Keep Your Loved One Happy and Healthy this Summer

Summer is officially here, and while the season brings warm weather and beautiful blooms, it also brings about the dreadful pollen. Many of us are prone to experiencing the symptoms of seasonal allergies—sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, congestion–all of which can make going outside unbearable at times. While there is no cure for allergies, they can be treated, controlled and somewhat prevented. If you are looking for ways to help your loved one enjoy warm weather, but they experience allergic reactions to seasonal triggers such as pollen, we have some tips for you. Keep reading for ways to help manage your loved one’s seasonal allergies from The Haven, one of the best Pittsburgh Retirement Communities.

Minimize Your Loved One’s Exposure to Triggers

First and foremost, the most obvious way to manage allergy symptoms is by avoiding seasonal triggers altogether. However, this is pretty difficult to do, so it’s best to reduce your loved one’s exposure to triggers as much as possible. This includes staying inside when pollen levels are high, keeping their windows and doors closed, providing them with a face mask to wear when going outside, avoiding hanging their laundry outside, and having them shower after going outside. If they love to be outdoors, remember that the safest time to venture out is right after it rains, as it can help reduce pollen in the air and wash it away.

Ensure the Air Indoor Spaces are Clean

During allergy season, it’s important to keep pollen out of indoor spaces, like living spaces and cars. One of the best ways to do this is by ensuring that there is clean, fresh air. Some ways you keep your loved one’s air clean are by using air conditioning, regularly changing air filters, using a dehumidifier, and cleaning floors often to avoid any kick-up of pollen that may have been tracked in on shoes.

Provide Over-The-Counter Allergy Medicines

There are a variety of over-the-counter medicines that can help mitigate allergy symptoms. However, it’s a good idea to consult with your loved one’s doctor to see which may be best for them, as some of these can cause side effects and aren’t recommended for people with certain medical conditions. The following are different OTC medicine options to help relieve allergies:

• Antihistamines are great for minimizing itching, sneezing and runny nose. Some examples include Benadryl®, Claritin®, Allegra®, and Zyrtec®.
• Nasal Sprays are particularly helpful for curing nasal congestion, postnasal drip and sinus pressure, which antihistamines can’t treat as well. Some examples of topical nasal steroid sprays include Flonase®, Rhinocort®, Nasonex® and Nasacort®.
• Oral Decongestants can also help to ease stuffiness and congestion. Some examples of oral decongestants include Sudafed®, Allegra-D®, Claritin-D® and Zyrtec-D®.

Be Proactive to Reduce Allergic Reactions

Be sure to prepare in advance in order to reduce the onset of seasonal allergies among your loved one. Here are some examples of how you can be prepared for and proactive during allergy season:

• Get your loved one’s living space prepared with fresh, efficient air filters prior to allergy season
• Check the current pollen levels daily to see if the pollen counts are particularly high to avoid taking your loved one outside and reduce symptom flare-ups
• Help your loved one begin using nasal steroid spray daily, a couple of weeks in advance of allergy season, as it can help prevent nose inflammation

It’s important to help your loved one manage their allergies this summer (and every spring and summer!) so that they can enjoy the cheerful season in comfort. These are just a few ways to help manage symptoms, but you may want to consult a doctor if symptoms do not ease. At The Haven, we do everything we can to help ward off seasonal allergies among our retirement living residents, from ensuring high-air quality to assisting them with medication management.

To learn more about residency or schedule a tour of The Haven, contact our friendly team today or call us at 541-323-3456.

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