Is it possible to alleviate the symptoms of allergies? This question is asked by many people who are allergic to dust, pollen, animal hair, or suffering from food or skin allergies. Of course, it is possible - although it often requires a change in lifestyle and everyday habits. So how do you reduce your allergy symptoms?

Contents:

  1. How to reduce the symptoms of inhalation allergy
  2. How to reduce the symptoms of food allergy
  3. How to reduce the symptoms of skin allergy

Relieving allergy symptoms is the main task of antiallergic drugs. However, every allergy sufferer knows that drugs improve for a while, and many of them cause side effects. Thus, pharmacotherapy may be supported by methods that will reduce contact with allergens, thus reducing allergy symptoms.

How to reduce the symptoms of inhalation allergy

The symptoms of inhalation allergy, such as sneezing, watery eyes, hay fever, allergic conjunctivitis and others, may appear all year round or only seasonally - it depends on the allergen that causes the allergic reaction. What can you do to alleviate them?

  • Match the interior of the apartment to the type of allergy. If you are allergic to dust (mites), it is better to avoid curtains and curtains, as well as upholstered furniture: they are dust reservoirs. Shutters or shutters will be much safer then (but beware - they also need to be cleaned regularly). On the other hand, with a pollen allergy, curtains and densely woven curtains may limit, at least partially, the influx of allergens into the apartment - however, they should be washed frequently.
  • Turn on your air purifier at home. It is a device that every person with inhalation allergy should have, equipped with a filter system on which particles of smog and other pollutants are deposited, as well as allergens: dust (and mites), pollen from plants, trees, grasses, animal epidermis, etc.
  • Outside, protect yourself from pollen. If you know which ones you are allergic to, use the pollen calendar to help you predict in advance when an allergy will attack you. Usually, the first plants start pollinating in February and at the beginning of March, while in April and May they pollinate the most heavily. During the pollen season, it is of course worth avoiding forests, meadows, squares with blooming flowers, but if it is impossible, do not hesitate to cover your nose and mouth with an anti-smog mask with a HEPA filter, whichwill keep most of the pollen.
  • Regularly clean the apartment - this is important especially in the case of allergies to dust (mites), removing wet dust and dirt also from all nooks and crannies.
  • In people allergic to mites, allergy symptoms often intensify at night or in the morning, which is related to the fact that these creatures multiply inside mattresses, quilts and pillows. So let's put special anti-mite covers on the mattress and bedding. The bedding itself should be anti-allergic, with artificial filling. Both covers and bed linen should be washed (bed linen once a week). - During the pollen season, limit your walks and give up outdoor sports. However, it is worth going for a walk after the rain.
  • In the dust period, after returning home, change your clothes and take a shower. This way, you will limit your contact with pollen deposited on the skin and fabrics.
  • Allergy sufferers who are allergic to pollen, but who live with pets, should also remember that during the pollen period, pollen may accumulate on the fur of a pet that goes for walks - then the animal should be bathed regularly.
  • Plan your vacation wisely and choose your holiday destination.

How to reduce the symptoms of food allergy

Food allergy is an allergy to substances present in food. They can sensitize, for example, cow's milk proteins, crustaceans, citrus, etc. The most effective way to reduce the symptoms of food allergy is, of course, an elimination diet, conducted on the recommendation and under the supervision of a doctor. What else can you do?

  • Remember that an allergic reaction may also occur after eating a product to which you are theoretically not allergic, e.g. people allergic to avocados may also be allergic to bananas or kiwi. This is called cross allergy. So let's read the cross-allergen table and avoid products that can also potentially be harmful.
  • Read food labels carefully. Some allergens may be hidden under other names (e.g. milk proteins are sometimes referred to as whey proteins or caseinates).
  • Try not to eat out. Theoretically, when dining out of the house, you can inform the restaurant staff that you are allergic to a specific ingredient and ask that the dish prepared for you does not come into contact with the allergen - in practice, however, it is not always successful. It's best to always have a safe snack with you and take your own lunch to work.

How to reduce the symptoms of skin allergy

Symptoms of skin allergy, such as irritation, itching and erosions, are not only troublesome: they can also affectperception of the allergy sufferer by the environment, and indirectly - lowering his self-esteem. People with skin allergies should use medications and ointments recommended by a doctor. In turn, pharmacotherapy may be supported by methods that can alleviate allergy symptoms.

  • Clean and wash only with protective gloves - preferably vinyl gloves, as latex can also cause allergies.
  • Use he althy cleaning agents, ecological and safe for allergy sufferers.
  • Avoid wearing imitation jewelry: nickel (sometimes also cob alt) used to make it is a common cause of allergies. Many people are allergic to nickel, but silver and gold jewelry can also be allergic, although much less often. In such situations, the solution may be to purchase anti-allergic jewelry.
  • Do not wear clothes made of wool or made of air-tight synthetic fabrics: statistically, they are the least likely to sensitize clothes made of linen and cotton.
  • Always wash new clothes before wearing them for the first time, because they contain residues of preservatives, dyes, and detergents (including carcinogenic, toxic and allergenic NPE nonylphenol ethoxylates.
  • Allergy sufferers should wear light or pastel clothes: dark dyes or dyes in intense colors are the most common allergy sufferers. However, if you do not feel well in light colors, choose Oekotex Standard 100 certified clothing, sewn from fabrics dyed in a skin-friendly way.
  • Wash clothes and fabrics in hypoallergenic powders or in washing nuts.
  • Do not grow plants that can irritate the skin, such as geraniums, tulips, and philodendrons.
  • Choose only safe cosmetics for allergy sufferers. Wash your skin with a neutral or slightly acidic preparation, and for daily care use short-range cosmetics containing emollients that reduce skin dryness and its tendency to irritation.
  • In winter, protect yourself from wind and frost, and in summer, avoid the sun by using cosmetics with a mineral filter that does not absorb but stays on the surface of the skin, reducing the risk of allergy.
  • If the symptoms of skin allergy worsen after bathing, it is worth installing special filters on the tap, because perhaps the reason is too hard water. It is worth softening it by adding a portion of the emulsion containing emollients.
  • Skin allergy symptoms such as itching and erythema can also be reduced by taking a starch bath. You can buy it ready-made or prepare it yourself: boil half a liter of water, and in the meantime, in 125 ml of cold water, spread two tablespoons of potato flour and mix well. Pour this mixture into boiling water and stir until it is formedstarch.

Category:

Allergies