Sneezing, itchy eyes, runny noses… It’s spring and pollen allergies are joining the party. Here are four simple tips to protect yourself effectively and get through this period as calmly as possible.
In spring, it’s the return of good weather and sneezing! The arrival of milder weather and a rise in temperatures is accompanied, for millions of French people, by pollen allergies. Pollens are responsible for allergic reactions called pollinoses in the respiratory mucous membranes such as the throat and nose. The eyes are also affected. While there is no foolproof method for avoiding pollen, here are four simple, common sense tips to protect yourself effectively and get through this period as calmly as possible.
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1. Recognize the symptoms
“The main manifestations of pollen allergy are allergic rhinitis (or allergic rhinoconjunctivitis) often called hay fever”, specifies the Ministry of health. In practice, if you have a runny nose, sneezing attacks, a stuffy nose, watery or itchy eyes, it is very likely that you have a pollen allergy. In this case, do not hesitate to consult your doctor.
Some people may also “feeling discomfort in the mouth which is characterized by an itchy back of the palate”adds the website passportsanté.com
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2. Change your outdoor habits
“The nicer the weather, the windier it is, the drier it is and the more pollen is present”, lists allergist Anne-Marie Luillhier, based in La Trinité-sur-Mer (Morbihan), interviewed in 2022. Outdoor activities and travel are all possibilities of being bothered by allergies. It is therefore advisable to avoid mowing the lawn or collecting plants, and it is recommended to protect your eyes with sunglasses.
“The latter, like a surgical mouth mask, will play the role of a point filter which can help reduce the impact of pollen,” underlines the specialist.
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3. Track pollen at home
Protecting yourself from pollen outside when you are allergic is common sense, but you should not forget to do it at home as well. To protect yourself from pollen indoors, you should not hesitate to “rinse or wash hair before sleepingadvises Anne-Marie Luillhier. By doing this, we prevent the pollen present in the hair from being deposited on the pillow.”
The allergist also advises ventilating your home in the morning rather than during the day. “It is better to do it cool, with the morning dew for example. As temperatures are lower, there is less pollen suspended in the air. Because the higher the mercury rises during the day, the more the concentration of pollen increases. »
4. Adapt your sporting practices
Doing sports is good for your health. However, when you are allergic to pollen, it is better to avoid intense activities when the season begins. If you absolutely want to do your workouts, focus on the end of the day.
To do or not to desensitize?
For anyone with allergies, the question arises. Should we go through the process of desensitization? “You have to see the impact of the allergy on yourself. If a light and occasional treatment based on antihistamines allows you to live normally without any discomfort, it is not necessarily necessary to embark on a desensitization procedure.estimates allergist Anne-Marie Luillhier.
“However, if there are complications, you should not hesitate to seek advice from your (general practitioner or allergist) to benefit from appropriate care. »
