Hostile Environment

I suffer from seasonal rhinitis. Sounds serious doesn’t it. Well, it may not be serious but it can be miserable. Here are Tiffany’s top tips for seasonal allergy sufferers in no particular order of importance:

1. Turn your house a/c fan on and change your filters. Even if you aren’t running a/c you can turn the fan on to filter the air all the time you might not need one of those expensive stand-alones. Turn off ceiling fans cause they circulate the air.

2. Wear sunglasses when outside – especially on windy days. Wind is a big enemy and will rub the pollen across your eyeballs like sandpaper. Try not to rub your eyes for the same reason.

3. If you go outside wash when you come back inside. Shower morning and night. Also wash your face if you start to have an attack. Use a washcloth and soap. Just water doesn’t cut it. Ask your spouse to shower at night too. You don’t really want to sleep in that stuff.

4. Create an environment where your body can take a break from pollen at night. Clean sheets, vacuumed floors (use an allergy bag), lower temperatures help.

5. Take something and be religious about it. I avoid drugs as-much-as-possible so I try to use stuff God provided like butterbur & nettle. I do take Claritin everyday but it doesn’t seem to help too much. I take it as sort of a low maintenance thing. Also, take a really good multivitamin daily.