When Allergies Attack

If you have bad allergies, then you are not alone. Each year, more people make trips to their doctors or to see allergists so that they can figure out how to combat their allergies. For many people, allergy problems do not become a problem until they are young adults in their teenage years or if they move from one geographic location to another.

For instance, when I was getting ready to move from New York to North Carolina to go to college, I was only in school for a short time before I started to have a lot of difficulty breathing. This problem was exacerbated by the fact that I was a part of the college’s cross country and track team. It was mid August, and I was outside running with the team when I started to feel as if I was suffocating. Panicked, I spoke to my coaches about how I was feeling, and they immediately set up an appointment for me with the doctor. After speaking with a doctor, I found out that it was common for people who have just moved to another state to experience allergic reactions to the things in their environment. For me, it turned out to be a combination of things- dust, oak pollen and ragweed.

So, what was the solution to making me feel better, or at least well enough for me to continue training with my teammates? The doctor prescribed me an Albuterol inhaler which I was instructed to take anytime I started to feel bad or was having an asthmatic-like attack. I was also prescribed another type of inhaler called Advair, which I was supposed to take twice daily regardless of whether or not I had symptoms. I never touched the Albuterol inhaler because I had heard so many of my teammates complain about the side effects making them feel dizzy, nauseous or like they were having a heart attack. Instead, I stuck with the Advair inhaler, and it wasn’t long before I saw improvements to my breathing.

While prescribed medication may help fix the problem for some of us, it is not always necessary. If you want to cut down on the problems associated with allergies, keep your windows and doors closed-especially if you know that it is specific time of year when environmental allergens are more prevalent. Additionally, invest in a humidifier as well as HEPA filter. HEPA filters are great for cleaning the air that you breathe in your home- especially if you own a pet like a cat or a dog. The humidifier is excellent for putting a little moisture in the air to help you breathe a little easier- great for those fall and winter months, when your nasal passages are the most susceptible to dry, arid air.

Make sure that you do laundry regularly and that when you wash your sheets that you are doing so in hot water at least once a week. If you do exercise outside and there is a lot of pollen in the air, do your best to cover up. I usually wear a bandanna or a hat as well as year-round sunblock. For some people, the reason to cover up is significant since some people’s skin can actually have a reaction to things that are in the air.

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