subject: Household Tips To Keep Allergens Away [print this page] As it is with other allergy attacks, the key to avoid nasal allergy is to stay clear from allergens or irritants. However, since it is not always possible to avoid dust, dust mites, pollens, molds and animal dander, which happen to be prevalent everywhere, here are some surprisingly simple but effective tips you can do to significantly cut-down your exposure.
Welcome the Guests, Not the Allergens!
Allergens and irritants alike receive a warm welcome as you open wide your front door for them. This happens each time that you, the rest of the family and your guests walk through the house wearing footwear used outside. Whenever possible, leave the shoes at your doorstep and wear exclusively-for-indoor-use-slippers. Otherwise, at least place a door mat at your door step to effectively shake-off the uninvited guests lurking in the soles before entering the house. Choose a rubber mat over fancy ones made of cloth and the like; because rubber is tough and can be easily scrubbed clean.
Find Something Else to Do With That Old Shirt
Okay, so it is completely logical and practical that old shirts and other worn-out clothes are used as rags. The problem is cotton, and most of the other materials from which clothes are made of, permit dust and other allergens to be dispersed in the surrounding air. Instead, do your dusting with a special kind of cloth called microfiber cloth. Its fibers have an electrostatic charge that actually attracts and traps dust, dust mites and other materials. Nowadays, you can avail of these cloths in various shapes and sizes to suit every cleaning job. You can even use them to wipe your sensitive electronic gadgets. And probably the best thing about them is that after cleaning, you can toss em up in the washing machine for an easy clean-up.
Wash Allergens Away
Not too many people know, but there is also a way to remove allergens and other irritants from your nasal and sinus passages. Nasal washing or irrigation can be easily performed by making a warm water and salt solution and placing it in a neti-pot, bulb syringe or spray bottle. Tilt your head sideways and pour half of the irrigating solution into one nostril and allow the liquid to drain out the other nostril. Afterwards, gently blow your nose to get rid of the excess solution and the unwanted particles. Do the same thing for the other nostril using the remaining solution. Nasal irrigation can be done as often as daily to remove allergens and irritants, but for those who are new to performing it, it may also take some time before one can master the proper head positioning and other techniques to carry out nasal washing effectively. Fortunately, there are products available in the market for patients to enjoy the benefits of nasal irrigation without the discomfort. One such product is ActiveSinus. It is a complete system that consists of pre-mixed irrigating solution and a specially designed irrigator bottle that allows effective and easy irrigation even for first timers. ActiveSinus is a product of Sinus Dynamics, one of the leading pharmaceutical companies that specializes in medications and other products, such as nebulizers, to relieve and treat sinusitis and nasal allergy.
