Dealing With Pollen Allergies

Grass Allergies

Pollen allergies can be very difficult to deal with. After all, how do you stay away from something that is present in the air you breath? You really can't just shut yourself down during the airborne pollen season. You can only hold your breathe for so long and the pollen season lasts much longer than that. Even staying indoors all the time isn't a shield against all those "nasties" floating around in the air. However, although you can't avoid pollen totally there are definitely lots of things you can do to reduce your exposure and lessen the aggravation of your allergies.

Grass Allergies

Understanding the source of the pollen can always help when it comes to dealing with allergies. Most bright flowery plants rely upon insects to carry pollen from plant to plant and usually these plants are not to blame for pollen allergies. So make sure the plants in your garden are insect pollinated varieties. It is the plain looking grass, trees and weeds that rely upon the wind to accomplish cross-pollination that cause the majority of hay fever problems and allergies for people. Of the three, weeds are the biggest offender. Ragweed is probably the best-known allergy-causing weed but other weeds such as sagebrush, Russian thistle, pigweed and English plantain are just as bad. Although you may not have heard of any of those weeds in your neighborhood that does not mean that the pollen isn't in the air you breath. For example, scientists have found ragweed pollen in the air more than 400 miles out in the ocean and also more than 2 miles up in altitude so to say that weed pollen gets around would be an understatement.

Grass Allergies

So what can you do to help avoid triggering your pollen allergies? To start with you can monitor the pollen count in your area and tailor your activity for periods of relatively low pollen counts. All around the world weather services measure the amount of pollen in the air over a 24-hour period and make this information readily available. You can find this information either in your local newspaper, on the internet or get it from the local weather service.

Grass Allergies

Most of us are aware that pollen release is seasonal reaching a peak in the fall months but pollen levels are also higher during certain times of the day. Pollen levels are almost always higher in the morning hours between 6 and 11 so if you are going to be outdoors gardening or going for a walk in the park it is best to do it in the afternoon. Although weather does not trigger plants to release pollen it can have a big effect on what is in the air. Cold rainy weather tends to knock down much of the pollen in the air so getting out into the garden after a rain shower is often a good idea. Hot dry weather, of course, has the opposite effect of increasing airborne pollen counts. Wearing a hat when you are out and taking it off before you go inside will also help to keep pollen outdoors. Washing thoroughly after coming in from the garden will also help to keep pollen outside your house.

Dealing With Pollen Allergies

Grass Allergies