BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Allergy season is officially here in Louisiana. If you’re one of many who suffer through the spring sneezing and sniffling, here are a few tips from the CDC that may help.
Tips from the CDC to relieve allergies
Monitor pollen forecasts. These forecasts can be found through local news or online through websites dedicated to pollen counts nationwide, such as pollen.com. The CDC recommends spending less time outdoors when pollen levels are high.
Take allergy medications. Make sure you’re remembering to take your allergy medication to avoid misery, especially if you’re going to be outdoors.
Remove pollen after going outside. Take a shower and change your clothes when you come back inside to lessen the irritation.
Keep windows shut. Even on a beautiful spring day, the CDC says you should keep your windows shut during pollen season to avoid inviting the allergen inside your home.
Use high-efficiency filters inside the home. HVAC filters can filter pollen out of the air to keep you allergy symptom-free.
What is pollen?
The CDC says pollen is an airborne allergen made up of grains which are tiny “seeds” dispersed from flowering plants, trees, grass, and weeds.
Does climate change affect allergy season?
Climate change will eventually lead to higher pollen concentration and a lengthier allergy season, according to the CDC, citing it could affect when pollen season starts and ends, how much pollen plants create and how much is in the air, the “allergenicity” of pollen, how much pollen people are exposed to and the risk of experiencing allergy symptoms.
