Grass pollen can be a constant allergy or asthma trigger and is a major cause of hay fever from early spring to late fall depending on the climate in your area. Here are 5 answers to questions that will help you be more comfortable whenever grass pollen season begins where you live.
What time of day is best for being outdoors? You can avoid large amounts of airborne pollen by choosing to do outside activities later in the day. And the air will contain less pollen after rain because it literally washes the pollen out of the air. So if you are an avid gardener, or just enjoy being outdoors, as long as you choose carefully, you can still do a lot of the activities you enjoy.
How can I find out when the season starts where I live? If you are seeing an allergist for you condition, they will be well aware of months that are the most worrisome for you. You can also keep a daily check on the pollen count by check the website of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. Upon request, they will send a daily pollen and spore count to you each day by email. The local newspaper and TV weather channels are also excellent resources for what's happening with air quality in your town.
Should I consider moving to another city? Moving to avoid grass pollen is not effective. It's true that there is less grass in some parts of the country than others, but because pollen is so easily transported by wind, there is very little you can do to totally insulate yourself from exposure to it.
What kinds of things will help me reduce symptoms during grass pollen season? Close the windows to your home and your car. Use air conditioning to cool rather than window or whole house fans. Try to park in the garage at work and at home to keep pollen from settling on your car whenever the grass is cut. Have someone else cut the grass if you have it has ground cover at your home. If you must cut it, use a mask to filter as much of the pollen as possible.
Would an air purifier in my home help? Yes it would. If you're thinking that your air conditioning and heating system already has a filter, you're right. But those filters are designed to trap big particles that might interfere with the efficient operation of the machinery connected with the system.
A high efficiency particle arresting (or HEPA) air purifier is specifically designed to remove small particles including all types of pollen, mold and mildew spores down to .3 microns. This is an excellent solution to making your home a place that is virtually free from pollen.
HEPA purifiers are also incredibly efficient at removing other normal household pollutants that aggravate allergies such as dust, dust mites, and pet dander. So filtering your air not only during grass pollen season, but all through the year would insure that there are less pollutants in your air to triggers your allergies because you are always breathing the cleanest air possible.
