Fall Eye Allergies: Nowhere to Hide?

Most folks associate seasonal allergies with springtime, but just as many people endure months of congestion and itchiness during autumn.

Fall allergies are different than the springtime version. The chief culprits are ragweed pollen and molds, whereas grasses and blooming flowers create misery in April. Urban dwellers are not exempt because airborne ragweed pollen can travel 400 miles before settling in your nostrils. A single ragweed plan generates over 1 billion pollen particles...a-choo!

If you take prescription allergy medication you may need to start taking the medicine now before symptoms begin. A mast cell stabilizer like cromolyn sodium is a good example. It doesn't do much good once you start itching. Check with your pharmacist.

Simple ways to minimize Fall allergies include:

• Avoid outdoor activities during midday (peak pollen period)
• Keep windows closed whenever possible
• Shower before bedtime
• Keep your pets indoor or bathe frequently. Cats and dogs transport loads of pollen into the house.
• Skip the clothesline and use an automatic dryer for wet laundry.
• Apply chilled, preservative-free artificial tears for itchy, irritated eyes

Fall allergy season typically runs until the first hard frost occurs. Then we start worrying about indoor allergies, right?

Related Topics: Relieve Allergies the Natural Way, Allergy Triggers & Treatments: WebMD Video

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