If you are one of the 50 million Americans suffering from allergies, then your spring has already been filled with more sneezes, drippy noses and itchy eyes than you can probably count. And it’s just the beginning, especially since these pesky allergies can last well into the summer months. But you aren’t stuck indoors! Our team at AFC Urgent Care Fountain City has some tips on how to fend off those allergies.

Everything Is Blooming—and So Are Those Allergies

When you walk to your car or even just outside in general, it probably looks like the sun has sprinkled down on the ground. Unfortunately, that is not sun glitter but rather pollen, which comes from the trees and grasses and causes most of the allergy symptoms in our area. Exposure to pollen can cause a variety of symptoms, including:

• Runny noses
• Coughing
• Itchy eyes
• Sneezing
• Wheezing

But there’s just too much fun happening in Fountain City for you to be stuck indoors with allergies. From playing basketball or taking the kids to the playground at Fountain City Park to walking or biking around the Fountain City Greenway, it’s time to tackle those allergies once and for all so you can get outside and have some fun during the warmer Knoxville months!

Protect Yourself From Allergens

If you’re experiencing allergy symptoms, talk with a doctor about whether you’d benefit from over-the-counter or prescription allergy medications. But beyond antihistamines, there are other things you can do to ease or prevent symptoms. For one, although they can look intimidating, Neti pots can help allergy sufferers ease symptoms. Because the sinuses get stuffed up from exposure to pollen and mold, the saline solution used in Neti pots can help to flush out the allergens. In turn, it also helps to combat post-nasal drip and headaches, since the nose is close to the sinus cavity. You can also get similar relief from a basic saline nasal spray used each day. Beyond saline, you can also find relief by shutting allergens out of your home. Even something as simple as a shower after returning to your home from outdoors can help ease your allergy symptoms. Just walking outside to get the mail can cause you to bring pollen back in with you. Therefore, when you get home for the day, take a shower and change clothes. That way you are washing any pollen off your hair, skin or clothes, and you are preventing yourself (and others) from breathing it in the rest of the night or even while you sleep.

What About Honey?

Although research goes back and forth on whether honey that comes from the local bees in your area can help provide symptom relief from allergies, that doesn’t mean you couldn’t give it a try. While it may not help, it won’t hurt. Local honey can often be found in local farmers markets like Pratt’s Country Store and Market Square Farmers’ Market. Do you think your cough or runny nose is more than just allergies? Visit AFC Urgent Care Fountain City for a medical evaluation. No appointment is necessary, and we are open seven days a week!