The symptoms of allergies are very similar to the symptoms of a cold: watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, sore throat and runny nose. You might be surprised to learn that many allergy suffers experience those same symptoms on a year-round basis, particularly when seasons change. Read further for some tips on how to avoid your allergy triggers.

Before cementing your plans to spend time in the great outdoors, check the forecast for your location. If the forecast includes high winds, it may be best to reschedule. Windy weather is notorious for stirring up spores and pollen, which could make it difficult to breathe easily while camping, hiking or getting back to nature.

If you suffer from any allergies, be sure to keep air-filters and air ducts clean throughout the year. They will harbor allergy inducing particles like pollen, and may recirculate them in your breathing air. A few times a year, take them out and clean them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Exercise at the right time of day. If you like to exercise outdoors, yet you are an allergy sufferer, there are things that can be done so you can still enjoy the experience. It’s better to exercise outdoors in the early morning or later in the evening as the pollen levels aren’t as high at these times and less likely to cause issues with your allergies.

Wash your hair and take a shower prior to bed. Pollen can gather in your hair and on your skin and cause you to have an allergic reaction when you are sleeping at night. Just rinse off, and you will have a better night’s sleep.

Have separate shoes for indoor and outdoor use. If you do a lot of work in your garden or simply enjoy being outdoors, have a pair of shoes set aside specifically for these activities. When it is time to come inside, your shoes, along with the pollen and dust they carry, can be left at the door – minimizing the allergens that make it into your home.

The amount of dander and pet hair produced by indoor dogs and cats is immense and ends up in carpet, on furniture and throughout the air. In most cases, simply vacuuming or dusting is not sufficient to remove enough pet allergens to make a home suitable for those who are allergic to these animals. Even with allergy shots, this type of allergy is best accommodated by keeping pet’s outdoors for the majority of the time.

Watch your local weather forecast to see if pollen is high for that day. If it is, it’s best that you minimize your time spent outdoors. If you do want to go outdoors, make sure it’s not between the hours of 5 and 10 A.M. This is the time when pollen is high.

After years of dealing with the itchiness of allergic skin and eczema, constant scratching becomes a tough habit to break–even after allergy therapy. This can cause further damage to the skin, so you should cover the area with a thick protectant like Vaseline or vitamin E oil under an elastic bandage. This allows your skin to heal and can help you to break the cycle.

If your child frequently complains of symptoms like a stuffy nose, or frequent sneezing, allergies may be to blame. Over time, these problems can make it difficult for your child to perform well in class, or reach their full potential. In these cases, allergy therapy may produce a marked difference in the way your child feels, and behaves.

Watch the time, if you experience seasonal allergies. Avoid going out between 5 and 10 o’clock in the morning. This is when pollen is most prevalent. If it is necessary to leave the house, try to avoid strenuous activity and make it a short trip.

Clean your home from top to bottom at least once per year, preferably in the spring. A deep cleaning can eliminate dust, dander, mold and other allergens. If this type of cleaning is too daunting, hire a service to complete the job for you. You can maintain the results yourself or schedule regular visits from the cleaning service, after the initial deep-clean.

If you can spare the added expense, hire another person or a professional lawn care service to take care of all of your landscaping needs. The acts of mowing, raking and weeding can stir up an immense amount of mold, pollen and dust, making you more vulnerable to an allergy attack.

After being tested for allergies, you may find that the test was positive for certain things that you may not have visible symptoms for. This is normal. Most people consume, inhale or touch allergens daily but they don’t experience allergic reactions. In fact, it is possible that a person who is allergic to certain things may go decades without ever experiencing symptoms.

Avoiding allergic triggers can help some people, especially the ones that are allergic to foods, such as peanut butter or strawberries. But, other kinds of allergies, like those that are triggered by pollen, are more difficult to manage. Keep these tips in mind so that you can stop your symptoms.

Great Guide On How To Properly Deal With Allergies was originally published on Spring