Those who have suffered through springtime allergies in the past know just how miserable they can feel if they don’t take preliminary measures to help prevent allergy symptoms. There are many things you can do to help minimize allergies before the spring season begins.
1- Regularly Dust and Clean Your House
Dust can accumulate on many surfaces throughout your home, and you’d be shocked at the rate that it does accumulate. Dusting should be done at least once every week or two to keep those allergies in check. You can use a simple feather duster, but some people prefer to use a wet or dry rag to dust their homes. Whatever you find to pick up the most dust is what you should use. Having a vacuum cleaner with a decent quality dust filter on it works very well, too. Your air ducts should also be cleaned during or right before the spring season. Keeping home air ducts clean may help keep your allergy symptoms at bay. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to clean your own air ducts, so hiring a professional air duct cleaning service is one of the smartest ways to keep your springtime allergies at bay.
2- Visit Your Allergy Doctor
By visiting your allergy doctor, you can see if it may be possible for you to start allergy shots before spring gets here. Oftentimes, an allergist will recommend that you get a series of shots before allergy season starts to help stop the worst of allergy symptoms from ever occurring. You may have to undergo testing beforehand to see which allergens negatively affect your body. This will tell your allergist which shots they need to recommend specifically for you. For example, some people are allergic to cat dander. Others are allergic to tree pollen or ragweed. Having allergen testing done makes it possible to tailor the shots to your needs. If you have medical insurance, allergy shots may or may not be covered by your insurance. You’ll want to check with your insurance company to find out if they will cover the shots that are often referred to as allergen immunotherapy. If insurance does not cover the immunotherapy, you will want to see what the out-of-pocket costs are for such treatments.
3- Start an Antihistamine Ahead of the Spring Season
Many people incorrectly believe that antihistamines take effect immediately after consuming them. However, that is simply not the case. Most antihistamines, like Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec and the like are not capable of providing immediate allergy relief. Many allergists now recommend that you start taking such medication at least two weeks, and preferably a month, before the peak allergy season hits. Thankfully, such medications are usually in the form of over-the-counter medications. A prescription isn’t typically needed anymore, and they are usually very affordable. Not everyone reacts to each antihistamine the same, so you’ll want to make sure you speak to your doctor about which one they recommend for you.
