Along with blooming flowers, trees, and singing birds, pollen also arrives each spring. Here are some survival tips if you struggle with spring allergies.

Although most people gladly welcome the arrival of spring, if you’re one out of four people who suffer through spring allergies each year, it’s not an enjoyable season.

With trees, shrubs and flowers in bloom, pollen saturates the air, making it challenging for people with allergic reactions. Their immune systems struggle to fight off the invasion of pollen with histamines. This leads to itchy eyes, as well as runny noses and scratchy throats.

Because of genetics (and other factors) some suffer more than others do, while there are those who don’t struggle at all. Besides heredity, allergen exposure is also is a factor as to whether you’ll develop any potential allergies. As you grow older, you may develop allergies that you never had when you were younger, probably because your immune system weakens. Also, moving to a different area (especially if the climate and native vegetation differs) can also affect allergies. If you battle pollen in the air each year at this time, here are some survival tips for getting through spring….

Housework Tips

Use air conditioning---If you live up north, you probably can’t wait to open up your windows after a long, cold winter and let the fresh breezes flow throughout your house, as you do your spring cleaning. However, if you suffer from pollen, it’s not a good idea. Rather than opening up your windows, run the air conditioning. Be sure your old air filters won’t spread more dust by replacing them as needed.

Keep car windows closed---The same goes for your car. Instead of opening up your car windows, run the AC.

Vacuuming---Do not vacuum your rugs and upholstery as this will stir up pollen and dust, setting off your allergies. Instead, solicit the help of a family member or friend who doesn’t suffer from allergies.

Stay Indoors

As the trees and grasses pollinate in the morning, the pollen count is at its peak between 5 AM and 10 PM. Therefore, try to stay indoors. Then, later in the day, you can venture outside to exercise or do whatever makes you feel good.

Change Your Clothes at Bedtime

Change your clothes before going to bed----As pollen affixes to your fabric, you don’t want your pillow to be pollen saturated, making it difficult to breathe and causing your eyes to water. It’s also good to wash your hair before going to sleep, as pollen sticks to hair.

Don’t Rub Your Eyes

Although the itching may seem unbearable, you’ll only suffer more if you rub your eyes. Instead, use eye drops for relief.

Allergy Drugs

Pharmaceutical drugs you can buy over-the-counter, such as antihistamines and nasal sprays can bring some relief. But be sure to consult your pharmacist and/or physician before combining any medications.

Allergy Shots

If you suffer severely (or even moderately) and can’t seem to get any relief with over-the-counter medications, you may want to investigate allergy shots. Shots are usually given in the back of the upper arm (under the skin). Starting out at twice weekly, you can increase the dosage if you don’t have any severe reactions from them.

Don’t panic if you notice some itching or swelling, as well as a bit of redness surrounding the injection. To relieve any minor reactions, use cold compresses, oral antihistamines, or topical corticosteroids. It’s also recommended to stay at the doctor’s office about 20 minutes after your injection to see if you have any reactions so you can talk to your doctor about concerns.

Finally, develop a positive attitude through your suffering. If you count your blessings, rather than pollen, you’ll get through spring much easier.