How to Minimize the Effects of Smoke Allergies

Smoke allergies are quite common and those who suffer from them know how irritating and debilitating they can be. Chronic sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, shortness of breath and headaches can severely impact your overall quality of life. While it may not be possible to completely remove smoke from your life and environment, there are a few simple things you can do to minimize the effects of smoke allergies in your life.

Things You'll Need

• Air purifier
• Prescription
• Face mask

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Quit smoking as soon as you can. There is no better way to minimize the effects of smoke allergies. Nothing else you can do will have more impact on your allergies and total health than to simply quit smoking cigarettes.

• 2

  Stay away from smoky places. This is the second most important way to minimize the effects of smoke allergies. If you stop smoking and you minimize your exposure to other people's smoke, you are well on your way to eliminating smoke allergies from your life.

• 3

  Keep smoke out of your home. If a loved one smokes, ask that he does it outside and away from open doors and windows. He should also change his clothing afterward, as smoke particles can be trapped by fabric.

• 4

  Resist the urge to light up that wood stove or fireplace in your home. Wood smoke is not as unhealthy as cigarette smoke, but it can trigger a reaction.

• 5

  Use an air purifier in the house. Quality air purifiers do an excellent job of removing allergy triggers from the air you breathe and can minimize the presence of allergens considerably.

• 6

  Keep other allergy triggers that might aggravate your smoke allergies out of your home. Pets, pollen and mold can all cause allergic reactions that may feed off each other and cause more severe allergy attacks.

• 7

  Take an over-the-counter allergy medication to minimize the effects of smoke allergies. Antihistamines and nasal sprays can often be adequate for mild cases.

• 8

  Schedule an appointment with your doctor if you have severe allergies. You can't reduce allergens unless your condition has been properly diagnosed by a licensed medical professional. Talk to your doctor about prescription medication options if over-the-counter products are not working for you.

• 9

  Keep the dust out of your home, as it can trigger reactions similar to smoke allergies--but try to avoid vacuuming and dusting yourself, since the particles will be released into the air. If you must do these chores, wear a face mask while you work.