As soon as the trees begin to bloom, many people begin experiencing stuffy noses, watery eyes and endless coughing, among other symptoms. It can be hard to deal with allergies, especially when you don’t know your allergy triggers or are confused as to whether or not it may be COVID-19.
But just so you know, pollen levels will be heavier and longer lasting because of the warm winter we just had. So, it’s to be expected that some, if not most of us will experience severe allergies this season. AFC Urgent Care Saugus wants you to beat spring allergy season with our tips on how to manage symptoms and a guide on how to differentiate COVID-19 from spring allergies.
Allergy Season Has Already Started
Our changing climate has caused shifts in precipitation patterns, more frost-free days, warmer seasonal air temperatures, and more carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. These changes can affect:
- when the pollen season starts and ends and how long it lasts each year,
- how much pollen plants create and how much is in the air, and
- how pollen affects human health.
You can take extra precaution by checking the daily pollen levels online or on your local weather channel.
Pollen is the grains or tiny seeds of flowering plants, trees, and grasses. These seeds can be carried on the wind and can cause various symptoms, or none at all, in individuals who are exposed to them.
For people with hay fever, also known as “allergic rhinitis,” breathing in pollen can cause sneezing, congestion, and a runny nose. Pollen exposure can also result in “allergic conjunctivitis” in some individuals, causing red, watery, or itchy eyes.
How To Avoid Allergy & Asthma Triggers
If you are allergic to pollen, or if you have asthma you can take steps to protect yourself:
- Check pollen forecasts on local news and online sources and plan to spend less time outdoors when pollen levels will be high.
- Take your allergy and/or asthma medications as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
- Don’t touch your eyes while you are outside, and wash your hands when you go back inside (before you touch your eyes).
- Shower after being outside to remove pollen from your skin and hair.
- Change your clothes after being outdoors.
- Keep windows closed during pollen season.
- Use high-efficiency filters in your home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Make sure your HVAC system can use high-efficiency filters and that they don’t violate the system’s warranty.
Here are some home remedies that can potentially help you from these bothersome triggers:
- Limiting pollen exposure to limit spring allergies
- Taking medicine early to relieve spring allergies
- Rinsing your nasal passages regularly
- Spring cleaning for your spring allergies
- Natural remedies for spring allergies like vitamin C
- Stocking up on inhalers if you’re asthmatic!
AFC Urgent Care Saugus Can Help Alleviate Asthma And Spring Allergies
Untreated seasonal allergies can lead to other problems like asthma. If you’re concerned about your allergies or allergy induced asthma, AFC Urgent Care Saugus can help you find relief.
If you suspect your sneezing, coughing and wheezing is related to COVID-19, we can also test for that, too. It’s better to test and rule everything out, so that you can focus on getting better.
