Here in the midwest, we can thank the mild winter and wonky spring for what is shaping up to be a terrible allergy season. This is particularly challenging for little kids; immunotherapy is not an option for the under five set, and antihistamines can produce some rough side effects. Short of constructing a Travolta-esque bubble, parents can do some simple things to prevent and mitigate allergies at home.
Here are a few tips to help families through allergy season:
• Change clothes and wash hands and faces after outdoor play. This keeps allergens off of little bodies and prevents their spread throughout the house.
• Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.
• Keep tabs on pollen and mold counts. High count days are good days to keep windows shut, turn on AC and skip line-drying the laundry. Pollen.com is a great resource — they have free apps for iphone and Android users.
• Be vigilant about cleaning window treatments, throw pillows, rugs and any other allergen magnets.
• Keep allergic kids indoors when you are mowing the lawn or gardening.
• Bathe your pets! Last year I was relieved to learn that my kid is not allergic to our dachshund, but the little low-rider tracks in all kinds of allergens. Keeping our dog clean is a win for everyone, especially since he has seasonal allergies too.
What are you doing to minimize allergies at home?
(Image: Flickr member spettacolopuro licensed for use under Creative Commons)
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I think it was WebMD that suggested changing pillowcases frequently, so we bought extras and change them every other day. Also, while I was having problems, here in Austin, this spring, we started using a vaporizer and that seemed to resolve things almost overnight. We used eucalyptus with it to help too. :-)
This nasal spray is nothing short of revolutionary (imo): Xlear. Not a drug, uses a natural sugar alcohol called xylitol (name sounds synthetic, but it is not.) Helps gently but very effectively clear the sinuses - sort of like the idea of a neti pot, but even more effective. I use it for sinus infections and have been spreading the word far and wide because it is so good. Also haven't had any seasonal allergies this spring - and the cars are coated in yellow pollen where I am. You can buy it online (like amazon) or at health food stores. http://xlear.com and more info on how/why it works is at http://www.nasal-xylitol.com
This is NOT a spam post, I promise. Check out my AT posting history and you'll see I'm usually giving my opinion on where you might put your sofa. But this spray and the idea behind it are so simple and revolutionary (sadly, given the state of how we treat in western medicine) that I wish more people knew about it! No side effects or drug interactions either.
Thanks for posting this great advice. Why can't kids under five get allergy shots? I see kids who appear to be under five who get allergy shots at my allergist's office.
Why on earth isn't local honey on here? We switched to it and kicked our allergy tablets to the curb two years ago.
Wipe down your hair with a damp cloth before going to bed. And since dogs tend to pick up pollen whenever they go outside (especially if they like to roll around in the grass like my beagle), wipe them down with a damp cloth whenever they come back inside.
The "...little low-rider...", haha! That's an awesome way to describe them. My family has had miniature dachshunds pretty much my entire life. Great dogs.
These are solid tips. I live in the southeast and I have terrible spring allergies so I'm very familiar with most of these. I also use allergy free bedding and pillow cases, which isn't the most comfortable necessarily, but it beats sneezing and being miserable all day.
@DovieAnn Just consuming local honey allowed you to stop taking allergy medicines? I'd love to hear more about that.