Nearly 19.2 million adults in the United States are diagnosed each year with seasonal allergies. If you have trouble managing symptoms of seasonal allergies, you can find help at Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care.
Dr. James Lee at Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care offers comprehensive allergy services including in-office allergy tests to better understand the root cause of your allergies. They also help you strategize ways to avoid the allergens you’re allergic to, so you can reduce your risk for allergy flare-ups.
Seasonal allergies are triggered by substances in your environment. When you make contact with an allergen, your immune system responds by producing antibodies that cause symptoms like:
For many Americans, spring allergies start in February and persist until early summer because this is when tree pollination begins and ends. Additional allergy symptoms can occur in the late summer and fall during the pollination of grass and ragweed.
Your allergy symptoms may go on longer than usual based on the climate where you live. On windy days, your allergies might seem more severe because many of the allergens take flight and are more easily found in the air you breathe.
While it can be impossible to avoid seasonal allergens, even if you stay indoors, there are ways you can control your seasonal allergies.
Getting ahead of your seasonal allergies might make it easier to keep your symptoms under control. Here are five quick tips to stay on top of allergies each season:
Our staff at Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care offer on-site allergy tests that involve pricking your skin with small amounts of common allergens, including mold and pollen, to determine how your body reacts.
If you have an allergy to a certain substance, a small, itchy welt will appear on your skin. By understanding what you’re allergic to, you can help avoid allergens. Testing can also help our team determine how best to treat your allergies using medications or immunotherapy.
Technology today makes it easy to track pollen reports in your area. If pollen counts are expected to be high on certain days, make sure you take your medications before your symptoms start.
Avoid doing outdoor chores until after a rainstorm, when pollen counts are typically lower. If you hang laundry outside, do so only when pollen counts are low.
Showering after time spent outdoors can also reduce your risk for allergy symptoms.
There’s no way to remove every single allergen from your home, but vacuuming and dusting frequently can cut down on your exposure to allergens.
Keep your air conditioner on instead of opening the windows of your home or vehicle. You can also use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter and a dehumidifier indoors to reduce allergy symptoms.
Allergy testing not only can identify the cause of your symptoms, it also helps our team determine how best to treat your allergies.
We offer prescription allergy medications and immunotherapy (allergy shots) if over-the-counter medicines are no longer effectively controlling your allergies.
There’s no reason to suffer with seasonal allergy symptoms. Call Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care in Woodstock, Georgia, or book online today to learn more about options for managing your allergies.
