The hay fever season which ironically doesn’t have anything to do with either hay or fever is upon us. More than 35 million Americans suffer from hay fever every year, and according to practitioners, this season is shaping up to be one of the worst.
We hay fever sufferers are about to be subjected to itching and watery eyes, stuffy noses, skin reactions, and additional allergic reactions as high pollen counts invade the country sides and neighborhoods of America. having a pet can even make things worse.
Hay fever, otherwise affectionately known as, "seasonal allergic rhinitis" is touched off by tree allergens such as pollens or molds.
What is less known is that pet hairs can attract and carry these allergens. The allergens trigger the release of histamine into the body which causes inflammation in the nose leading to the common signs of watery eyes, congestion, and sneezing.
So exactly how are we allergy sufferers get through the season?
If you have a dog allergy or a pet allergy, you can arrange your environment so you’re not around dogs.
More than 70% of U.S. households have a pet dog or cat at home and an estimated 6 million Americans are allergic to cats. Pets are great fun, are very entertaining and provide companionship, security and often a sense of comfort too. However, people with allergies should exercise some caution when deciding to get a pet because the allergens present could result in inflammatory conditions in the nose and eyes or aggravate asthma.
Take some extra precautionary measures such as using an air cleaner which can remove the pet dander from the air which is often the source of the problem. It is not necessarily the pet hairs themselves that are the problem. In fact animal hair is not considered to be a very significant allerge. However, the hair or fur can gather pollen, dust, mold, and other allergens that irritate. Invest in an air purifier. You’ll feel the difference!
You have to do something similar with hay fever allergies.
One – Make a habit of monitoring the pollen counts in your area.
The National Allergy Bureau (NAB) has over 70 pollen counting stations throughout the nation. To catch the pollen allergies and mold numbers for your region, visit the NAB website at http://www.aaaai.org/nab/index.cfm?p=pollen
Weather conditions, which can vary greatly, have a tremendous affect on the pollen numbers. With this in mind, you need to periodically monitor these counts. If the NAB is unreachable or inconvenient to you, be aware that some community newspapers publish the pollen and mold counts as well.
Two – control your environment by avoiding the pollens and molds that are making your spring miserable. Do this by making some of the following changes:
– Use your air conditioner to filter the outside air. Additionally, change your heating and air conditioning filters every month.
– Pollen counts change throughout the day, so you’ll notice different counts at different times of the day. Avoid peak pollen release times and limit your outdoor activity to the times when the pollen counts are at their lowest.
– Keeping windows closed at night to prevent pollens or Molds from drifting into the home.
– Wash your bedding materials in hot, not warm, water. Furthermore, search for detergent formulas that contain additives to remove allergens such as pollens, mildew and mold.
Three – schedule an appointment with an allergist. A certified allergist can help you in identifying the precise allergens that are impacting you and provide you with a custom treatment plan (including pills, nasal sprays, herbs, acupuncture) to alleviate your symptoms.
Finally – if you are merely sick and tired of being coerced into hiding indoors for much of the spring season, you could try immunotherapy or allergy shots. Allergy shots, administered over a series of months, will help to increase your tolerance to the allergens that trigger your allergies. While not a cure, immunotherapy can help greatly in reducing your sensitivities to allergies.
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