7 Tips to Surviving Ragweed Season ...

It is best to stay indoors as much as possible during ragweed season. The more you are outside, the more exposure you are receiving. It isn’t very fun to be indoors while the rest of your friends and family are celebrating the last days of summer but it is better than being sick. Maybe you can think of a fun project to dig into or enjoy seasons of your favorite show. If you do go outdoors, it is best to do so right after it has rained and cleansed the air a bit.

If you have any kind of pollen allergies you should wash your hair at bedtime. This is true even if you aren’t spending a tremendous amount of time outdoors. You can get ragweed pollen on your hair just walking to and from your car each day. If you don’t take time to wash it at bedtime, you will be taking it to bed with you and breathing it in throughout the night. This one step can make a big difference.

This isn’t always possible. But when you can, leave town when ragweed levels are high. Go to a location where they are not high. You can find this info out by tracking ragweed levels. I really like pollen.com.

If you open your windows and doors during ragweed season, you are inviting it to invade your home. You carry enough in on your clothing, shoes and body to bother you. Making the entry easier for ragweed pollen will worse your symptoms significantly. It is tempting to enjoy the early fall breeze but keeping your windows and doors closed is healthier for your allergies. The goal is to cut your exposure to ragweed as much as possible.

Running your air conditioner on recirculate is a wise choice. This keeps you from experiencing more ragweed exposure. Recirculating takes the air that is already inside and uses it again. It doesn’t pull any new air in and allergens along with it. This is the goal you are working for.

When your body encounters an allergen it produces histamine. Antihistamines are a medication intended to block that. Antihistamines can make a huge difference in how badly ragweed affects you. They relieve symptoms such as watery eyes, drainage, runny nose, sneezing and congestion. It is best to take an antihistamine daily during ragweed season.

Sometimes your best efforts just aren’t enough. You still end up sick from ragweed despite all of your precautions. If this happens, it is best to consult your doctor. They may have some prescription medications that can give you better relief. They may also want to start you on allergy injections to help you suffer less next ragweed season.

Ragweed season can certainly be a downer. What helps you to get through ragweed season? We can suffer through this together!