If you feel blindsided by your seasonal allergies year after year, here are some things you can do to both prevent and treat your annual symptoms.
Illustration by Sage Blackwell.
Spring is here, and for many people, so are seasonal allergies. Here are some tips and tricks you may not have thought of to help you navigate these sneezy times, from one allergy queen to all the others out there.
Please keep in mind that none of this constitutes medical advice, and you should consult a doctor or allergist to determine what solutions are right for you!
Take antihistamines in advance
Antihistamines are a class of medication designed to treat common allergy symptoms. You probably know of a few, like Claritin and Benadryl. What you may not realize, though, is that waiting to take antihistamines until you start experiencing allergy symptoms isn’t the most effective way to treat them.
Antihistamines work best preventatively, and many doctors recommend taking them two to four weeks before you expect your symptoms to start. Dr. Ahmad Sedaghat, an ear, nose, and throat specialist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, says that exposure to allergens kicks off a snowball effect of inflammation in the body, making it harder to treat symptoms once they’ve already come on. Using antihistamines preventatively instead will block reactions before they begin.
Go for prescription antihistamines
If you know that your allergies tend to be severe, in B.C., you can ask a pharmacist to prescribe antihistamines. These can come in the form of nasal sprays, oral antihistamines, and eye drops.
Use a neti pot
The neti pot is a vessel that allows you to flush your nasal passages with a saline solution, either by pouring or squirting the solution up one nostril and letting it drain out of the other. This technique can be traced back to ancient Ayurvedic practices for treating nasal congestion. Clearing the nasal passages with a saline solution allows pollen and other allergens to be flushed away, rather than becoming trapped. By physically removing the pollen from the nasal passages, the body is prevented from continuously setting off the immune responses that lead to congestion.
However, frequent use is shown to increase risk of sinus infection, so use sparingly!
Try acupuncture
Some studies have shown that acupuncture may help relieve allergy symptoms. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicinal practice that involves placing needles in specific places in the body to restore balance in the body’s flow of energy. According to GoodRx, research has shown that acupuncture changes levels of certain proteins and hormones in the body, and may change the activity of certain cells involved in producing inflammatory responses.
Lisa Matsuzaki, an Australian acupuncturist, says that acupuncture can be used to treat allergies proactively by helping moderate the body’s immune response before allergens are present, as well as to treat acute symptoms once they have started.
Heart and Hands Health Collective and Hemma, two community acupuncture clinics in Victoria, offer acupuncture at a sliding scale, with treatment at Heart and Hands starting at $30. Both the UVSS and GSS health and dental plans offer coverage for acupuncture.
Many extended healthcare plans also cover acupuncture visits, so if you aren’t a student but still have extended healthcare, make sure to check your specific plan’s benefit details to see what coverage options you may have.
Make lifestyle changes
In addition to seeking out medical treatments, there are also simple lifestyle changes you can make to help manage allergy symptoms during peak pollen times. The Mayo Clinic recommends changing clothes and showering after being outdoors, staying inside on windy days, wearing a mask if mowing the lawn or gardening, and keeping doors and windows closed.
Get a referral to an allergy specialist
If your symptoms are particularly bad, you might want to consider seeking out an allergy specialist. You can ask a physician or nurse practitioner to refer you to a clinic like Allergy Victoria. Current students at UVic can see a physician through the Student Wellness Centre.
