It’s that time of the year again, and no, I don’t mean the beautiful side of Spring. I’m talking about the coughing sensation, runny nose and sore throat dilemma we face this time of the year. If you’re not prepared for the outdoors, consider trying my tips and good luck!
First, Spring means the flowers blooming into dandelions and the trees standing tall and green. April showers bring May flowers, right?
With all the wild-life blooming, that means pollen is growing and flying everywhere to fertilize other plants as far as the wind can push those small particles. So, it’s no wonder you see everyone around you sneezing up a storm and grabbing the nearest tissues; it’s allergy season!
Getting your allergies taken care of can save you the hassle of not being in bed all day. Allergies can affect your ability to work, study and even sleep. Especially this time of the semester for all my student readers, you can’t afford a sick day.
My first tip is to close your windows, especially at night before you fall asleep. Having your windows open gives any pollen or dust the opportunity to sneak in and disturb your breathing pattern. This tip is one of my favorites because from personal experience, if I leave the windows even cracked at night, my throat will suffer the consequences. I’ve even seen people use masks when they’re outside which doesn’t sound like a bad idea. You can’t escape the great outdoors, so might as well work around it.
My next tip is to take a hot shower before you go to sleep. Although there are some suggestions saying you shouldn’t shower before you sleep, I think for allergy season it’s a must. Giving yourself a hot shower will allow the steamy temperature to relieve your dry pores and give your nostrils the necessary moisture it needs. After stepping out of the shower and hopping in bed, you can go to sleep in peace knowing your nose has been washed and revitalized for the next day.
I’ve had numerous questions on how to get rid of a sore throat and since my allergies result in solely sore throats, I have a few tips for this one. I really recommend drinking water, and any other medical doctor will advise this too. Think of water as your body’s personal shower – moisturizing your throat after a rough day of mucus clogging your glands. Not only that, but water is key to life The water you drink today is the water your body will use tomorrow, so fuel up!
I also suggest trying salt and water gurgles, like mouthwash. You can use it at room temperature, but I usually boil my water, add salt and then wait for it to cool down for use. After a few gurgles and spitting it out, my throat no longer feels raspy or even that insane itch no one seems to be able to reach with their tongue – we’re all guilty of that. My theory to this is the salt acts as an exfoliator on the throat, cleaning all the old, mucus cells away when you spit it out.
My last tip for a sore throat is purchasing Claritin ($19) or Zyrtec ($14) from your local drugstore. I’ve personally never tried either, but others rave about these two allergy-focused medications. They claim to last four to 12 hours when you’re outside in the pollen-infested fields and according to many reviews on Target and Walmart, it actually works. Now, in no way am I telling you to purchase it. Try the two D.I.Y. tips I gave you first, so you won't waste money if it’s not necessary.
My last tip is probably the most important when it comes to things you can actually take care of. You can’t control the amount of pollen outside when you’re walking by your favorite florist shop, but you can control your space at home and keeping it clean. I’m not talking about the dinner table you clean every day after a good feast, I mean the furniture you haven’t moved in months – collecting dust and debris over time. Any furniture or fancy paintings you haven’t touched in ages need a good clean too. Even wetting a paper towel and swiping the dust away does just the trick.
Now that we’re practically done with Winter, when was the last time you used your fan? You’re most likely going to start using it again as the weather gets warmer and more humid, but before you turn it on, stop and clean the wings of the fan before you start walking around in dust-infested air.
Lastly, if you truly do suffer from allergies with severe symptoms, consider visiting your doctor and have them test/diagnose you for allergy implications. Even if you don’t suffer from allergies all-year round, some bacteria build up from the pollen/dust can hide dormant in your system and cause serious allergy episodes later down the road, get that treated now instead of waiting for next spring!
The good thing about getting ready now for spring allergies is you’ll have a stronger immune system for summer weather. Isn’t that what we’re all waiting for anyways?
