Outside our Visiting Angels' office window

Many of us in our Visiting Angels office in Lawrenceville, New Jersey have been experiencing spring allergy symptoms this spring. Watery eyes, sneezing, runny noses…all signs of our area’s high pollen counts which trigger allergies. While we’re loving the sunny days of spring with blooming flowers and trees, we’re not loving how it’s messing with our heads! Spring allergies can also present risk for older adults, as well. Allergies can interfere with other medical conditions like COPD and asthma. Seniors taking blood pressure medications should be especially aware of avoiding antihistamines, a common ingredient in allergy medication.

Tips to help you manage the spring allergy season:

• Stay inside as much as possible to avoid the the outside pollen, especially during the peak hours of pollen: 5am to 10am
• Don’t dry your laundry outside; use a dryer instead
• Wear sunglasses outside to reduce pollen getting in your eyes
• Don’t roll your windows down when you drive
• Keep your windows closed in the house
• Wash your hands after you’ve been outside to stop pollen transfer from your hands to your eyes or nose
• Turn on your A/C; it has filters which reduce pollen exposure
• Clean your A/C filters often
• Run the vacuum at least 2 times per week
• It may sound extreme, but change your clothes, take a shower, or wash your hair after you’ve been outside to reduce pollen

Blooming flowers outside Visiting Angels Lawrenceville, NJ