10 Ways to Beat Dust and Pollen Allergies

Two of the top allergens are dust and pollen. Keeping these two substances from turning your life into an endless cycle of sneezes and itchy eyes is not easy when you're susceptible to them, but it can be done. Management is key to the process of surviving allergies with the least possible misery, so here are ten ways you can stay in front of your dust and pollen allergies.

Change your filters.

Everybody knows that all kinds of allergens are in the air inside our homes. Changing filters regularly (or cleaning those that can be cleaned) will help reduce the concentration of those dust and pollen particles, making less irritation for your body.

Change your filters.

That's not a misprint. In addition to changing filters out, it can also be helpful to change the type of filter you use. HEPA filters capture much smaller particles than ordinary filters do, increasing the amount of various allergens that never return to the room's air.

Get deep cleaning.

Even the most vigilant house cleaner can't get professional results. All those airborne dust and pollen particles have the chance to settle into your carpet, then get stirred back up as you walk through or even as you vacuum. Professional carpet cleaning will access the deepest areas of your carpet and remove allergens effectively.

Block them.

Yard work is inescapable; the grass keeps right on growing wether its pollen is irritating your sinuses or not. As you work outdoors, a good allergen mask will help you keep from inhaling so much pollen, making your landscape activities far less likely to send you to the tissue box.

Avoid them.

Information is powerful when it comes to pollen. Most TV meteorologists in pollen-prone areas give daily reports from a local university or hospital with the expected pollen readings for the next day. If you see high numbers, try to stay indoors until a rain comes through, or at least until evening when the winds die down.

See your doctor.

You can only block or avoid dust and pollen for so long. You can't be trapped in your home all the time, after all. Visit your doctor and get a referral to an allergist. There may be shots or pills that can suppress your overactive immune system and reduce the impact of allergens.

Manage your environment.

One of the big problems with pollen is that it comes from long distances, but you do have the ability to cut down on how much is produced in your own yard. Choose trees that aren't such prolific producers. You may even be able to plant a line of trees upwind from your house to capture pollen blowing in from elsewhere.

Manage your house.

Spring (also known as pollen season) is a great time to open the windows and let fresh air in. Unless, of course, that fresh air contains huge amounts of pollen and dust. As nice as it is to enjoy those open windows, it is still best during those weeks of the year to leave the windows closed.

Stay clean.

You may think that once you come inside, the pollen is gone. That's not the case. Just as your card is dusted green by sitting outdoors, you also get a layer of pollen on your body. Shower thoroughly after spending time outdoors. Going to bed covered in pollen will fill your sheets with allergens and make a never-ending cycle of misery.

Let sleeping dust lie.

Infrequently-used rooms and storage areas always accumulate dust. While you need to access those areas sometimes, you can also leave them alone sometimes. If you know you'll need to be in there, make sure you dust and clean it each time you clean your busier areas in the house.

Allergies can make you miserable, but with some simple strategies around the home, you can limit the impact of dust and pollen.