Spring into Action: 5 Tips for Managing Seasonal Allergies

For many, spring is a favorite season, especially here in the Chicago area, as winter loosens its grip and the days become both longer and warmer.

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you may be conflicted about spring — you love waving goodbye to winter, but you can do without the sneezing, wheezing, and congestion that come with seasonal allergic rhinitis, or hay fever.

You’re certainly not alone in this — seasonal allergies affect 81 million people in the United States, which is nearly a quarter of the population.

To help you weather this spring season with more ease, we turn to the team of healthcare providers at Michigan Avenue Primary Care. In the following, we outline 5 great strategies that will help you and your loved ones to breathe easier this spring…and beyond.

1. Get your toolkit ready now

Before the pollen really takes to the air, it’s a good idea to get proactive with your spring allergy management plan. For example, we want you to make sure that your seasonal allergy toolkit is complete and includes:

• Corticosteroid nasal sprays
• Decongestants
• Antihistamines
• Eye drops
• Neti pots and saline rinses

We’re happy to work with you on this toolkit to make sure you have everything you need. The goal is to stay one step ahead of spring allergies while managing their symptoms.

2. Monitor pollen counts closely

For people with spring allergies, paying closer attention to weather reports and pollen counts is important. For example, if it’s a high pollen count day and the wind is blowing, you can expect that your spring allergies will flare. In this case, you might want to avoid going outside.

A great site for monitoring pollen can be found here.

3. Keeping allergens out of your home

Another great practice is to make sure your home, at least, remains relatively free of irritants, such as pollen. First, you should consider installing air filters in rooms where you spend a good deal of time. To get you started, here’s a good list of HEPA air filters.

Second, it’s important to close windows on high pollen and breezy days to keep pollen out of the house.

Third, you can further reduce pollen in your home by wiping off pets when they come in and shedding your own clothes at the door.

4. Protecting yourself outside

When you do head out, we recommend that you wear glasses to protect your eyes. As well, a hat is a great idea to keep pollen out of your hair, where it can linger.

5. Consider immunotherapy

When it comes to longer-lasting solutions for seasonal allergies, many of our patients have had great success with immunotherapy. This is a technique in which small amounts of the allergen are introduced into your body to help it build resistance and not overreact. In the case of spring allergies, we’re trying to desensitize your immune system against pollen.

The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reports that immunotherapy is effective in 85% of patients with allergic rhinitis.

As you can see, there’s plenty that can be done to help you better weather spring allergies, and we’re happy to sit down with you to come up with a more detailed plan.

To gain better control over your spring allergies this season, please contact us at our clinic in Chicago, Illinois, in The Loop, to schedule a consultation with one of our healthcare providers. You can also visit our urgent care center during operating hours, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm.