Fall Allergies

I love this time of year. The crispness of the air, the colorful leaves, all make me want to be outdoors. Unfortunately, I have an allergy to molds, and fall often brings about a heightened immune response to the leaf molds that are so common now. I first notice it when I wake up in the morning, when my nose is a bit stuffy, but it quickly clears up in minutes. Then I notice that the eczema I struggle with starts to appear as a red, itchy patch on my neck, usually a day after I rake leaves or work in the garden. Maybe you also notice that this time of year, no matter how beautiful, creates discomfort for you or someone you know. Here are some tips to lessen the allergic response.

Make sure you are getting lots of vitamin C, especially this time of year– at least a gram, and possibly more. When you work out in the yard, take a shower when you are done and make sure you wash your hair! Spores fly around through the air waiting to come inside your house with you, on your clothes and in your hair. While you are in the shower, practice nasal douching. Very simple. Cup your hands and catch some warm water in them. Sniff it up your nose and blow it out. Out comes the pollens and mold spores. You can also use a Neti Pot which is wonderful. This is a cross between an Alladin’s lamp and a tea pot. You fill it up with warm salt water, pour it up one nostril and it flows up and down the other side, washing out all the allergic particles you inhaled. Works really well, and is actually fun for kids! I know, because my youngest daughter, Elin, was using the Neti pot when she was around 10 years old. The important thing is to get the allergens physically out of your nose and sinuses before they cause a response, and before they set you up for more bacteria-trapping mucus. You can find Neti pots online and in many health food stores.

Another thing that is helpful to avoid allergies this season is to avoid hanging your clothes out to dry. I love to hang my laundry out any time of the year, but I find that this time of year is the worst for me. Think about it– all those spores and pollen are becoming trapped in your sheets, and you are going to snuggle up with them all night long! If your allergies are really bad this time of year, it may behoove you to forego opening the windows and to leave the A/C on for a bit longer. If you leave the air conditioning fan on, it will still filter the air and remove most of the allergens before they enter the house. I love to have all the windows open, and I still do (and I suffer because of it, I’m sure!) but if your allergy symptoms are bad enough, you might want to keep them closed.

There are a lot of allergy medicines on the market, none of which I take. I know some of you couldn’t live a day without them, and I empathize with you. But for those of you whose symptoms are not so severe, try these tips and see if they make a difference. It may lessen your need for OTC medications (which is a good thing) and bring you relief from sneezing and itching. And if you have any tips that work for you to lessen your allergy response, I’d like you to share them by leaving a comment to this post!

Enjoy this beautiful time of year, and go collect some leaves with your children. Build a big pile for them to play in. But then shower up, rinse out your nose and have a big glass of water with a couple packets of powdered vitamin C.

Namaste,

Diane