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Figure out your triggers - are you allergic to pets? Mold?
Dust? Pollen? If you can avoid them that's great.
Unfortunately most of us can't. The best advice is to
become as informed as possible, and figure out a few
preventive strategies as well. |
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Don't let allergies get in the way of you doing the things you love. From the sofa in your
living room to the weeds in your backyard, discover how to control the allergens that can set
off your allergies and your family's allergies as well.
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- Keep any pets out of bedrooms
- Keep your home dry to limit mold growth
- Keep your windows closed to limit pollen exposure
- Maintain a smoke-free environment
- Tidy up each week by vacuuming and dusting with a damp cloth
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- Clean curtains regularly, which can trap dust and pollen
- Use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter for vacuuming and air filtration
- Check furnaces and fireplaces yearly
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- Track your local pollen level with the Allergy Forecast or with the ZYRTEC® iPhone® application for portable, instant pollen level reports
- Limit outdoor activities on high-pollen days
- Don't hang clothing or linens outdoors to dry
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- Take a shower after being outdoors
- Tidy up each week by vacuuming and dusting with a damp cloth
- Install car pollen filters
- Plan vacations in places with lower levels of pollen; and during times when pollen levels are highest in your area
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Pollens come primarily from grasses, trees, and weeds. The smallest pollens can travel airborne for miles. See if taking some of these steps can help reduce your triggers. |
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- Try not to go out between 5 AM and 10 AM (when pollen is at its worst)
- Track your local pollen level with the Allergy Forecast or with the ZYRTEC® iPhone® application for portable, instant pollen level reports
- Wear a hat, gloves, glasses, paper mask, and a long-sleeve t-shirt to minimize pollen contact
- Take a shower after being outdoors
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- Keep your house and car windows closed
- Use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter for vacuuming and air filtration
- Plan vacations in places with lower levels of pollen and when pollen levels are highest where you live
- Think about using allergen-free components in your garden, like rocks, sand, and water
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Pets bring a lot of love into people's lives. They can also trigger allergies. Here are some steps you can take to reduce pet dander. |
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- Keep pets off upholstered furniture and carpets, and out of the bedroom.
- Wash pets regularly to clean their fur of trigger proteins, dander, and pollens they may track in from outside.
- Brush pets outside of the house
- Have someone without allergies take care of grooming and litter box chores
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- Use low pile carpet and steam clean it regularly
- Wear a dust mask to vacuum
- Use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter for vacuuming and air filtration
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Creating a home environment that feels like a haven away from allergies can be a huge relief. Here are steps you can take to reduce dust and dust mites, a common trigger. |
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- Tidy up each week by vacuuming and dusting with a damp cloth
- Use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter for vacuuming and air filtration
- Use mattress pads and pillows made of a synthetic material
- Use zippered dust-proof covers on mattresses and pillows
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- Wash sheets and blankets in hot water each week
- Avoid wool and feather-filled comforters
- Avoid upholstered furniture and blinds and minimize carpeting if possible
- Choose washable fabrics for curtains, rugs and blankets
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What can we say about mold? It's nobody's favorite. And it's an allergen that may often go unnoticed. See if taking these steps helps to reduce this trigger. |
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- Keep your home dry
- Fix leaky faucets and pipes
- Make sure all rooms are properly ventilated
- Use a vented exhaust fan to remove excess moisture
- Keep the humidity in your house below 60% with air conditioners and dehumidifiers
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- Install extra dehumidifiers in places where mold collects
- Use mold-killing cleaning solutions and mold and mildew control sprays
- Use a mask when mowing the lawn or raking leaves
- Don't over-water indoor plants if you are allergic to mold. Wet soil encourages mold growth.
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Now you have a new reason to hate cockroaches: they may be making your allergies worse. See if taking these steps reduces this trigger. |
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- See if the cockroach infestation can be resolved by extermination
- Keep your home dry
- Tidy up each week by vacuuming and dusting with a damp cloth
- Clean up crumbs and spills immediately
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- Wash your dishes soon after eating
- Keep food in tightly sealed containers
- Empty the garbage frequently
- Seal cracks where bugs might enter your home
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Good quality sleep is essential to good health and a strong immune system. Reducing allergy triggers in your environment may help you sleep better. Try the following tips: |
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- Make your bedroom, especially your bed, a pet-free zone. The dander of cats, in particular, can stick to walls and fabrics, setting off your allergies.
- To limit dust mite exposure, encase pillows in allergen-proof materials. Wash throws at least once a week in hot water. If you're allergic to down feathers, use hypo-allergenic alternatives.
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- Keep your windows closed when you go to sleep—pollen counts are at their highest between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m.
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Spending time outdoors to create a beautiful garden is a passion for many people. If it seems to trigger your symptoms, see if taking these steps gives you some relief. |
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A healthy garden requires a lot of maintenance. To minimize your exposure to pollen, wear gloves and a mask. You should also change clothes when you go inside, and keep your gardening gear separate from your other laundry to avoid spreading pollen.
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Enhancing your yard with colorful blooming flowers such as roses will not only make it look great, but also minimize airborne pollens as compared with other plants. Small flowers with little color and off-white to greenish-colored flowers tend to cause more allergies than large, brightly colored flowers.
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If you're in the habit of gardening in the morning, think about shifting this activity to the afternoon. Pollen is usually at its worst between 5 and 10 a.m. It's also a good idea to garden after heavy rainstorms, when pollen levels are much lower.
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Keeping your lawn healthy is the easiest way to spruce up your home's curb appeal. If grass pollen is your foe, you should know that mowing the lawn can release pollen and mold. Think about wearing a filter mask or hiring lawn help.
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Everyone's allergies are unique. How will you tackle yours? Here are some suggestions to help you decide how to move forward.
- One great option for starting to develop your allergy management plan is talking to your healthcare professional. Their expertise and knowledge of your medical history can make your primary care physician or allergist an excellent resource in creating your allergy management strategy.
- Before your office visit, here are a few questions you might want to think about. What symptoms do I typically experience? For example, do you have itchy watery eyes? Or a runny nose? When do my symptoms typically occur? Are they year round? Seasonal? And, where do my symptoms typically occur? At home? Only outside? For more information on triggers that may affect you, see Allergens: Indoors & Out.
- When you talk with your doctor about your allergy triggers you can discuss ways of reducing your exposure to them. Your doctor may be able to give you customized recommendations for certain products or changes to your environment.
- Your healthcare professional can help you to set your personal goals for allergy management. Whether it's allergen avoidance when possible, indoor and outdoor management techniques, or more extreme lifestyle changes, your doctor can assist you in developing a plan.
Numerous organizations offer online resources that you can use to help manage allergies. Use allergy resources to gather tips and consider starting with those listed below:
In addition to the general recommendations you'll find in Allergens: Indoors & Out, here are some specific tips for parents.
- Know your child's triggers and figure out ways to avoid or reduce exposure
- Keep track of when seasonal allergies peak
- Teach your child allergy awareness
- Keep dust at a minimum
- Keep toys that tend to collect dust out of your child's bedroom
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- Wash plush toys regularly, to remove dust mites
- Store toys in a closed toy box to help eliminate dust
- Discuss allergy management with your pediatrician
- Tell caregivers, teachers, and the school nurse about your child's allergies and medications. You may want to discuss any outdoor allergies with the gym teacher, too.
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What is an allergy?
An allergy is a condition in which your body’s immune system overreacts to normally harmless substances, known as allergens, and releases a chemical called histamine
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