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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffSome allergy symptoms improve with home treatment.
- Sinus congestion and hay fever symptoms. These symptoms often improve with saline nasal irrigation — rinsing out the sinuses with a salt and water solution. You can use a neti pot or a specially designed squeeze bottle to flush out thickened mucus and irritants from your nose. Use water that's distilled, sterile, previously boiled and cooled, or filtered using a filter with an absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller to make up the irrigation solution. Prepare the saline solution with the appropriate water, using the mixture supplied by the neti pot or one you prepared yourself. Be sure to rinse the irrigation device after each use with similarly distilled, sterile, previously boiled and cooled, or filtered water and leave open to air dry.
- Household airborne allergy symptoms. Symptoms such as those caused by dust mites or pet dander, may improve by taking steps to reduce your exposure to allergens. Steps include frequently washing bedding and stuffed toys in hot water, maintaining low humidity, regularly using a vacuum with a fine filter such as a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, and replacing carpeting with hard flooring.
- Mold allergy symptoms. These may be alleviated by reducing moisture in damp areas, such as your bath and kitchen, by using ventilation fans and dehumidifiers, and fixing any leaks inside and outside of your home.
References
- Allergy overview. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. http://aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9. Accessed Oct. 25, 2012.
- Allergies. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/allergies.aspx. Accessed Oct. 25, 2012.
- Allergic reactions: Tips to remember. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/library/at-a-glance/allergic-reactions.aspx. Accessed Oct. 1, 2012.
- Pichler WJ. Drug allergy: Classification and clinical features. www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Oct. 26, 2012.
- Bope ET, et al. Conn's Current Therapy. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0986-5..C2009-0-38984-9--TOP&isbn=978-1-4377-0986-5&about=true&uniqId=236797353-5. Accessed Oct. 25, 2012.
- Longo DL, et al. Harrison's Online. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=4. Accessed Oct. 25, 2012.
- Anaphylaxis: Tips to remember. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/library/allergy-library/anaphylaxis.aspx. Accessed Oct. 25, 2012.
- Frequently asked questions. American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. http://www.acaai.org/patients/faq/Pages/default.aspx . Accessed Oct. 25, 2012.
- Kim H, et al. Anaphylaxis. Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology. 2011;7(suppl):S6.
- Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1608/0.html. Accessed Oct. 26, 2012.
- Food allergies. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=20&cont=286. Accessed Oct. 26, 2012.
- Is rinsing your sinuses safe? U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm316375.htm. Accessed Oct. 26, 2012.
- Indoor air quality and allergies. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. http://www.aafa.org/print.cfm?id=9&sub=18&cont=233. Accessed Oct. 26, 2012.
- Allergy. Natural Medicine Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Oct. 26, 2012.
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