WASHINGTON (TND) — For a lot of us, allergy season is beginning to feel a lot longer and more severe.
Dr. Jennifer Bourgeois, an integrative health, stress and adrenal expert, joined The National Desk to discuss the best fix for itchy eyes, watery eyes and nonstop sneezing.
This year projects to be one of the most severe allergy seasons in years. And with hints of millions of Americans suffering from seasonal allergies, it's imperative that consumers are prepared.Dr. Bourgeois provided five tips for staying healthy during allergy season.
1. Finding the Right Medication
"It's important that you speak with your pharmacist or doctor to determine which medication is going to be most effective for your symptoms," Dr. Bourgeois said.
2. Take Medicine Before Symptoms Begin
"So, many allergy medications can actually be preventative and taking them prior to symptoms starting can actually be most beneficial for you."
3. Check Your Local Allergy Forecast
"Peak season will be different depending upon an area that you live in, certain weather conditions," Dr. Bourgeois explained.
4. Minimize Bringing Outdoor Allergens Inside
"We know with seasonal allergen pollen, it's airborne. So, if you're spending a lot of time outside, then you could actually bring that inside."
A tip Dr. Bourgeois has is to take your shoes off and change clothes, and consider washing your hair if you were outside for long periods of time.
5. You Can Save Money Too
"The last step I'd like to share is just considering that while the goal is to stay healthy, you can also save money while doing it. So discount card services like Single Care are a great way to save on those allergy medications."
Dr. Bourgeois said the generic version of Flonase costs about $62, but if you use a discount service, it could be as cheap as $12 out of pocket.
As for how to get a good night's sleep while dealing with major allergies, Dr. Bourgeois once again highlighted medication as essential.
"Also, so nasal rinses. So there's a proper way to use these, but a nasal rinse can actually help to remove some of that excessive mucus that can build up in the nasal cavity, creating some of that congestion. That's problematic for sleep."
She said if you are having specific symptoms not cured by these methods, reaching out to a local pharmacist can help.
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