Spring is upon us, which means that we are finally moving out of respiratory viral season. At last, we can all breathe a little easier, right? Unfortunately, for many, the answer is no. For millions of people worldwide the beauty of green grass and May flowers are overshadowed by seasonal allergies.

Seasonal allergies, or allergic rhinitis, occur when the body’s immune system overreacts to environmental triggers such as pollen, dust, and mold. Symptoms of seasonal allergies include stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, watery and itchy eyes, sore throat, itching of the ears, difficulty breathing, and trouble sleeping. If you are one of the unlucky ones with an overzealous immune system, here are some tips and tricks to help you this season.

First, it is important to identify your personal triggers. This can be done by looking for patterns around when your symptoms occur or through dedicated allergy testing. Knowing your triggers allows you to plan and better limit or avoid exposure to them. Avoidance of triggers is the best step to decreasing symptoms but can be difficult (especially when sunshine and warm weather is calling your name). Easy steps that can be taken to decrease exposure to your triggers are:

-         Stay inside during days when exposure to your triggers would be high

-         Keep car and house windows closed

-         Take a shower after being outdoors or before bed to rinse pollen off of your hair and skin

-         Regular hand washing

-         Wear a dust mask when needed

-         Change air conditioning and furnace filters regularly

If you find that these simple habits are not enough, it is important to speak with your doctor about different treatment options. There are plenty of safe and effective medication options to help treat allergy symptoms. Many of these options can now be purchased over the counter, but a discussion with your doctor regarding the appropriate option and dosing is important. The primary medication options used to treat seasonal allergies are:

-         Oral antihistamines (ie Zyrtec, Claritin): as the name suggests, these medications help to combat one of the main culprits of the over-active immune system—histamine. These medications are most effective for itching related symptoms.

-         Nasal steroid sprays (ie Flonase): the most effective treatment option for nasal congestion, runny nose, and sinus symptoms associated with allergies.

-         Nasal saline sprays: not technically a “medication” option as saline is simply salt water, this option helps to rinse the nasal passages of triggers such as pollen.

In some cases, allergy treatments such as allergy shots or oral immunotherapy are used when symptoms are severe, and triggers have been confirmed by dedicated allergy testing. By delivering very small amounts of allergen to the body, the immune system is desensitized and therefore turned down to the specific trigger.

Here’s to hoping these simple tips help you to enjoy the wonderful sunshine and plentiful outdoor activities that Colorado has to offer! Make an appointment today to talk with your doctor about your specific treatment options.