If you’re sneezing, coughing and have watery eyes during certain times of the year, then you might have seasonal allergies. Most of the time, you’ll notice these symptoms in the spring when the grass begins to grow and when pollen is flying through the air or in the fall when there is more hay around. There are a few ways that you can deal with seasonal allergies and still maintain a normal daily routine. An allergy test Somerset County NJ doctors perform can reveal just what you’re allergic to instead of guessing as to what you need to avoid. The test is simple, and it doesn’t take long to get the results back. Once you know what you’re allergic to, you can begin taking medications or using other solutions to get relief.

Stay inside as much as possible if you know that there are triggers outdoors that will make you sneeze and cough. Turn on the air or the heat in the home so that you don’t have to keep the windows open as this will allow the allergens to flow through the home. There are filters that you can get for the window if you do want to keep them open that will keep pollen and other debris outside while letting the fresh air flow through.

When you wash your hands or take a shower, scrub the skin gently. If you scrub in a rough manner or with harsh soaps, it can strip away the protective layer of cells that help to keep allergies away. You’ll usually be more susceptible to eczema and other skin irritations as well. After being outside for any length of time, change your clothes once you get back inside. You also want to wash them as soon as possible. Everything from pet dander to pollen can stick to your clothing when you go outside. This is why it’s important to remove the clothing so that you remove the source of the allergens right after you get back indoors. Hot water works best when washing your clothes to remove as much debris as possible and also works well when washing your skin to kill any bacteria and to remove dander.