12 Natural Ways to Deal with Seasonal Irritants*
- Your reaction to seasonal, indoor and outdoor irritants is your body’s immune system coming to your defense.*
- The best way to deal with irritants is to identify and then avoid them.*
- A few simple lifestyle and housekeeping changes can also help you breathe easier.
- Enzymes can do more than break down nutrients in your favorite meals.*
- They can also target and break down mucus.*
- MucoStop™ and Allerase™ are natural, non-drowsy formulas free of side effects.*
Why are Seasonal Transitions So Challenging?
Our bodies are creatures of habit, and they love balance – homeostasis is always the name of the game for them! Shifts in the seasons are more than a change in temperature. Barometric pressure changes, different plants are in bloom and our preferred activities change. Even the insects and pests we encounter change from season to season! Sometimes, it feels like too much for your body.
Your body responds to seasonal irritants via the immune system. Something in the environment – whether it’s your home or the great outdoors – is misconstrued by your immune system as being a threat. This could be, for example, dust, dander or pollen. Your body reacts to this substance and sets off a series of immune responses.
If you feel like there’s more pollen than ever (and it’s sticking around for longer), you’re not imagining it. As temperatures rise on the planet, pollen is proliferating! And, that means it gets to wreak havoc on your daily life for even longer each year.
What are Some Natural Ways to Manage Seasonal and Other Respiratory Irritants?*
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to manage seasonal and respiratory irritants.*
- Avoid your known irritants. One of the best ways to deal is to avoid what irritates you. While this tip won’t work for annoying neighbors, it can help you manage your responses to irritants. If you know that you’re triggered when a certain type of tree goes into bloom, change up your running schedule and work out indoors for awhile. If a certain flower has you tearing up just thinking about it, go ahead and replace it in your garden.
- But first, pinpoint the culprits. Of course, this only works if you know your irritants. One way to figure out your personal irritants is to look at the weather forecast. Many apps now feature “pollen forecasts” as well as air quality outlooks for an area. The app can tell you whether grass, tree or ragweed pollen is high in your area. If you notice something is high and you are reacting to it, you might want to plan indoor activities or choose to be outside at times when pollen counts are lower.
- Cover up when you’re outside. Long sleeves, hats and masks can filter out irritants when you’re working in the yard or garden. Don’t forget about eye protection, since it’s easy to get pollen or dust in your eyes but harder to get them out!
- Change clothes after being outdoors. If you’re the person who does laundry in your home, sorry for this tip but it works. You will pick up all sorts of things after being outside. Changing into clean clothes can prevent you from transferring irritants onto your furniture to aggravate you later on. For best results, pair this tip with #5.
- Shower after being outside. Your hair and skin will also hold onto irritants, including campfire and other types of smoke! Whether you’ve been hiking, at a cookout or working in the yard, a quick shower will help you rinse off those irritants so they don’t bother you all night long.
- Change your HVAC filters. Your home’s heating and cooling system plays an important role in filtering your indoor air. Make sure you replace your filters as directed by the manufacturer, and look for high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. This type of filter is designed to trap airborne irritants to help clean the air in your home.
- Run an air purifier. In addition to your HVAC filters, consider buying a stand-alone air purifier. These work better when they run in an enclosed space, like a bedroom or an office. They can also help remove unpleasant odors if, for example, someone lit a decorative candle or smoked a cigar and you don’t want to smell or breathe it!
- Keep the windows closed. Fresh air is wonderful, but it brings more than just air into your home. All those outdoor irritants become indoor ones when you leave the windows open. If you do want to freshen the air, open the windows but place a fan in or near the window, pointing out. This will help circulate air without bringing in more irritants!
- Rinse your sinuses. Saline nasal irrigation (sometimes called a neti pot) has been studied as a beneficial way to offer seasonal sinus support. A 2012 review found that the practice was affordable, easy to use and well-tolerated.
- Give pets a bath after they’ve been outdoors. If it seems like your furry friends are the culprit of your irritation, it might be whatever they’ve carried indoors. While they may not like it, regular baths (or a quick wipe with a damp towel) after spending time outside can help keep your home cleaner – and reduce the pollen and dust they track inside.
- Get help with spring cleaning. There’s a common urge to want to clean your home top to bottom when the weather warms up. And while a tidy home is always worth the work it takes, the process of cleaning can stir up lots of dirt, dander and dust. If you’re cleaning on your own, wear a mask. If possible, hire someone to help or enlist family members to give you a hand.
- Reach for enzymes. Yes, enzyme supplements can help you digest your favorite meals. But they can also offer support for inhaled irritants during seasonal transitions or any time of year. Read on to learn about a pair of enzymes that could offer support.
Products You Might Like During Seasonal Transitions*
Allerase™
- Contains Mucolase™ enzyme designed to both target mucus and break it down*
- Free of side effects
- Natural, non-drowsy formula
- Naturally get relief for seasonal and other respiratory irritants.*
- Support for seasonal, indoor and outdoor irritants*
Enzymes help you break down food, but they can do so much more. Did you know that enzymes could also target and break down inhaled irritants?* It’s true – and they also bolster the body's natural responses, helping us breathe better without drowsiness or side effects.* The enzymes in Allerase are formulated to work throughout the entire body for maximum benefits. They naturally help your body take a deep breath again!
Your gut is where the majority of your immune system. And, just as some enzymes are designed to break down the food your digestive tract, others are designed to break down and bust through irritants and mucus.*
Mucus is – let’s face it – gross. But it’s the body’s way of giving irritants the boot! Throughout the year and as the seasons change, airborne irritants may lead to your body producing an uncomfortable amount of mucus. Enter Allerase™, which uses a combination of amylase (a starch-digesting enzyme) and Mucolase™ (an enzyme that targets and breaks down mucus).* Together, these enzymes naturally break down the mucus and irritants so that you can go back to feeling good again.* Because Allerase™ uses all-natural enzymes, it’s non-drowsy and free of side effects. That means you can take it day or night, without worry.
How do enzymes break down irritants? Like it’s their job! We include protease enzymes, a category designed to break down protein. They target the protein component found in many seasonal irritants.
Like all of our enzyme supplements, Allerase™ is formulated using Thera-blend™ technology. We include multiple enzyme strains in one product, allowing you to receive the benefits at multiple pH levels and throughout your whole body.
Simply take 1 capsule 3 times daily on an empty stomach, 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal. (More may be taken as needed.)
MucoStop™
- With additional enzymes to support mucus relief*
- All-natural seasonal wellness support*
- Breathe easy again, whether or not there are seasonal irritants swirling around you.
- Helps break down excess mucus*
- Non-drowsy solution
The Mucolase™ enzyme in Mucostop targets and breaks down excess mucus, helping you breathe better in any season.* And this all-natural solution clears out the mucus without the drowsiness of other products. All that's left to do is take a deep breath.
Each enzyme is specially designed to break down one compound, and Mucolase is tailor-made to tackle mucus. It targets and hydrolyzes (aka thins) excess mucus in the sinuses and nasal cavities.* This helps the body to naturally eliminate excess mucus, which may support immune health.*
Not all enzyme supplements are created equal, and MucoStop has the most potent formula on the market. Enzymedica's proprietary Thera-blend™ technology means that the enzymes found in MucoStop will work throughout the entire pH spectrum found in your body. When other brands’ enzyme formulas may fall short, in almost all acidic or alkaline environments, MucoStop will be effective. On top of that, MucoStop includes amylase and protease enzymes to help break down everything else that comes along with occasional and seasonal congestion.* Plus, it’s easy to take MucoStop: You only need to take 2 capsules 3 times daily on an empty stomach, 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal. More may be taken as needed.
The Enzymedica Difference
Trust America’s #1 brand of enzymes. Ours are made with Thera-blend™ technology to ensure the enzymes work throughout the diverse pH levels found in your GI tract. And they are free from gluten, milk, casein, soy, egg, and artificial colors, fillers and flavors.
Resources:
https://www.aafa.org/allergy-facts/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140527101227.htm