It’s the most beautiful time of the year, but for some, blooming flowers and rising temperatures can mean experiencing the uncomfortable symptoms of allergies.
Streaming eyes, blocked noses and irritated skin could hold you back from fully enjoying spring…
So, here are our top tips for how to avoid symptoms of allergies during a change in season:
Exercise responsibly
You’re more likely to draw deep breaths when exerting yourself, which in turn makes you inhale more pollen, so if you exercise outdoors, aim to do so when those pesky pollen counts are at their least threatening: late afternoon and dusk.
If your activity is low – gardening or taking the dog for a leisurely walk – ask your doctor if you can take a non-drowsy antihistamine beforehand to enjoy yourself allergen-free.
Maybe Zumba will be your activity of choice? Follow our workout tutorial to see if it’s for you:
Get spring cleaning
It sounds contradictory, but indoors can sometimes be worse for your allergies than outdoors. Carpets, doormats, and fabrics on furniture and pillows are hotspots for dust and mould to collect, so the allergen sources in your home are abundant.
Spring cleaning is the answer here; give every potential allergen source a thorough cleaning. Wash all fabrics and mats, vacuum twice a week, and ask your family to remove their shoes at the front door so that new moulds and outside dust aren’t tracked inside.
PLUS: 5 Surprising Ways To Clean With Lemons
Watch what you wear
Your wardrobe might be contributing to your allergies. Unfortunately, the friction produced when synthetic fabrics rub together attracts pollen, which will make those irritated eyes even worse.
When picking your spring wardrobe, choose natural fibres, which breathe beautifully and don’t get damp easily, meaning mould is less likely to develop.
Want to update your spring wardrobe? Here’s what to buy:
http://www.womanandhomemagazine.co.za/fashion/runway-trends-get-look
Alter your diet
An overall healthy diet does wonders for your immune system, and will keep you feeling great even as the seasons change. Load up on antioxidant-rich foods such as tomatoes, nuts, oranges, apples and grapes, all of which will improve your upper respiratory tract health.
Don’t forget about your essential fatty acids either, which is found in organic flax seed, hemp seed oil, nuts, fish oil, seeds and soy products.
Wash the allergies away
Pollen collects on your hair, skin and clothes throughout the day, and if you simply swap your day clothes for pyjamas at night, you could wake up with your allergies even worse.
The simplest way to remove pollen from your body is to take a shower and wash your hair before bedtime. Get the kids into the bath for a similar scrubbing, and wash your pets to get the pollen out of their fur.
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