Last time, we talked about what you can do to help control your exposure to the pollen that causes your seasonal allergy.
To recap, arm yourself with pollen forecasts. Protect yourself from pollen in the air by wearing a mask when you must be out on high pollen count days. Be careful not the spread the pollen that collects in your hair and clothes throughout the house. You can read the full post at Allergy Control Products for Seasonal Allergy – part 1.
There are other things you can do to reduce your seasonal allergy symptoms. More and more physicians are singing the praises of nasal irrigation for a variety of reasons. As it relates to a seasonal allergy, by gently rinsing the nasal passages and sinus areas with a sterile, moisturizing saline solution you can actually remove inhaled pollen particles. Remember, allergy control is all about reducing exposure.
Neti pots have their roots in ancient India. Dr. Oz made them popular in the United States when he appeared on the Oprah show to talk about them. But, neti pots can be messy. There are single-use squirt bottles to use for nasal irrigation, but that application gets kind of expensive if the pollen season lasts very long.
SinuAir makes an “easy squeeze” bottle that is good for about 80 uses. If you are looking for something more economical than the single-use bottle, the Nasal Wash System might be easier on the wallet. It is also much more portable and discreet than a neti-pot or one of the electric pulsating nasal irrigation systems.
Also, be aware that pets will bring pollen into the home just the way you bring it in on your hair. For this reason, if possible keep pets inside when pollen counts are high. Understanding that Fido will need to go out for “comfort breaks” and exercise, use the same precautions for bringing your pet inside that you use for yourself.
After prolonged exposure to pollen, bring the pet inside the bathroom and brush its fur. For your own protection, you might want to wear a mask during this process. Of course, if you and your pet are crazy enough you could shower together and remove pollen from the both of you at the same time!
Seriously, pet fur can spread pollen all over your home and it is important to be mindful of this. If you are allergic to your pet, you probably have some Allerpet hanging around the house. After you brush the pet to remove loose pollen, rub the animal with the Allerpet solution. The same ingredients that make it work for pet allergies also make it great for pollen. Your pet will be pollen-free and have a beautiful coat to boot!
Also, keep in mind that your bottle of ADMS Dust Mite Spray is also an all-purpose denaturing agent. This means that if the cat runs in and jumps on the couch before you can Allerpet it….don’t sweat it! Just give the couch a light mist of ADMS denaturing spray and the pollen proteins will be neutralized.
When deciding when you should go outside, keep in mind that the pollen that causes problems are generally spread through the air. That means staying inside on windy days.
Also, when it rains, any airborne pollens are knocked down and stuck by moisture to the first surface they hit. That means they aren’t flying in the wind and are easily inhaled. So, walking the dog right after rainfall will allow both you and your pet to get outside and enjoy the mild weather without picking up as much pollen on your hair (or fur) and clothes.
Just another idea or two on using allergy control products for seasonal allergies.
The Allergy Store