Seasonal Allergies Driving You Crazy? Try These Lifestyle Changes
Key takeaways:
For some people, taming seasonal allergies takes more than medication.
Lifestyle changes, like cleaning regularly and keeping the sheets clean, are some of the tips everyday people have for managing allergies.
Others say reducing allergy triggers and changing their diet has made a difference.
“Am I sick, or is it allergies?” Many people aren’t sure when seasonal allergies begin to flare.
Sneezing, itchy eyes, and a runny nose are just some of the symptoms that can make life miserable during allergy season. But what if lifestyle modifications could help you breathe a little easier?
Some people say simple changes — from washing sheets frequently to changing what they eat — can make managing seasonal allergies easier.
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Here are tips from three people who have found relief from their allergies by making lifestyle adjustments.
1. Wash your sheets and keep the house clean
When Jake Ciccarelli began dealing with severe allergy symptoms last year, he tried steroid ointments to treat his allergy-induced eczema.
Allergy testing showed he was allergic to things like trees, grass, and pet dander.
“I live with roommates who have three cats,” says Jake, a 21-year-old public relations director who lives in New Jersey. “I’m slightly allergic to dogs, yet I have a dog at home.”
Dupixent (dupilumab), an injectable medication that lowers inflammation, took care of his eczema. He also takes levocetirizine (Xyzal Allergy) and loratadine (Claritin) — antihistamines commonly used to relieve allergy symptoms.
But his allergy flares made it hard for him to sleep and feel comfortable. So, he began to make changes around the house. He started cleaning his home more regularly (including washing his sheets and dusting his room) and changing his HVAC filter. These small changes have made a significant difference in his day-to-day life.
“I have always been a very neat, organized, and clean person,” Jake says. But now he takes extra precautions to rid his living space of allergens.
“I’m even dusting under my bed. I try to clean at least three times a week, sometimes even four to five if I’m really ambitious.”
His roommates are supportive and do their best to keep their cats out of his areas of the house. He also has an air filter in his room that he cleans once a month.
During times of the year when pollen is high, Jake also gets his car washed regularly.
“I try to keep a clean car, even dusting inside my car and clearing leaves from under the hood so they don’t mold,” he says.
2. Dietary changes might make a difference
Jennifer Salem, a 46-year-old attorney in Las Vegas, says changing her diet helped her get a handle on her seasonal allergies.
She would have flare-ups each spring, and her main symptoms were watery eyes, a sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes.
In search of relief, she took allergy medication daily and got steroid shots.
Then, 4 years ago, she eliminated gluten from her diet because of a sensitivity. She says that made a big difference.
“An unexpected benefit of going gluten-free and making that lifestyle change was that my allergies resolved at least 75%,” she says. “I no longer have to take daily allergy medicine and only occasionally feel like my seasonal allergies are bothersome.”
3. Consider an elimination diet
Christina Hicks, a 43-year-old marketing and communications director in Edmond, Oklahoma, also found what she ate — and what she didn’t — made a difference in managing her seasonal allergies.
Christina, who has had seasonal allergies since she was a young child, would experience congestion, runny nose, sore throat, and a persistent cough that would last for months at a time. She also developed a severe case of contact dermatitis — an allergic skin reaction.
“The bottoms of my feet would crack and bleed,” she says. Dermatitis eventually affected her hands as well. “I would go to school with Band-Aids on every finger.”
Allergy testing revealed that she was allergic to just about everything that grows in Oklahoma. She ended up getting allergy shots twice a week for about 6 years and started taking the over-the-counter antihistamine medication cetirizine (Zyrtec) and Flonase nasal spray.
Even with her dermatitis under control, she wondered what she could do to help with her allergy symptoms. A few years ago, she was introduced to an elimination diet book that suggested eliminating foods that contribute to inflammation.
She began cutting things from her diet such as eggs, cheese, and other dairy products. When she reintroduced dairy, her allergy symptoms reappeared almost immediately.
“My face broke out, and my nose was so congested,” she says. Christina says that her love for cheese makes it difficult to eliminate dairy altogether, but she finds that even reducing the amount of dairy she eats has made a big difference.
“It’s not easy, but once you get into it, it becomes your lifestyle,” she says.”There are times when I’ll have chips and queso, but then I drink a lot of water and cross my fingers that I didn’t overdo it.”
While she still takes daily allergy medication, she credits cutting down on dairy to helping her feel better on a daily basis.
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