What's scarier than ghosts and goblins on Halloween? The prospect of trying to get through the night while sneezing and wheezing because of allergies.
Fall allergies are here, and if you don't take proper precautions, you could spend more time reaching for tissues than handing out candy. For those who walk around the neighborhood with their kids, the night can be especially insufferable.
Two of the most common fall allergies are ragweed and mold. Ragweed affects close to 20 percent of Americans, and close to 75 percent of people who suffer from pollen-producing plants also struggle to cope with ragweed symptoms.
The 17 species of ragweed are all very aggressive, producing close to 1 billion grains of pollen during their one-year lifespans. These seeds can even travel up to 400 miles from their original source and 2 miles into the atmosphere.
You're most likely to deal with ragweed during peak hours of the day, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Mold, on the other hand, tends to affect people more at night when conditions are cooler and more likely to be wet. During the day, mold spores rise high into the atmosphere when it's warm and then drift back to the ground when it's cooler.
If you suffer from ragweed, here are some tips:
- Explore the neighborhood with your children after peak hours of the day.
- Take allergy medicine well before Halloween to allow your immune system to build up its defense
- Wear a facemask. This may sound extreme, but don't let anything get in the way of letting you have fun with your kids. If you don't feel comfortable wearing an anti-viral facemask, consider wearing.a light scarf instead. This decorative piece is light enough to cover your nose and mouth while allowing you to easily breathe.
- If you are handing out candy, keep windows closed and keep doors shut until trick-or-treaters arrive.
Unlike ragweed, it's much harder to escape mold spores because most trick-or-treat at night. If you suffer from mold, here are some tips:
- If you are handing out candy, decrease moisture levels in your home by using a dehumidifier such as Allergy Be Gone's Damp check Non-electric Dehumidifier.
- Make sure all windows and doors are closed until trick-or-treaters arrive.
- Help your immune system build up its allergy defenses by taking medicine well before Halloween.
- Trick-or-treat earlier in the evening with your kids instead of late at night.
It's important to get out ahead of allergies before they begin to affect you. Unfortunately, most people wait until they begin to feel symptoms before treating. Doing so is absolutely detrimental to your health. Not only will this spoil your fun Halloween plans, but the long-term effects can be critical.
If you suffer from asthma, the same substances that trigger an allergic reaction can cause you to have an asthma attack. This is called allergic asthma or allergy-induced asthma.
To better manage allergy-induced asthma, there are a few things you can do. First, reduce the amount of allergens you're exposed to by adhering to the advice we offered here. By reducing allergens, you'll also decrease the chance your asthma acts up because of them. Also, consider asking your doctor about Leukotriene modifiers which is a daily pill to control immune system chemicals released during an allergic reaction.
For more information on proper allergy management techniques and allergy control products, visit Allergy Be Gone today.
