I'm allergic to pollens, what can I do?

1. Avoid contamination of your bedroom with outdoor pollens; this prevents constant exposure to pollens all night long, which may be even more important than acute exposure to outdoor pollens when outside for 1-2 hours at a time.

• Leave outdoor play or work equipment outside or in a separate area of your home - never bring shoes, tennis rackets, soccer clothes, golf clubs, etc into the bedroom. Find another place to store these items.
• Remove outdoor play or work clothes ideally before entering the bedroom. Change clothes in a bathroom or other room where clean clothes are kept, and put pollen-contaminated clothing in the laundry immediately. Hampers can hold the clothes till wash day provided this is not in the bedroom.
• Never throw contaminated clothing (clothes worn outdoors to play or work in yard) onto the bed, or sit/lie on the bed with these clothes on. This would contaminate the bed, with resultant prolonged exposure to the pollens all night long.
• Bathe or shower before bed, after being outdoors, especially if out in the wind or gardening, rolling or sitting on the grass, etc.
• Wash linens in hot water once a week to remove excess pollen that may have made its way into the room.
• Avoid opening windows during peak pollen seasons; or during peak pollen times of the day: pollen counts rise first thing in the morning when the sun comes up, and again in mid-afternoon when the wind is blowing.

2. Use a HEPA air filter to remove excess airborne pollen and other particulate matter.

• This is the only type of air filter/purifier which has been proven to eliminate pollen sized grains (very small, microns in diameter); we do not recommend non-HEPA systems such as ionizers and inexpensive small non-HEPA filters, due to lack of proof of efficacy in allergen removal.
• Run the unit on "HIGH" for 2-3 hours before bedtime, in the bedroom with doors and windows closed. This should clear out the majority of airborne particulates including pollen grains before you go in to sleep.
• Then it may either be turned to "LOW" for the night, or turned off at night; depends on severity of allergies, and whether there are symptoms upon turning it off.
• Charcoal prefilters need to be replaced every 6-12 months, depending on use, and the actual HEPA filter should be replaced about every 3-5 years.

3. Men should avoid mustaches, as the air tends to trap pollen and keep it directly under the nose where it can cause problems.

4. Contact lens wearers: frequently use lubricant or "rewetting" eyedrops to remove pollen and irritants which may be "stuck" to the lens causing additional eye symptoms. Soft lenses especially can "hold" pollen and irritants in your eyes, enhancing exposure during heavy pollen seasons. Clean lenses frequently during heavy pollen seasons.