If you suffer from frequent allergies, keeping pollen out of your home is vitally important. Doing so ensures that you feel yourself when you’re home and can avoid battling allergy symptoms such as a scratchy throat, runny nose and itchy eyes. Here are a few ways that pollen commonly finds its way into a home and how to keep it from happening.

Pollen In Your Hair 

Having pollen in your hair will cause you to experience allergies no matter where you are, but this is especially true at home. For example, if you go to bed with pollen in your hair, it is then transferred to your pillow and blankets, where it can continue to bother you for days to come. Get in the habit of washing your hair often, and especially every night before you go to bed, and you’ll soon notice an absence of allergy symptoms as you fall asleep and wake up in the morning.

Coming In On Your Pets 

As lovable as they are, pets are the perfect carriers for pollen. As you let them inside and outside, pollen sticks to your pet’s hair, just as it does to yours, and also to their paws. You can easily fix this problem by brushing your pet outdoors before you let them into your home and wiping their paws off each time they approach the door.

Through Open Windows 

Unfortunate as it is, especially during the most beautiful times of the year, keeping your windows closed is the best way to keep pollen out of your home. However, be sure to keep an eye on your local pollen forecast for days when pollen levels are low. On these days you can often get away with opening your windows for a while and enjoying the fresh air without the worry of excess pollen getting into your living space.

Negative Air Pressure 

When negative air pressure exists, it means that your home is sucking outside air in through the cracks in your doors and windows. This is caused by leaks in the heating and cooling ducts of your home. If you’ve had a long-term problem with pollen getting into your home, have a professional take a look your home’s ducts and check for leaks. Fixing this negative pressure will instantly create a cleaner and pollen-free living environment.

If you think any of these common causes of pollen in the home apply to you, then simply take the measures to fix them and you will be much more comfortable. By keeping your windows closed when pollen is high, washing your hair regularly, fixing negative air pressure and making sure your pets are clean, you’ll have a pollen-free living space that you can fully enjoy.

This week, Dr. Diaz was invited to speak with the Robotics Team of Spicewood Elementary. This talented group of students from the Southwest Independent School District are preparing for a competition where they will present their project titled the Animal Allergy Alert App.

As a part of their research, the students wanted to speak with a specialist who could help them better understand the causes, symptoms and treatments of animal allergies. Dr. Diaz was thrilled to speak with the group about common types of animal allergies as well as symptoms ranging from mild local reactions to severe anaphylaxis.

Dr. Diaz and the students discussed how avoidance is the number one treatment for allergies and how their Animal Allergy Alert App plays a role in that treatment. They also discussed other treatment options such as the use of antihistamines and epinephrine.

Allergy SA wishes the Spicewood Elementary Robotics Team the best of luck on their upcoming competition this March.

If you believe you or a family member has an allergy to animals, contact Allergy SA for an appointment today at (210) 616-0882.

Halloween is just around the corner and this year we would like to make it safe and enjoyable for all, including those with food allergies. Here are some tips for an allergy-friendly Halloween:

• If your child has food allergies:
  • Host a Halloween gathering with non-food items such as glow sticks, bracelets, pencils, bubbles, spider rings, vampire fangs and bookmarks.
  • Trick-or-treat with your child to monitor what items they are receiving.
  • Play it safe and do not allow your child to consume unlabeled food items.
  • Be prepared with your EpiPen® Auto-injector in the event of an emergency.
• If your child does not have food allergies you can still make Halloween inclusive for all trick-or-treaters by joining the Teal Pumpkin Project® and following these tips:
  • Place a teal pumpkin outside of your house to indicate that you are offering non-food items such as bracelets, stickers, glow sticks, and spider rings.
  • Give trick-or-treaters the option of a candy or a non-food item for those with food allergies.

If you suspect your child has food allergies, please call AllergySA at (210) 616-0882 to schedule an appointment with a board-certified allergist. Same day appointments are available.

As a chronic condition, asthma requires that you work closely with a physician to manage and control its symptoms.

Signs and symptoms can include:

*Shortness of breath
*Coughing
*Wheezing
*Chest tightness

“Triggers” for asthma can vary person to person, and may not always be identifiable. Some triggers include:

*Allergens such as dust mites, pollen (from trees, grass, and weeds), mold, animal dander, or cockroaches
*Irritants such as tobacco smoke, chemicals, sprays, dust, or air pollution
*Respiratory illness such as a cold or flu
*Physical activity
*Cold air
*Strong emotions or stress

Suffering from asthma or is your asthma currently out of control? Call us today at 210-616-0882, same day appointments available!