Kick allergies out the door!

Outdoor allergies are far and many but most prominent ones are pollen, mold and pollution. It might give out symptoms like sneezing, stuffiness, a runny nose and itchiness in your nose, throat, eyes or ears. Most commonly caused by pollen and mold spores in the air, they trigger a chain reaction in the immune system. Your immune system is the last line of defense, so if you get an allergy, the immune system first identifies the invader or allergen. And produces antibodies to fight it off. The contact between these antibodies and your cells releases chemicals, causing an allergic reaction. Here are different types of outdoor allergies:

• Pollen: Tiny grains that are essential for the fertilization of many plants. Pollen from flowers, usually do not cause allergies because they rely on insects to transport their pollen. Whereas, many plants produce powdery pollen that can be airborne easily. These plants cause allergy symptoms and not flowers.
• Mold: Molds are nothing but the tiny fungi similar to mushrooms. But they have a tiny difference, they grow without any stem, roots or leaves. Molds can be anywhere and everywhere, from the soil, plants to rotting wood. Similar to pollen, the spores of molds can easily be airborne. Outdoor mold spores are most active when the temperatures rise.
• Pollution: It doesn't matter if you're in a busy city, outskirts, or the countryside,

pollution allergy can be encountered everywhere. The robust industrial development and rapidly increasing number of vehicles on the road have made it even more difficult for one to escape pollution. The chemicals released from these can cause an allergic reaction. In some cases, it is also known to modify some pollens that result in a reaction.

Now that you know what causes these allergies, let's look at what symptoms do they give out. The most common outdoor allergy symptoms include:

• Sneezing
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Watery and itchy eyes
• Itchy sinuses, throat, or ear canals
• Ear congestion
• Postnasal drainage

Outdoor allergy management

Allergies can’t be treated but can be managed. If you are experiencing some of the symptoms mentioned above, there are chances that you may have an allergy. It's best to consult a doctor as they may recommend allergy immunotherapy (allergy shots). In this therapy, you're given regular injections over a period with increasing doses. This makes your immune system more resistant to the specific allergen and also helps in subsiding your symptoms.

We've also put together a few simple steps that can limit your exposure to the pollen or molds:

• Keeping the air dry is the key. So, make sure you keep your windows closed and if possible, use air conditioning as it helps to filter out the air.
• Stay indoors when the pollen or mold counts are high. A pollen mask can also help in avoiding the triggers. If unavoidable, restrict yourself from spending a long period outside.
• Maintain your distance from lawns and raking leaves. It is the home of mold and pollen and can be responsible to trigger some of the symptoms in you.

If you're experiencing severe outdoor allergy symptoms, please contact your doctor immediately to work out a favorable plan. Beating outdoor allergies can be difficult but can be managed if you take the right steps.