Allergies and Your Family’s Health – Did you know leaving allergy symptoms untreated can cause complications to your health? Learn more about allergies and their impact on your family’s health right here on Newsymom!
This is Public Health is brought to you in partnership with the Tuscarawas County Health Department.
Ahh, allergy season… It’s the start of the season for sneezing, runny noses, and rashes! Overall, allergy season makes us SUPER UNCOMFORTABLE.
What Are Allergies?
Simply put, an allergy is when your body is introduced to something, sees it as harmful, and (over)reacts to it. The things you’re allergic to are called allergens, and the response (i.e. symptoms) your body provides to it is called the allergic reaction.
Allergies are one of the most common chronic conditions out there, meaning it occurs for longer periods of time or you experience them frequently. The symptoms you experience can be as mild as discomfort (sneezing, watery eyes) or as dangerous as anaphylaxis (sudden swelling, trouble breathing, shock, and death).
Though there are many types of allergens to discuss (drugs, food, insects, mold, latex, etc.), today we’re going to dive into seasonal allergies (AKA hay fever).
Symptoms of Hay Fever
You’ll know if you’ve got it because you’re experiencing regular symptoms like:
- Runny or Stuffy Nose
- Sneezing
- Itchy Eyes
- Coughing
- Sinus Headaches
- Post-nasal drip (mucus that drips down the back of the nose into the throat)
Looking at the symptom list, it’s very similar to the symptoms of a common cold! The main difference is timing. If your symptoms occur longer than 10 days or around the same time of the year, you’re likely suffering from hay fever.
Hay Is For Horses… And Allergies, Too!
Many people will be caught saying, “Oh, it’s just my seasonal allergies. No big deal.” Little do they know that hay fever left unchecked can cause so many more health complications.
You’ll experience an increased risk of these conditions caused by unchecked allergies:
- Ear Infections
- Sinus Infections
- Post-Nasal Drip (with accompanying throat irritation and infection)
Later leading to things like…
- Sleep Apnea
- Asthma
- Sinus structural issues (requiring surgery to fix)
Don’t wait to treat your allergies!
Tried and True Methods to Combat Seasonal Allergies
The number one way to combat allergies is to avoid allergens, but we all know that’s not entirely possible. We have to go outside to go about our days, have pets with dander, and even have dust (and mites) in our homes! Here are some ways to get proactive about reducing your exposure to allergens:
Regularly Change Your Air Filter
You know that filter you’re supposed to change for your heating and air conditioning? You’ve likely forgotten to change it in time. With pets in the house, you need to be changing it more frequently because of pet dander. Also clean out those ducts, or hire a professional to come do it!
As a bonus, you can help yourself between filter changes by getting smaller (and inexpensive) HEPA filters for the most commonly used rooms of your home. You don’t need to blow a bunch of money for this on your entire home, just the rooms you spend the majority of your time in. There are little filters out there as low as $25!
Sinus Care
Taking care of your sinuses is a great start to getting rid of allergens sitting in your sinus cavities. Saline nasal sprays, warm compresses to the face, face massages, and steamy baths are all wonderful ways to keep your sinuses clear, moist, and flush out anything hiding in there.
Also, change and wash your bedding every week. At night, you’re breathing in all those dust mites and allergens on your pillowcases and blankets. Yuck!
Clean Up Dust Before It Settles
Dust is made up of a combination of dirt, dead skin cells, hair, clothing fibers, dead bugs… the list goes on. You’re breathing all of that in, every single day. Establish a cleaning routine to minimize dust in your home. (And get those kiddos to help!)
Talk To Your Provider About Recurring Symptoms
Your doctor should be the first person you talk to about recurring symptoms. There’s a variety of things they can do from medications, therapies, and plans of action to help alleviate your chronic allergy symptoms.
If you don’t have a provider yet, the Tuscarawas County Health Department can help! Call them at (330) 343-5555 x. 100 to make an appointment to visit their medical clinic. You can also follow them on Facebook (@tchdnow) or visit their website www.tchdnow.org to check out all the wonderful services they provide for Tuscarawas County!
Melissa Klatt
Reporting
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