To round out her appliance game, our senior commerce editor also runs Homedics’s Ultrasonic Humidifier. It’s the perfect size for her bedroom and helps her sleep through the night (even when her allergies are raging). “I don’t wake up with that swollen, scratchy telltale ‘pollen season’ throat,” she says. “I can’t get through spring without it.”
Dr. Zafar also recommends switching up your bedding to “help minimize nighttime or early morning flares.” Start by changing your sheets more frequently to prevent allergens from building up, then consider using allergy-proof bedding and covers, like the options from top-rated brand AllerEase below. These linens are made of tightly woven fibers that more effectively block dust mites from getting into your pillows and mattress, SELF previously reported. We’re already breathing easier.
For scratchy throats
If you have a sore throat, it’s more likely you have a cold than seasonal allergies. But a scratchy, irritated throat can go hand-in-hand with other common allergy symptoms (especially if you’ve got that annoying post-nasal drip).
A good cough drop can help—Halls’s Honey Lemon Cough Drops save our senior commerce editor from hack attacks during Broadway shows and ballet performances (“those theaters are DRY,” she says). Not a fan of the cooling, sometimes burning sensation of menthol lozenges? Opt for Ludens’s instead. They taste good and work—the best of both worlds.
For itchy eyes
I’ll spare you too many details on my crusty, first-thing-in-the-morning eyes, but they’re bleary and cranky on a good day—so you can bet that when allergies kick in, they’re extra temperamental. Luckily, a cooling eye mask or cold compress can provide almost immediate relief, Dr. Zafar says. This one from Magic Gel also comes with a heatable compress if you find that more relaxing than ice.
Experts have also recommended antihistamine eye drops, like Alaway’s, to SELF before. They work immediately and can give your eyes relief for up to 12 hours.
For stuffy, runny noses
After oral antihistamines like diphenhydramine (a.k.a. Benadryl) and non-drowsy options like Allegra, Claritin, Xyzal, and Zyrtec, medicated nasal sprays like Flonase (a favorite of multiple SELF staffers) are your next best bet for treating running and stuffy noses at the source. They help reduce inflammation, mucus, and swelling in your nasal passageways, so you can breathe a little easier (and blow your nose less often).
If your main concern is decongestion, you can also try a nasal saline spray, which will clear out any pollen or mucus, Dr. Desai says. One SELF tester turns to Arm & Hammer’s Nasal Mist for colds and allergies alike. “[It provides] instant relief,” she says. “And [is] much easier to use than a neti pot.” A saline mist is a gentler alternative to standard sprays, which comes in handy if you have kids (or really hate the sensation of shooting something directly up your nose).
When my nose is running like a faucet, I’ll use anything to make it stop—but if I had my choice, I’d pick Puffs’s Plus Lotion Tissues every time, for the sake of my easily chapped skin. They feel soft and silky, even after my umpteenth sneeze.
Whatever your allergy woes may be…
Keep in mind: If your symptoms are so severe that you can’t go about your daily life or you have trouble breathing, skip the trip to the drugstore and talk to your health care provider. They can help determine the best course of treatment (for example, an allergy shot), Dr. Zafar says.
Or, as Dr. Desai puts it: “If allergies are preventing you from enjoying the beautiful spring weather, it’s time to see your doctor.”
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