Although the risk of pollen allergies is very high, those affected are advised to avoid bringing pollen into their homes and to protect themselves when going outside.
The season for itchy eyes, stuffy nose and sneezing is in full swing. After a period marked by red alert throughout almost all of France, “grass and oak pollen are replacing birch pollen and are increasingly present in the air,” warns the National Aerobiological Monitoring Network in its bulletin of Friday, April 19.
Numerous pollens make life difficult for millions of people every spring. Here are some tips to help limit your symptoms.
• Wash your hair in the evening.
For people with pollen allergies, the goal is to bring as little outside substances into the home as possible. So, when you return home, it is advisable to leave your shoes outside the door, and then quickly go take a shower and then change clothes so as not to wear contaminated ones outside.
You can also rinse your nose and eyes directly, such as with saline serum.
To make the night more peaceful, wash or at least rinse your hair in the evening, because pollen settles in large quantities. If possible, “don’t sleep with a window open if the bed is close to a window,” adds the Pasteur Institute in Lille.
• Open windows at the right time
While it may be tempting to lock yourself indoors to avoid pollen, it is still important to ventilate your home every day. This actually removes pollutants from your home and refreshes the surrounding air.
However, there are some habits you can adopt to prevent pollen from coming indoors. Therefore, it is recommended to open windows before sunrise and after sunset, as the temperature is lower and there is less pollen in the air.
However, when traveling by car, keep the windows closed. The government website also urges people to “take even greater care of these recommendations during air pollution peaks” which could worsen allergy symptoms.
• Avoid irritating or allergenic substances.
In addition, at home, health authorities recommend avoiding exposure to other irritants or allergens, which can also aggravate symptoms associated with pollen allergies.
Therefore, avoid using homemade perfumes or harsh cleaning products, and refrain from burning candles or incense. In the same way, cigarettes act as an irritant.
• Protect yourself from the outside
Before you go outside, you may want to first check the pollen warnings from the RNSA (National Network for Aerobiological Surveillance). During times of high allergy risk, the government recommends “avoiding outdoor activities that result in excessive pollen exposure,” such as mowing the lawn, gardening or exercising.
To do this, you should prioritize as much as possible at the end of the day. You can also wear sunglasses, even safety glasses, or even a surgical mask to block some of the pollen.
It is also not recommended to dry your laundry indoors, as pollen will settle on it and you risk transferring it inside and onto your clothes.
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