Allergy symptoms have not hit yet, but I have already mowed my lawn twice in 2016.
Yes. Mowed the lawn TWICE!
This is in Portland, Oregon, a nudge above the 45th parallel. Somewhat above a parallel with Madison–Minnesota, 200 miles north of Madison, Wisconsin! A parallel that crosses the Old Mission Peninsula in Grand Traverse Bay in Michigan. The 45th hurtles between Toronto to the south and Montreal on the north, then skims the Canadian/U.S. border through New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire, before crossing the middle of Maine and bearing out to sea after leaving Nova Scotia.
Many of these locations are still shoveling snow. But I’ve been mowing the lawn as if I was in San Diego, or Miami.
This means the allergy onslaught is not far behind. I don’t suffer much, but friends do and every year there is a group that tracks the pollen count, and the mold, and the flowering, desperately deciding whether they can chance a run, a walk, or even a few minutes outside before succumbing to allergy symptoms.
Containing allergy symptoms
So, how can you avoid allergy symptoms, or at least control the symptoms? Here’s a few steps to take to make your life a bit more comfortable:
- Leave your shoes outside. Shoe soles pickup pollen and other irritants and track them into your house. If leaving your shoes outside is not convenient, then leave them in the garage or vacuum them immediately on entering your front door.
- Change clothes immediately after you enter your house. No kidding, your clothes have picked up whatever was in the air today. It is still early in the season, so maybe removing your coat will suffice. You can vacuum your clothes quickly to remove any lingering irritants. If you’ve been outside for a long period, maybe working in the yard or washing the car, do not pass GO! and throw your clothes directly into the wash.
- Keep the windows closed and use the air conditioner. But first check the filter, especially if you have central heating and cooling, the filters may be clogged from distributing heat all winter. Also, keep your inside air recirculating, this avoids bringing contaminated air outside into your house.
- If all else fails, wear a dust mask when you know you’ll be outdoors for a long time. Fixing a fence? Replanting the fresh produce garden? Whatever, you’ll look professional with the mask on as neighbors drive by. I promise.
Of course, there’s always drugs. Allergy shots, OTC pills (Claritan is big with my wife and kids), and Sudafed, if you don’t look like Walter White from Breaking Bad. Your allergy symptoms all depend on your local flora and your individual susceptibility to allergens.
I never had allergies and felt sorry for my wife’s yearly sneezing and wheezing. But I got a full dose when we moved the household from the hills above the city onto the suburban flats. Now I work through a few weeks every year complaining of a raw throat and itchy eyes, the typical allergy symptoms. Maybe I’ll follow my own advice this year and let the lawn grow until the allergy season ends. I’m sure the neighbors will be delighted!
For more about reducing allergy symptoms, search Google, there is a wealth of answers out there and one may work for you.
