Americans spend a great deal of time outside, and roughly half of us suffer from allergies. This is shocking and if you have allergies you know how hard it is to deal with them. The piece that follows is full of great ideas on how to live your best life, even when dealing with your allergies.

Your body could be causing an allergic reaction. This can harm you at night. Throughout the day, pollen and dust in the air gets onto your clothing, hair and body. When you are finished with your day and climb into bed, these allergens can make breathing complex. Before settling into bed for the night, take a shower and don freshly laundered pajamas; this eliminates excess allergens and helps you to sleep soundly.

Remove carpets if you suffer from allergies. Carpet is notorious for gathering allergens. If your home has wall-to-wall carpet and you have the money to do some remodeling, rip it out and replace it with hardwood or tile floors. Changing to any of these materials can cause significant improvements in the cleanliness of the air in your home. If you cannot accomplish that goal, make sure you vacuum with great frequency.

A great tip in the springtime is to keep your windows closed to keep the pollen out. When windows are opened up, pollen is allowed to get inside the house and can exacerbate allergies. Another way to decrease allergens in the home is to regularly check and clean air conditioning vents and filters.

If your child suffers from allergies to foods, travel can be made easier by packing some of his “safe foods” for the trip – especially if you will be in a foreign country. Some foods may not include ingredients on the labels, which puts your child at risk of consuming an allergy trigger, such as dairy products, soy or nuts.

Try scheduling regular exterminator visits if you have insects and pests. Feces from vermin, including cockroaches and rodents, can greatly increase the severity of allergy symptoms. An exterminator can safely get rid of these pests to help you breathe better.

The time and the place you exercise outdoors has a lot to do with allergies. Strenuous exercise involves heavy breathing. Try to work your exercise in when the pollen forecast is low to avoid taking in allergens.

Pet Dander

If you are an allergy sufferer try to limit the amount of what you take in that effects you the most. Frequent cleaning can help minimize the amount of dust in your home, if that’s what sets your allergies off. If pet dander or fur is a source of your allergies, think about finding new homes for your pets; if that is not an option, bathe and groom them regularly. Dust and vacuum regularly too in order to control pet dander.

Avoid the use of hair creams, sprays and gels during the allergy season. If you go outside, you are likely to bring pollen and other allergens home with you. Using various hair-styling products may simply attract pollen and other allergens to your hair.

As you are now aware, although we spend so much time outdoors, most of us are prone to allergy attacks. You can go anywhere and do anything now: go outside, play with pets and live a healthy lifestyle, no matter what your allergies.