7 Outdoor Allergy Symptom Remedies

When the sun is out and the weather is perfect, it’s hard to resist wanting to spend the whole day outside. Unfortunately, beautiful weather is often accompanied by a slew of pesky outdoor allergens. Sneezing, watering eyes, a runny nose, and itchiness in your throat are a few indicators of outdoor allergens making their way into your system. These allergic reactions are most commonly caused by pollen and mold spores that are found in the air, which triggers a reaction from your immune system.1

Outdoor allergies can be annoying, but thankfully there are steps you can take to minimize your allergy symptoms. Here are seven outdoor allergy symptom remedies for you to try.

1. Keep track of outdoor allergens

Outdoor allergen particles are very small and cannot be easily spotted, but there are ways to know how bad the pollen or mold levels are in your location. Centrally located monitoring stations are used to give regional-scale measurements for allergen levels in the air.2 By tracking outdoor allergen levels in your area before spending the day outside, you can determine how to prepare for the day in advance. You can check pollen and mold levels from your phone or access the National Allergy Bureau from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology for an accurate reading of allergens in your area.1

2. Pollen masks

Wearing a mask over your face doesn’t just have to be for protecting yourself and others from a cold. If your allergy symptoms are severe, wear a pollen mask if long periods of exposure are unavoidable.1 Masks can be a good way to prevent yourself from breathing in any allergens that cause itchy throats and runny noses. However, face masks cannot protect your eyes from allergies. If you have eye allergies, you will probably benefit less from wearing a mask over your nose and mouth.3 Keep a pair of sunglasses on to keep your eyes free from the sun and from any loose allergens that may enter through your eyes.4

3. Wash up

Taking a shower after a long day outside is important, especially if outdoor allergies are getting in your way. When you return indoors, take a shower, shampoo your hair, and change clothes.1 Washing your hair and changing your clothes can help to remove any pollen or mold that’s settled on your body and keep you from bringing outdoor allergens indoors. When drying your clothes after washing off the pollen, make sure to use a dryer instead of hanging them outside to avoid getting more allergens on them.4

4. Keep your windows closed

Having your windows open on a warm day may feel good, but a nice breeze from outside can also sweep a bunch of allergens inside. Keep your windows closed in your home or vehicle on days where the allergen count is high, and turn on the air conditioner if you can.4 Air conditioning cools, cleans, and dries the air, keeping the air around you as free of allergens as possible.1

5. Give your pets a good wash

If your pets enjoy the outdoors as much as you do, they’ll want to go outside and have fun as well. Unfortunately, a lot of dust and pollen can get caught in the fur of our pets and bring outdoor allergens inside. You can wash your pets off with soap and water after they’ve been outside for a while, or you can limit close contact with them to avoid getting any allergens on you.4

6. Allergy immunotherapy (allergy shots)

If outdoor allergens are affecting you too severely, it may help to go see an allergist to see if allergy immunotherapy is right for you. This treatment involves getting injections in gradually increasing doses to help your immune system become more resistant to specific allergens and lessen your symptoms.1 Even if you don’t think immunotherapy is right for you, seeing an allergist may be a good idea to see what the best options are for treating your allergies.

7. Taking over-the-counter medications

Over-the-counter medications are a reliable way to relieve any allergy symptoms you may get from being outdoors.4 Try an over-the-counter product like FLONASE Allergy Relief nasal spray for 24-hour relief from the toughest allergy symptoms like nasal congestion, sneezing, watery eyes, and runny, itchy nose. FLONASE stops allergies right at the source by targeting symptoms through the nose. You can also check out Children’s FLONASE Allergy Relief for effective allergy symptom relief for kids.

Outdoor allergies can make it hard to enjoy going outside but taking the right steps can keep irritating allergens from getting in the way of a good time. Take further steps in avoiding outdoor allergens by knowing which trees produce the most pollen, or plan a trip to places with less outdoor allergens if you live in an allergen-filled area.