Overcoming spring allergy symptoms

Many people sneeze, itch and sniff their way through the spring season. But, did you know it isn’t the warmer winds, the blowing dust or even the drifting pollen that cause these irritating symptoms?

“A lot of people are unaware that allergy symptoms are actually caused by their own immune system going into overdrive,” said Laura Baatz, occupational nurse at Sanford Underground Research Facility (Sanford Lab). 

According to the  Mayo Clinic, allergies occur when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance—such as pollen, bee venom or pet dander—and produces substances known as antibodies. Sometimes, your immune system makes antibodies that identify a particular allergen as harmful, even though it isn't. When you come into contact with such an allergen, your immune system's reaction can inflame your skin, sinuses, airways or digestive system.

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to reduce exposure to allergy triggers and lessen your immune system’s reaction. Below are Mayo Clinic’s guidelines for helping you overcome allergy symptoms this season.

Reduce your exposure to allergy triggers

To reduce your exposure to the things that trigger your allergy signs and symptoms:

• Stay indoors on dry, windy days. The best time to go outside is after a good rain, which helps clear pollen from the air.
• Delegate lawn mowing, weed pulling and other gardening chores that stir up allergens.
• Remove clothes you've worn outside and shower to rinse pollen from your skin and hair.
• Don't hang laundry outside—pollen can stick to sheets and towels.
• Wear a pollen mask if you do outside chores.

Take extra steps when pollen counts are high

Seasonal allergy signs and symptoms can flare up when there's a lot of pollen in the air. These steps can help you reduce your exposure:

• Check your local TV or radio station, your local newspaper, or the Internet for pollen forecasts and current pollen levels.
• If high pollen counts are forecasted, start taking allergy medications before your symptoms start.
• Close doors and windows at night or any other time when pollen counts are high.
• Avoid outdoor activity in the early morning when pollen counts are highest.

Keep indoor air clean

There's no miracle product that can eliminate all allergens from the air in your home, but these suggestions may help:

• Use the air conditioning in your house and car.
• If you have forced air heating or air conditioning in your house, use high-efficiency filters and follow regular maintenance schedules.
• Keep indoor air dry with a dehumidifier.
• Use a portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in your bedroom.
• Clean floors often with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter.

Try an over-the-counter remedy

Several types of nonprescription medications can help ease allergy symptoms. These include oral antihistamines and decongestants. Antihistamines can help relieve sneezing, itching, a runny nose and watery eyes, while decongestants can provide temporary relief from nasal stuffiness. Decongestants also come in nasal sprays. However, you should only use nasal decongestants for a few days in a row, as longer-term use of decongestant nasal sprays can actually worsen symptoms. Some allergy medications combine both an antihistamine with a decongestant in one medication.

Rinse your sinuses

Rinsing your nasal passages with saline solution (nasal irrigation) is a quick, inexpensive and effective way to relieve nasal congestion. Rinsing directly flushes out mucus and allergens from your nose.

Look for a squeeze bottle or a neti pot—a small container with a spout designed for nasal rinsing—at your pharmacy or health food store. Use water that's distilled, sterile, previously boiled and cooled, or filtered using a filter with an absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller to make up the saline irrigation solution. Also be sure to rinse the irrigation device after each use with similarly distilled, sterile, previously boiled and cooled, or filtered water and leave open to air-dry.

When home remedies aren't enough, see your doctor

If you have bad seasonal allergies, your doctor may recommend that you have skin tests or blood tests to find out exactly what allergens trigger your symptoms. Testing can help determine what steps you need to take to avoid your specific triggers and identify which treatments are likely to work best for you.

For some people, allergy shots (allergen immunotherapy) can be a good option. Also known as desensitization, this treatment involves regular injections containing tiny amounts of the substances that cause your allergies. Over time, these injections reduce the immune system reaction that causes symptoms. For some allergies, treatment can be given as tablets under the tongue.

For more information, visit the Mayo Clinic’s website.

The Environment, Safety and Health Department at Sanford Underground Research Facility promotes health and safety in the workplace, as well as healthy living and wellness for all employees. If you have questions about health and wellness, please contact our occupational health nurse, Laura Baatz, who is onsite daily at lbaatz@sanfordlab.org.