HOUSTON — The weather is too nice to stay inside, but enjoying the outdoors comes at a price: pollen.
Tree pollen is as high as it’s been all year in the Houston area. The worst offenders right now are oak, cedar and pine.
“The best way to mitigate these allergies is to stay away from them. Stay indoors. When you go outside, wash your clothes when you get back inside. Even wearing a mask when your outside can help a lot with these allergies,” said Dr. Monica Kalra with the Memorial Hermann Medical Group.
You should also take a shower as soon as you get inside. Over-the-counter medicines are another option.
“We have Flonase, Nasacort, medications like that can really help with the allergies. Also, our antihistamines can help, like Zyrtec, Claritin, Allegra,” said Kalra.
She says none are allergen-specific, but all work well for seasonal allergies.
If those don’t help with the coughing, sneezing and runny noses, you may need to see a doctor for an allergy prescription.