Allergy Care

Allergy Avoidance and Management  COPING WITH SEASONAL ALLERGY SYMPTOMS TRACKING FOOD ALLERGIES CONTROLLING INDOOR ALLERGENS Schedule an appointment with our allergy specialist: Karen Pulvino, MSN ANP-C Registered Nurse Practitioner, Family Physicians Liverpool and Fayetteville 315-452-2828 315-637-7878 COPING WITH SEASONAL ALLERGY SYMPTOMS (back to top) Try to stay indoors during peak pollen hours: usually 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. After you've been outside, change your clothes (but not in your bedroom) and take a quick shower. Pollen from the air can collect on your clothes and hair. Have children change their clothes when they come in from playing outside. Don't line-dry clothes. Keep windows in home closed. Monitor pollen counts and adjust outdoor activities accordingly. Dry, windy days, especially after a rainy day, can be particularly high in pollen. User air conditioning and change filters often. Keep your house smoke-free. Irritants like tobacco smoke can intensify allergy symptoms. Reduce the time you spend mowing the lawn (which stirs up both pollen and mold spores) and raking leaves (which stirs up mold spores). If you must mow the lawn, wear a mask to filter out pollen and mold spores. When driving, keep windows rolled up and use your air conditioner (set on recirculate) to reduce pollen exposure. TOOLS TO HELP DIAGNOSE YOUR ALLERGY To get started, it is important to schedule a allergy review with the specialist. TRACKING FOOD ALLERGIES (back to top) Step 1: Keep a Food Diary Over the period of a week, keep track of everything you eat and drink. Record any allergy symptoms you experience, as well as the time the symptoms begin. Share your food diary with your doctor to help determine which foods may be triggering your symptoms. Step 2: Try an Elimination Diet In your food diary, circle the foods that seem to cause allergic reactions. Pay particular attention to these common foods: soy egg whites wheat peanuts tree nuts citrus fruits shellfish food additives Once you have picked out the most plausible offenders (with or without your doctor's allergy-testing help), eliminate these for at least ten days (preferably two weeks) and keep track of any reactions. Avoid multiple-ingredient foods during this time, since these may contain multiple potential allergens, making it difficult to isolate the single offender. Step 3: Review Your Findings With The Allergy Specialist It's important to review your findings with the allergy specialist During the discussion, the specialist will develop a treatment plan that may include reintroducing foods one at a time and foods that will remain on the no-no list. CONTROL INDOOR ALLERGENS (back to top) You may be able to prevent or minimize reactions to indoor allergens with these tips. Use an air conditioner or air purifier with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Keep the house aired out and dry. Keep the moisture level below 50%. Use a dehumidifier during humid weather. Dust and vacuum 1 to 2 times a week. Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter, which collects dust-mite particles and pollen. Standard paper bag filters may allow the stirred-up allergens to escape back into the room. To help reduce the amount of dust blowing around the room, keep the vacuum tank outside the room, or attach another hose to the air outlet so the air blows outside the room. Wear a mask if you do the cleaning yourself. Be aware that vacuuming stirs up dust, making the air more irritating until the dust settles. Avoid carpet, upholstered furniture, and heavy drapes that collect dust. Vacuuming doesn't pick up dust mites. Remove rugs and wall-to-wall carpeting. Talk with your family about this measure and how this will affect family life. Replace drapes and blinds with roll-down shades or washable curtains. Damp mop the floor once a day. Vacuum the walls, ceiling, closet, and the backs of the furniture once a week to get rid of as much dust as you can. Use baking soda, mineral oil, club soda, or vinegar to clean instead of harsher cleaning solutions that can produce allergic reactions. Contact a pest control service, if necessary, to get rid of cockroaches. Cockroaches and other insects may provoke allergic responses if you have allergic asthma. Avoid tobacco smoke, smoke from wood-burning stoves, and fumes from kerosene heaters. Keep air registers closed if there is a pet in the house. This will reduce the amount of animal dander circulating in the house, especially in the bedroom. Repair any water-damaged areas from leaking roofs or basements. These areas can be prime mold-growing areas. Have your heating or air-conditioning ducts and vents cleaned regularly. MORE FROM North Medical Learn more about symptoms and types of allergies Learn more about diagnosis and tests Learn more about treatment and care available at North Medical Learn more about allergy avoidance and management Learn more about helpful resources for allergy support