Tips & Tricks For Avoiding Allergies In Amarillo This Fall

With every season change in Amarillo comes the dreaded sniffles and sneezes.

No, I'm not talking about cold and flu, I'm talking about allergies. They will drag you down like you're sick, and sometimes even worse.

Each season brings a different type of allergy to us, and we aren't necessarily affected every season by them. However, there's a good chance that at least two out of the four seasons will get to you.

Fall is one of the big ones. It seems to nail the most people along with spring. Why? It's the blooming and dying of all those plants, leaves, flowers, etc.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST FALL ALLERGIES

In Amarillo, we're fortunate to only have one really big one in the fall season. That main allergen is weed pollen. One of the major contributors is ragweed along with some other types of weeds.

The ragweed pollen is hitting its peak form right now as it tends to be at its highest in early to mid-September, which is exactly where we are. No wonder I'm having random sneezing attacks after being outside for just a few minutes.

WHAT CAN TRIGGER STRONGER ALLERGIES

According to North Texas Allergy & Asthma Associates, when it comes to ragweed, the worst thing for us is when we have those cool nights and warm days.

Lately, we've been seeing some of that in Amarillo where the lows are dipping into the low-60's and the highs are hovering around 90 or above. These are prime conditions for ragweed to fire up.

Now, we did get a nice rush of rain, and that's good in the sense that it washes away pollen, so that can actually help us. However, rain also allows the pollen count to soar, which can trigger them in a worse than usual fashion.

HOW CAN YOU TAME YOUR ALLERGIES

Well, the quickest and easiest way it typically by popping some meds, such as Claritin, Allegra, or other over-the-counter allergy relief medication. If you aren't much of a pill person, there are other ways you can help curb symptoms.

If you see it's going to be a windy day, try and stay inside as much as possible. The wind will kick up the pollen and have it floating in the air no matter where you are. Avoiding outdoor activity, especially in the morning hours, will also help keep them at bay.

If you do end up outdoors, showering and changing your clothes will help an immense amount. Getting the pollen that kicked up off you will allow your senses and body to reset and not find its way through your nose.

An obvious one is keeping your windows closed. This one it tough because when you get that cool, fall air and a slight breeze, nothing feels better rolling into your home. You're also inviting all that pollen into your house. May as well sit out on your patio and enjoy it.

If you want to go super fancy, you can purchase a HEPA purifier or AC. These are absolutely incredible because they will filter out the allergens and keep you from sneezing all the time or wiping away the tears from watery eyes, but they do cost a little bit of money.