by Dr. Marc Goldstein, MD, Curist Allergy Advisor 

Can I Treat Allergies Without Medicine?

Allergy symptoms vary from person-to-person, but they can also vary from day-to-day.  The reason is that the pollen count in the air fluctuates daily throughout the season -- affecting the severity and type of symptoms you experience. 

Therefore, it’s a really good idea to consider a variety of relief options.  This way, you can avoid ongoing symptoms while preparing for days when the pollen count spikes.  The goal is to prevent these heavy pollen days from magnifying your symptoms or even triggering new ones.

Here are the  must-know home methods for controlling your allergies:

5 Tips To For Allergy Relief Without Medicine

The first line of defense against outdoor allergies involves some basic measures that you can implement at home.

• Wash your eyebrows: it sounds odd, but microscopic pollen grains cling to eyebrows and skin. This makes your eyes vulnerable, every time you go outdoors.  Make a habit of washing this area after being outside, to protect your eyes.
• Wash your hair (and your pillowcases): Before going to bed, wash your hair to avoid spreading mold spores and pollen grain all over your face while you sleep.  Hair is a magnet for pollen, and pillows are no place for pollen so wash your linens frequently
• Switch to daily disposable contact lenses: The idea is to prevent allergens from building up on the same pair of daily lenses, and then sitting against your eye.  Especially during peak pollen season, even consider switching to eyeglasses
• Change air filters often: The less pollen indoors, the less you breathe.  Make sure your car and home are not circulating pollen, which quickly builds up in air filters.
• Check daily local pollen, mold, and ragweed counts: By staying aware of the pollen count in your area, you may be able to avoid being outdoors on particularly heavy pollen days. You can learn the density of pollen around you by visiting the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

And of course, if you find that these preventive measures simply can’t compete with your allergies, it might be time to consider allergy medicines and visiting your allergist. There is a wide variety of effective medical treatments to give you the relief from allergy symptoms, if you need them. Take a look at the Curist Allergy Collection to learn more about what make help your allergies.