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Wednesday 14 December 2016

6 Ways to Beat Those Awful Allergies

We are already experiencing an unusually harsh allergy season (appropriately called the "Pollen Vortex" after a heinous winter), but there are steps you can take for those high-pollen days:
1. Clean smarter
If you are allergic to dust mites, try covering pillows and mattresses with special cases to help keep them away. Dust regularly (while wearing a mask over your mouth and nose), and vacuum with a machine that has a HEPA filter to help ward off dust allergies.
2. Work out at the right time
Exercise in the morning when pollen counts may be the lowest. Or, just stick to exercising indoors during allergy season.
3. Accessorize wisely
Wear oversize sunglasses and put on a hat with a wide brim to protect your face. And more importantly, keep outdoor clothes out of your bedroom.
4. Don't rub at your eyes
Cleanse your eyelids with a gentle baby shampoo to remove allergens. Before bed, shower and wash your hair. "Otherwise you'll be sleeping in a pollen microenvironment," says Robert Reinhardt, M.D., medical director at ThermoFisher Scientific.
5. Keep windows shut
Use air conditioning in both your car and your home to keep out pollen as well as slow down the growth of dust mites during warmer months. Change the filters often.
6. Watch what you eat
Avoid fruits and vegetables that make your mouth tingle or your throat itch. This odd phenomenon, known as oral allergy syndrome, affects as many as a third of seasonal-allergy sufferers. "If you have tree, weed, or grass pollen allergies, you can experience symptoms in the mouth and throat due to a cross-reaction between the proteins in produce and the pollens," explains Clifford W. Bassett, M.D., medical director of Allergy & Asthma Care of New York. Ragweed allergies can make you sensitive to cucumber, zucchini, and bananas, among other fruits, while grass allergies can trigger reactions to melons, oranges, and tomatoes. Apples, pears, kiwis, carrots, stone fruit, celery, almonds, and hazelnuts can cause problems for those who are allergic to tree pollens.

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