Is Asthma Curable?
It’s the million-dollar question: Can asthma be cured or only managed long-term? The truth is, asthma doesn’t disappear forever, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck struggling. Here’s why.
Spring Pollen Season: 5 Ways to Keep Your Allergies Under Control
About one-fourth of the population struggles with seasonal allergies. From keeping pollen out of your home to timing outdoor workouts strategically, the tips below can help you breathe a little easier and enjoy the season without being sidelined by sniffles.
See Srinagesh Paluvoi, MD, FAAP, FACAAI, and our team at Allergy & Asthma Affiliates in Lansdowne or Gainesville, Virginia, for a personalized spring allergy relief treatment plan.
Symptoms of spring allergies
The following may indicate you have seasonal allergies:
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Tickly throat
- Nasal congestion
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Itchy nose and throat
- Throat drainage
- Coughing
- Fatigue
Your symptoms may be mild to severe, and even debilitating, when left untreated.
Ways to control seasonal allergy symptoms
Here are several ways to keep seasonal allergy symptoms at bay:
1. Prescription antihistamines
We offer prescription-strength antihistamines that help suppress your body’s immune system response, providing highly effective symptom relief. You might be a candidate for antihistamine or steroid nasal sprays that calm the immune response to seasonal allergens found in the air.
2. Immunotherapy injections
Another way to keep seasonal allergy symptoms at bay is to take advantage of subcutaneous immunotherapy injections. Dr. Paluvoi determines what you’re allergic to via allergy testing, and then administers a series of shots containing tiny amounts of allergens over a period of months or years to ease your symptoms long term.
3. Sublingual immunotherapy
Sublingual therapy works like immunotherapy injections, but without the needles. You can use prescription tablets or drops that dissolve under your tongue. This type of immunotherapy is often made available to patients with allergies to grass or ragweed.
4. Clean indoor air
There are several ways to keep the air in your home as allergen-free as possible. Keeping your windows closed, using an air conditioner, and changing your air filters (use high-efficiency filters) often can help.
You might try a portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in your bedroom, a dehumidifier, and regular vacuuming to minimize allergy-causing airborne particles.
5. Lifestyle changes
You can try many things at home to ease seasonal allergy symptoms, including wearing a mask when mowing the lawn or doing other outdoor chores, avoiding outdoor activities in the early morning when pollen counts are high, and rinsing your nasal passages with a saline solution to ease nasal congestion.
It also helps to change your clothes right after being outdoors and washing the clothes you wear outside often.
Staying symptom-free
Visit with our Allergy & Asthma Affiliates experts routinely to keep seasonal allergy symptoms at bay. We also treat hives, eczema, immunodeficiency, and sinus infections, as well as chemical allergies, food allergies, asthma, and more.
For a personalized spring allergy relief treatment plan, contact our office at Allergy & Asthma Affiliates by phone or book an appointment online today.
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