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The spring season is finally here! Greener grass, blooming flowers, and warmer weather are back. And unfortunately…so are allergies. Seasonal allergies are incredibly common. More than 20 million American adults and 6 million children experience spring allergies. Allergens like tree pollens, grass, weeds, and airborne mold spores often trigger symptoms that can negatively impact your day. To thrive in this new season, we’ve created a survival guide for staying one step ahead of your spring allergies.
Step 1: Avoid Your Triggers Knowing the exact causes of your allergy symptoms and using the suggestions below can help you avoid them altogether:
Check weather reports daily for pollen counts and be cautious if the count is 9.7 or above
Keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high
Stay inside on dry and windy days
Step 2: Clean Clean Clean Spring cleaning is back! Just in time because allergens love to stick to almost everything. These steps can keep pesky allergens away:
Wash your clothes/sheets often
Avoid hanging laundry outside
Clean floors and surfaces frequently
Wipe off your pet’s paws after going outside
Step 3: Try Over-the-Counter Products Pharmacies offer plenty of over-the-counter products to prevent and eliminate allergy symptoms. Below are various allergy-fighting options. Ask your pharmacist which would be the best for you. Nasal Saline For those interested in non-medicated solutions, nasal saline is a viable option. Allergens can often get stuck in your nose. Nasal saline helps wash allergens out while also moisturizing dry nasal passages and aiding nasal congestion. This product comes in different shapes and sizes. Some options are:
Nasal saline squeeze bottles
Neti pot with a sinus wash
Saline nasal irrigation kit
Non-Drowsy Oral Antihistamines Oral antihistamines help relieve the common allergy symptoms of sneezing, runny nose, watery/itchy eyes, and itchy throat or nose. These once-daily medications have few side effects and can help you to enjoy the beautiful spring season:
Claritin (loratadine)
Allegra (fexofenadine)
Zyrtec (cetirizine)
Xyzal (levetiracetam)
Intranasal Corticosteroids Intranasal steroids are great for stopping symptoms like nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, itchy nose, and watery/itchy eyes. Below are common nasal sprays that provide significant relief:
Flonase (fluticasone propionate)
Nasacort (triamcinolone acetonide)
Decongestants Decongestants are beneficial for symptoms like head congestion and sinus pain or pressure. However, consult a doctor or pharmacist before use as these products are not suitable for everyone:
Afrin Nasal Spray (oxymetazoline)
Sudafed PE (phenylephrine)
Sudafed (pseudoephedrine)
Eye Drops If your eyes are watery, itchy, or red during allergy season, these products specific to the eye can be beneficial to you:
Alaway (ketotifen)
Visine (pheniramine maleate/naphazoline hydrochloride)
Clear eyes (glycerin/naphazoline hydrochloride/zinc sulfate)
Step 4: See Your Doctor or Allergist Consider seeing a healthcare provider or allergy specialist if your allergy symptoms won’t go away or get worse. You may be eligible for prescription therapy or allergy testing. Don’t let spring allergies put a damper on the new season. Use this survival guide to beat allergies before they beat you. And if you have any more questions on how to conquer allergies this spring, give us a call or stop by!
Get back to enjoying the outdoors with over-the-counter allergy-fighting products. Our pharmacists at Shaffer Pharmacy can help you find the relief you need!