Manage My Environment

Allergies getting the best of you? Small changes can make a difference. Here you’ll find tips to reduce your exposure to allergens and articles on enjoying your favorite activities while managing your symptoms.

Outdoor Allergens

Allergic to nature? Sometimes it can feel that way. Tame your symptoms with these tips for year-round and seasonal outdoor allergies.

Hay fever

When people talk about hay fever, they’re really referring to the symptoms of grass, tree, and weed pollen allergies. If any of these pollens are triggering your symptoms, these tips may help:

  • Try not to go out between 10 AM and 4 PM, when pollen is at its worst
  • Track local pollen levels with a mobile tracker like the ZYRTEC® app for the iPhone®. iPhone® is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.
  • Cover up with a hat, gloves, glasses, paper mask, and long-sleeve t-shirt to minimize pollen contact
  • Shower after being outdoors
  • Keep your house and car windows closed
  • Plan a low-pollen getaway, such as a trip to the beach
  • Replace pollinating grasses in your yard with allergen-free features like rocks, sand, and water
  • Limit outdoor activities on high-pollen days
  • Don’t hang clothing or linens outdoors to dry
  • Vacuum and dust with a damp cloth weekly
  • Install HEPA pollen filters at home and in your car


Grass Pollen Allergies

If summer is the worst time of year for your allergies, grass pollen could be to blame. Here are a few extra strategies to help you cope:

  • Learn to recognize common grass triggers: Timothy, Bermuda, orchard, red top, and blue grasses
  • Wear a mask to mow the lawn, or ask someone without allergies to help
  • Keep grass in your yard short
  • Consider replacing your grass lawn with low pollen alternatives – Irish moss, bunch, or dichondra


Tree Pollen Allergies

Flowering trees make springtime gorgeous, but who can appreciate their beauty with itchy eyes? Try these tips, specifically for tree pollen allergies:

  • Learn to recognize common triggers: oak, western cedar, elm, birch, ash, and cottonwood trees
  • Consider removing any trees on your property that trigger your symptoms


Weed Pollen Allergies

Allergic to weed pollens? You’re in good company: Ragweed bothers up to 20% of Americans in late summer and early fall:

  • Learn to recognize common triggers: ragweed, sage brush, pigweed, tumbleweed, thistle, and coggleweed
  • Learn when weed pollen counts are highest in your area Rural areas host more ragweed plants, raising pollen levels before dawn. Ragweed doesn’t typically reach urban areas until late morning
  • Remove brush and weeds from your property
  • Mulch with rocks or plastic gravel to inhibit weed growth


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