2024-04-20 05:41:00
While the risk of pollen allergy is very high, it is recommended that those affected avoid bringing pollen into their homes and protect themselves when going outdoors.
The season of itchy eyes, stuffy noses and sneezing is in full swing. After a sequence marked by red vigilance over almost the entirety of France, “grass and oak pollens are taking over from birch pollens and are increasingly present in the air”, warns the National Network aerobiological monitoring in its bulletin of Friday April 19.
Numerous pollens make life difficult for millions of people every spring. Here are some tips to adopt to limit the symptoms.
• Wash your hair in the evening
For those allergic to pollen, the objective is to bring as few substances from outside into their homes as possible. So, when you return home, it is advisable to leave your shoes outside the door and then quickly go take a shower and then change your clothes, so as not to wear those contaminated from the outside.
You can also wash your nose and eyes directly, with physiological serum for example.
To have a quieter night, wash or at least rinse your hair in the evening because pollen is deposited in large quantities. If possible, “do not sleep with the window open if the bed is close to the window,” adds the Pasteur Institute in Lille.
• Open windows at the right time
While it may be tempting to shut yourself indoors to avoid pollen, it is still important to ventilate your home every day. In fact, this allows pollutants to be evacuated from the house and to renew the ambient air.
However, some habits can be adopted to prevent pollen from entering indoors. It is therefore recommended to open the windows before sunrise and following sunset, as temperatures are lower and there is less pollen suspended in the air.
However, when traveling by car, keep the windows closed. The government website also encourages people to be “even more attentive to these recommendations in the event of peaks in air pollution”, which can worsen allergic symptoms.
• Avoid irritating or allergenic substances
In addition, at home, health authorities recommend avoiding exposure to other irritating or allergenic substances which might also aggravate the symptoms linked to a pollen allergy.
Therefore, avoid using indoor perfumes or harsh cleaning products and refrain from burning candles or incense. In the same way, cigarettes act as an irritant.
Pollen: why are there more and more allergies?
• Protect yourself outside
Before going outside, you can first find out regarding pollen alerts from the RNSA (National Aerobiological Surveillance Network). During periods of high allergy risks, the government recommends “avoiding outdoor activities that lead to overexposure to pollen” such as mowing the lawn, maintaining the garden or sporting activities.
For this, you should prioritize the end of the day if possible. In addition, it is possible to wear sunglasses, even protective glasses, or even a surgical mask to block some of the pollen.
It is also recommended not to dry your laundry indoors, as the pollen will settle on it and you risk bringing it inside and on your clothes.
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