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If you have seasonal allergies, you know that medicine's the very first step. But there are other small things you can try to help keep the sneezing and sniffling under control:
1. The very first morning you see that thin layer of gold powder on everyone's cars, make your car's AC recirculate instead of pulling in the air from outside.
2. Take off your shoes the moment you step inside your front door, and insist that your guests do the same, so you don't track pollen into every room of your home.
3. Then, at least wash your hands and face right after you come in from being outside.
4. And if you can, hop in the shower and change your clothes when you get home for the day — that'll help keep the pollen off your furniture, and wash away some of what's irritating you right now.
5. Consider trying out a Neti pot to rinse the gunk out of your congested sinuses — it might feel a little weird at first, but it might also be a major help.
6. Or you can try a sinus rinse: it's similar to a Neti pot, except it works a little faster because it uses gentle pressure instead of a slow pour.
7. Vacuum often — ideally with a HEPA filter — to capture any pollen that manages to infiltrate your carpet, couch, and the rest of your home.
8. Dust all the surfaces you don't vacuum, and opt for microfiber cloths that'll pick up the dust over feather dusters that'll just send the dust back up in the air.
9. If you also have pet or mold allergies, try an air purifier to help with those — because the fewer allergies you have to deal with, the happier you'll be.
10. Wash your sheets and bedding regularly, so you don't end up literally sleeping in pollen.
11. While you're at it, stick your pillows in the washer every once in a while to get any pollen and yellow stains out of those, too.
12. If you have a pet who regularly goes outside, give them more frequent baths, too.
13. Gotta mow the lawn, do some weeding, or other yard work? Cover your nose and mouth with a dust mask — or wear a specialty reusable allergy mask.
14. Or try out the nasal filters from Shark Tank — they stick right over your nose and supposedly filter out the allergens as you breathe.
And sorry to burst your bubble, but eating local honey won't actually help.
There's hardly any pollen in honey, and it's also not the same pollen that's causing your allergies. So enjoy eating local honey! But don't expect it to help with allergies one whit.
H/T r/AskReddit, from 3/8, 3/31, 3/28, 4/2. Plus the Mayo Clinic.