‘Tis The Season To Sneeze and Cough – How To Beat Spring Allergies

The tree pollen count for Twin Falls is through the roof right now. Almost everyone I know is sneezing, coughing, blowing their nose, and popping Benadryls just to make it through the day. As someone who is allergic to the planet Earth anyway, when it blooms during the spring I feel like heck. Luckily, WebMD has come up with five ways to beat spring allergies.

Spring pollen season starts much earlier than many people think: If you have to take any kind of medication for your seasonal allergies it's best to start around mid-February.

Know your over-the-counter (OTC) allergy medications: Three main kinds of over-the-counter medications are used to help control seasonal allergies: topical nasal sprays, inhaled corticosteroids, and antihistamines; oral antihistamines; and decongestants. Each has their benefits and potential side effects. Decongestants make me sick to my stomach.

Control Allergies by Controlling Your Environment: Keep an eye on the pollen counts, and try to plan more of your outdoor work for days when pollen counts are expected to be low and it's not so windy. Also an inexpensive face mask can help. I wear one to mow the lawn.

Natural Allergy Remedies: One popular tool is the neti pot, which flushes out your nasal cavities by using gravity to rinse them with a saline solution. Studies show that neti pots are effective for minimizing seasonal allergy symptoms.

See an Allergist: If the latest batch of antihistamines in your medicine cabinet isn't doing the trick, a visit to an allergist can bring relief.

As someone who has been fighting every day for the past two weeks for some kind of relief, I'm ready to try anything. I think my next step is get back to my allergist and start back on my weekly allergy shots, but hopefully one of the ideas mentioned above can help you.

Hang in there. We're all in this together.