Indoor & Outdoor Allergy Relief

Allergic reactions are typically caused by the immune system's response to common, harmless airborne particles, such as mold, animal dander, dust mites and an array of pollens that bloom in grass, weeds and trees. If medical testing confirms that you're allergic to a host of airborne particles, there are measures that you can take to provide indoor and outdoor allergy relief, in addition to using your prescribed medication.

Indoor Allergy Relief

• Indoor allergens can be found everywhere in your home, from the dust bunnies that collect in corners to the mold that surreptitiously grows in your bathroom. Keeping your home environment relatively free of these particles first involves the right cleaning strategies. The Asthma & Allergy Foundation of American (AAFA) recommends certain techniques to improve the air quality in your indoor environment, beginning with aggressive cleaning. Keep dust mites under control by making sure that hard and soft surfaces are kept clean and free of dust. Bare walls and floors are best for those with allergies, but if you have carpeting in your home, the purchase of a good HEPA-filtered vacuum is recommended. These powerful vacuums remove minute particles of dust and animal dander that a regular vacuum cleaner cannot pick up. Consider encasing mattresses and pillows with impermeable or plastic covers, as covering these soft surfaces offers better protection than use of an air filtration device. When you clean hard surfaces, use a damp rag rather than a duster, which merely causes dust particles to fly into the air and resettle.

  If you're allergic to animal dander, the AAFA recommends removing the source of your allergies--and unfortunately, this may be your beloved pet. If you choose to keep a pet indoors, limit his accessibility to certain rooms in the home and bar his entry into your bedroom, where you spend most of your time. Also, bathing your pet once weekly removes much of the dander that collects in his fur (it's not the fur itself that's the problem; it's the protein in the pet's saliva that collects on his coat that cause your allergies).

  If you live in a humid climate, the purchase of a dehumidifier may be wise--humidity is conducive to mold that grows indoors, particularly in damp areas, such as your bathroom. Fix all leaks as soon as possible to mitigate humidity. It may go without saying, but keeping windows closed and your air conditioning on is key to indoor allergy relief. Outdoor allergens enter through open windows and doors, but exposing your home to warm weather also promotes dust mites.

Outdoor Allergy Relief

• When it comes to outdoor allergy relief, your options are more limited. Pollens that cause allergic rhinitis (hay fever) do not come from bright flowers, such as roses, which are pollinated by bees, but rather from trees, weeds and grasses. So even if you replace your lawn with a rock garden, your neighbor's ancient elm trees may be the source of your allergic distress.

  When addressing outdoor allergy relief, being forewarned is being forearmed. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology' Aeroallergen Network can give you an online report of pollen counts in your area. This gives you the heads up as to what's blooming outdoors. The times of year when you know outdoor allergens will make you miserable might be the perfect time to plan a vacation to a low-allergen zone, such as the beach.

  The AAAAI advises minimizing outdoor activity in the morning, when pollen counts are typically highest and to stay indoors when the pollen count is high, or on dry, hot windy days--this is optimal weather for airborne allergens. Avoid activities that disturb airborne allergens, such as mowing grass and raking leaves. Clothing and linens should not be hung outside to dry, as these are perfect surfaces for airborne allergies to collect.

  When you're in your car, drive with the windows rolled up. Remember that outdoor allergens can enter your home; keep windows and doors shut and use central air conditioning and/or heating instead.

Treatment for Indoor & Outdoor Allergies

• The AAAAI recommends visiting an allergist or immunologist if you have trouble managing your allergies with your current medication or if allergies are severe or persistent. Medical management of allergies using oral medication, nasal inhalers and eye drops is possible; however, your doctor may also want to consult with you about immunotherapy (allergy injections). This treatment is ongoing and usually lasts from three to five years. By injecting patients with a small amount of the substances that causes their allergies, they eventually develop a resistance to the allergen, and allergic symptoms will resolve.