With the
coming of Spring, pollen and hay fever season returns.
Seasonal allergies (seasonal allergic rhinitis) is
caused by the pollens of various plants. For the most
part, trees flower in the spring, grasses in the summer,
and weeds in the fall. If you have seasonal allergies,
your best plan of attack is to know what is blooming and
when pollen counts are high in order to avoid as much
pollen as possible. As the season progresses, the plants
that are in bloom will change.
You can get the pollen forecast
for your ZIP code by visiting Pollen.Com.
In general
pollen counts are highest early in the morning and late
in the afternoon. Pollen counts are low after a rainfall
and higher on windy days. Remember that in addition to
the pollen that you breathe when you are outside, you
also capture pollen in your hair, on your clothes, and
on your skin. So if you must be outside for long periods
on high pollen count days, be sure to take a shower,
wash your hair, and change your clothes as soon as you
come inside. This will prevent the pollen from being
spread throughout your home.
The same is true for pets.
When they are outside they capture pollen on their fur.
So keep pets indoors as much as possible on high pollen
count days. While it is tempting to hang clothes out to
dry in the first warm days of Spring, this serves as
another means of capturing airborne pollens outside and
bringing them inside. If you must line dry laundry, then
do so inside in a basement, garage or bathroom where
there is sufficient airflow to dry but no exposure to
outdoor pollens.
As part of
that Spring cleaning ritual, many people will be putting
away winter blankets and bringing out lighter-weight
blankets, sheets, and other bedding. Don’t forget to
wash your linens in
Allergen Wash
or
Demite laundry additive before you store them for
the season, it insures that you aren’t packing away allergens
when you put away your linens.
Also, take this
opportunity to look at pillows and sheets. Are they worn
and in need of replacement? If so, consider switching to
either organic cotton or at least cotton that has not
been treated with bleaches, dyes, and resins. Natural
cotton will be a creamy beige color and will not be
bright white. Natural cotton will soften and lighten
with each washing and you will sleep better knowing that
you are doing your part to keep toxins out of the
bedroom and encourage less use of chemicals in the
growth and processing of cotton.
Allergy season is here, and over-the-counter allergy
medications are flying off the shelves. But did you know
that mixing certain allergy medications with other
medicines can have hazardous effects on your health?
The active ingredients of allergy products can cause
over-medicating with other combination or single-entity
non-prescription or prescription medications.
"By consulting with your pharmacist, consumers can
make an educated choice as to which allergy medicine is
right for them," says Dr. Daniel A. Hussar, Remington
professor of pharmacy at Philadelphia College of
Pharmacy at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
"Consumers should read the warnings on over-the-counter
medicines and consult with their pharmacist in order to
make educated decisions about which allergy medication
is right for them."
"Certain allergy medications (antihistamines) can
cause drowsiness or sleepiness, and caution must be
observed when participating in activities like driving
or operating machinery," Hussar noted. If this response
is bothersome, the consumer should ask the pharmacist to
recommend a product that does not cause this sedative
effect.
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