Fighting Fall Allergies
It seems we’ve hardly turned the corner from summer to fall; ditching the heat and humidity for the itchy eyes, runny noses, and stuffy heads that come with fall allergies.
For runners, it is indeed the best of times and kind of the worst. We can all breathe a little easier in the cooler temps; but grass and tree pollens, dry leaves, and dust are common outdoor allergens across the Charlotte area this time of year. Mold, mildew, and pet danger can cause trouble indoors and out.
“For those who suffer from outdoor allergies, the fall can be a difficult time,” says Dr. Keith Anderson, family medicine and sports medicine practitioner at Novant Health. He’s also a runner, triathlete, and medical director for the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. “All of the leaves falling and lawn crews blowing everything around can pose major issues.”
Wetter, warmer fall weather doesn’t help, either. With no long, hard freezes, pollen-producing plants, molds, and mildew, don’t have a particularly long off season. But a runner’s gonna run, right? Dr. Anderson recommends a few easy-to-manage protocols to keep running through allergy season.
Running Through Allergy Season
- Know what’s out there. It’s easy to keep track of pollen counts on your phone, with apps from The Weather Channel, My Pollen Count, Allergy Alert, and others.
- Timing is everything. If you can, run later in the morning or in the afternoon when pollen counts are usually lower.
- Wear a hat and sunglasses. The hat’s brim and your sunnies can keep allergens out of your eyes and off your face.
- Keep it indoors. These treadmill workouts to keep it fresh. Or use high pollen count days for strength training, yoga, or other indoor workouts.
- Shower and change. After outdoor runs, shower and change as soon as you can. That will get pollen and other allergens off your skin, hair, and clothes.
Wearing a mask on particularly polleny days, using indoor air purifiers, wiping off your pets if they spend time outdoors, or outsourcing all that leaf raking; they can also limit your exposure to allergy threats.
As Dr. Anderson has reminded us before; it’s important to remember that your allergies may change over time. And, treatments that worked for you last year may not work as well – if at all — this season. But you don’t need to suffer. When in doubt, ask your doctor to develop an allergy treatment protocol that’s right for you.
Need help finding a doctor to help manage your seasonal allergies? Here’s a great place to start: https://www.novanthealth.org/pf/
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