Spring brings the first warm days of the month for Portlanders and is a sign that warmer weather is just around the corner. What’s another sign you may ask? The constant sniffling, sneezing, and hay fever, all the signs that allergies are upon us. When you want to go out and enjoy the great weather, you can’t do so without the aid of your go-to allergy medication, eye drops, nasal decongestant, or whatever your favorite allergy relief method may be.
On the bright side, allergies are easy to avoid or deal with. Monitoring things like the weather or pollen count and knowing how to relieve symptoms are all key in having an enjoyable spring season!
In general, warm, dry, windy days are when pollen is usually at its peak and floating through the air. During these times, it’s best to stay inside as pollen count is at its highest. Getting an indoor air purifier could help a lot, but staying inside with your windows shut usually does the trick. Speaking of pollen count, many smartphones and weather applications track air quality and pollen counts so it would be quite easy to just check that to see how it is outside without even having to leave the house.
Nowadays there are many great over-the-counter products for allergy relief such as allergy medication, eye drops and nasal sprays. Rinsing your nasal passages with a saline solution is also a great method that’s quite inexpensive. Everyone is different though, so something that may work very well for one person may not be what another person is looking for.
Sometimes allergies can be unbearable. When that seems to be the case, please come see us by booking an appointment with one of AFC Portland’s primary care physicians to see how we can resolve that matter as everyone deserves to spring into spring!
