Fall brings with it a refreshing change in the weather, lovely foliage, and, unfortunately, seasonal allergies! The shift from summer to fall and fall to winter corresponds with increasing mold and ragweed counts. It also corresponds with leaves falling from trees, being raked into piles, and stirring up allergens into the air. If you’re an allergy sufferer, what can you do?
As tempted as you may be to drive with your windows down and open the windows in your home to enjoy the cooler fall air, resist! Keep your windows closed and run your air conditioner to filter minute allergy-causing particles and remove mold-causing moisture from the air.
Wear a facemask when you’re outdoors – especially when doing yardwork like raking leaves. Make sure the mask fits tightly around you nose and mouth and its label shows a N95 rating from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
- Rinse your nasal cavity with a neti pot to flush allergens from your sinuses.
- Pay attention to your local weather report. Most forecasts include information about counts of pollen and other allergens. When counts are high, limit your time outdoors.
- Wash yourself, and your pets. Pollen can cling to your body, clothes, and your pets’ fur. Be diligent about rinsing off and rinsing your pet off after a long period of time outdoors.
- Purchase preventive allergy medication such as a nasal spray, and use it regularly.
Even if you’re as diligent as you can be about staving off pesky allergies, you can’t completely avoid them. Fortunately, one of the many ways ALON convenience stores live up to their promise of “convenience” is by stocking a comprehensive assortment of commonly needed over-the-counter medications – including allergy prevention and relief pills. At ALON, you can grab your medication, water to swallow it with, tissues to wipe your nose, cough drops to relieve your itchy throat, eye drops to relieve your itchy eyes, etc.