Here's What's Making Your Seasonal Allergies Even Worse

This time of the year is the worst for allergies, and unfortunately for a lot of us, there’s no winning. All there is is wave after wave of allergens and irritants, just ready to strike and make it more difficult for you to breathe.

So what kind of things could be making your allergies worse, aside from the allergens themselves? Here are just a few, and some advice on how to make your life a little bit easier.

1. Chlorine. It’s good that the season for swimming is winding down, because even sitting near a chlorinated pool can cause your allergies to act up. Chlorine is an irritant, and if you can smell it, it means you’re ingesting it.
2. Morning showers. Not rain, actual showers. Throughout the day, pollen has thousands of opportunities to stick to your clothes and hair. But because you can’t see it, you don’t know about it. If you’re a morning bather, you go to bed with all of this pollen, that can sit in your bed and stuff you up. Taking a shower at night can help you get all that pollen off before you sleep.
3. Alcohol. Your happy hour could be what’s stuffing you up. Many drinkers are sensitive to the sulfites found in beer and wine, and it can stuff you up for long periods of time.
4. Stress. Allergies are agitated by stress, so it may be worth a few moments in your day to try to relax and de-stress.
5. Your contact lenses. This is one that always gets me—when my eyes are dry from my allergies, nothing feels worse than contacts. Your contacts can absorb and trap irritating pollen, especially your soft contacts. If you don’t want to wear your classes during allergy season, try looking into dailies so you’re not constantly fighting buildup.