than 25 years, Cary Medical Group has served as the Triangle area’s premier internal medicine provider. We tailor our treatments to provide the finest personalized health care available for each stage of your adult life. Contact us to schedule an appointment.
