Everyone deserves to have fun outdoors, especially after spending the past several months being locked at home. But again, with the rise of a global, life-threatening pandemic, most of us have second thoughts about engaging in outdoor activities in public. And this case becomes much more severe for those who face infections, allergies, and asthma because these can severely weaken your immune system. Allergies can be an absolute mood crusher because they keep you from heading out and take a toll on your health. This is why it is essential to take some preventive measures well in advance. And to help you with the same, we are here with our expertly curated tips to keep allergies at bay. Let’s get started!
Contents
Which Are The Most Common Allergies?
Each individual has a distinct bodily system. Everyone’s body responds to environmental factors, and hence, allergies are pretty different too. However, the most commonly faced one is allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, an umbrella term consisting of various pollen allergies. Other than that, dust mites, food allergies, and seasonal allergies are also a factor.
Every allergy showcases its own unique set of allergy symptoms. For instance, pollen allergies can show symptoms like extreme tiredness, running nose, and watery eyes. Peanut allergy, a commonly existing food allergy, shows stomach aches, itching eyes, skin reactions, digestive issues, etc. If not cared for, the symptoms can be mild, as well as severe.
So, to tackle them at an early stage, here are some tips to avoid allergies and enjoy the outdoors.
Identify The Allergy
You can’t tackle any allergies without having them identified. So, if you seem to notice a pattern of bodily response after visiting a particular place, eating a certain kind of food, or so, make sure you visit a health expert. Diagnosing the allergy is the best way to prevent it in the future. Only when you are aware that your body does not respond well to a particular factor can you stay away from it. Besides, you can also opt for treatments or other medical procedures that can reduce the effectiveness of the allergy and get the situation under control.
Be Aware Of The Pollen Counts
Since pollen allergies are most common among Americans, many weather forecasts have started mentioning the pollen counts of different regions. The pollen count and types of pollen in any area are found on the internet without any trouble. So before you head out, make sure you check the count of the place you plan to visit. At places where the pollen levels are highest, take the necessary steps, such as wearing a mask, carrying your nasal spray, and having your prescribed medication. Just a tiny step of checking in advance can be a huge help.
Develop Your Garden Thoughtfully
If you have a garden area at home, make sure that you plant every small element after thorough research. Avoid having plants that have a high pollen count. Instead, prefer plants such as roses, cherry trees, lilacs, and tulips as they are known to produce the least amount of pollen. And even the tiny amount of pollen that exists on these plants is not airborne. Since the pollen produced by them is on the heavier side, it usually goes straight to the ground instead of floating in the air. Knowing what to plant and what to avoid is a sure-shot way of avoiding allergies.
Stay Clean
Whenever you come from outside, run straight to the shower and quickly rinse off any pollen that may have landed on you. If you don’t do this, the pollen that has settled on your body will find a way to enter your body through the nose, mouth, or ears. You may also consider having a spare changing room outside your house, somewhere on the veranda. In this way, you can get changed into clean clothes before entering the house. Then pollen doesn’t come through. We highly recommend doing this, at least when you are in dense pollen regions.
Conclusion
All in all, it is fair to say that tackling allergies can be a bit of a tedious challenge, but you cannot ignore it. Prevention is always better than cure, so instead of focusing on what you would do after being caught by an allergy, work towards repelling them.
