How to Avoid Pollen Health Effects

It’s that time of year when you walk outside and your car is covered by yellow dust. Also that time of year when you’re outside for 30 seconds and you start sneezing (not fun, is it?)

Pollen negatively affects human health in a variety of ways. When the pollen count is high, many experience:

• Runny and/or stuffy nose
• Itchy eyes
• Sneezing
• Respiratory problems such as asthma.

These symptoms could be contributed to a pollen allergy, typically referred to as hay fever.

Weeds, grasses, trees, and some shrubs are the common culprits for pollen. Weeds have commonly been determined to be the most productive of pollen producers and are identified as the plant that causes the most allergies.

How does pollen cause my symptoms?

When pollen is inhaled through the nose and throat, the body experiences an immune response that results in hay fever, because it attaches to the cells and creates histamine. It is this releasing of histamine that causes the symptoms of pollen allergy.

How can I avoid pollen?

The most overlooked way to avoid pollen is a simple change of your home air filter. Air filters are proven to reduce many of the common airborne contaminants, such as pollen, from the air you breathe. In addition to changing your air filter on a regular basis, here are some other things you can do to avoid pollen this spring:

1. Stay indoors, being sure to keep windows closed during high pollen counts
2. Wash hair before going to bed at night to avoid sleeping in pollen that accumulated in the air during the day
3. Make sure outdoor pets are bathed before coming inside. This can prohibit the distribution of pollen on furniture and carpets
4. Consider the use of an air filter and possibly even an air purifier in your home for more protection from pollen and other contaminants such as dust mites and viruses

*Tips taken from ehow.com*

This spring, you don’t have to let pollen get the best of you. By regularly replacing the air filters around the home and being more mindful of local pollen counts, you can find yourself winning the battle against pollen.