How to reduce your exposure to allergens

Allergens and How to Avoid Them!

It is practically impossible to avoid your specific allergens completely, except by living in a filtered atmosphere, as happens with hospital patients whose immune system is inadequate. For example, as happens during certain types of cancer treatment, or by moving to an environment where pollens do not proliferate. This was the basis for the establishment of Swiss clinics during the last century, where asthmatics and hay fever sufferers could live in air that did not have many pollens. Also, the coldness and low humidity provide a hostile environment for house dust mites. Animals were also rare, so there was no exposure to their danders.

However, without going to these extremes, it is possible to reduce your exposure to allergens by adopting some simple measures.

1. Avoid the pollen season. Could you take your holidays at a time you know you are liable to be affected? Be careful which kind of climate you go to.

2. Keep doors and windows closed. As much as possible, try not to let pollen laden air into your home or workplace.

3. Keep the car air conditioning off. The car's air conditioner simply takes air from the outside, and concentrates pollens inside the car by up to 50 times. A recipe for disaster. It may be stuffy to have the air conditioning off and the windows shut in warm spring weather, but the alternative is sneezing all the way on your journey. Hardly safe driving!

4. Pets. You may not be able to bear the thought of giving up your pet cat or dog, but it may be that you are allergic to the hair, which makes you more likely to react to your pollen allergens when they arrive. At the very least, vacuum carpets frequently.

5. Bedrooms. For the same reasons, constant exposure to the house dust mite, Pteronyssius dermatophagoides, and its droppings, can aggravate your allergic response. If you are allergic house dust mite, wrap your mattress in plastic sheeting, change the bedclothes at least twice a week and vacuum the carpet every day. This is because the mite lives on dead skin we all shed, and you cannot get rid of it. You may also be allergic to feather pillows or down quilts. If so, change them for synthetics.

6. Avoid dampness. Dampness leads to moulds, and house dust mites thrives on moulds. A dry, warm bedroom is the best protection.

7. Ionizers. An inexpensive ionizer can make pollens, moulds and other allergens fall out of the air by changing their static electricity charge.

8. Eye protection. Glasses and sunglasses can prevent allergens reaching the eyes.

9. The garden. Believe it or not, many people who know they are allergic to pollens mow the lawn or do the gardening during their peak pollen season.best avoided at this time.

10. Follow the pollen count. Listen to your local radio or television station for the local pollen count, and, if possible, stay inside on days when it is particulary high.
IMPORTANT NOTICE : This content is from the Dr Chris Steele personal archive and is provided for convenience only. Information contained here may no longer agree with the most up to date medical advice. Please check with a medical professional before taking any action.

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