Tips for running through allergy season

This post about surviving allergy season was sponsored by CVS Minute Clinic, but all opinions (and allergies) are my own.

I love spring. It’s a beautiful time of year in Virginia. The sun has come out, the temperature is generally mild, and tons of flowers are blooming. Unfortunately, all of the trees are also producing pollen.  I’m allergic to many evergreens and Jones is allergic to oak trees, so when my car looks like this…

…you know we are miserable. But lot of my races are in the spring and I can’t stay inside during the best time of the year to be outside, so we had to come up with a solution.

It has taken a few years of trial and error to come up with a plan so that Jones doesn’t miss any days of school (Yes, his allergies are that bad and no, we don’t want to do shots at this point) and I can keep running. Living with the urge to rub your eyes off or to jab something into your ear to scratch your inner ear is not a pleasant way to live.  And who wants snot running down their face during a run (even more than the usual runner snot issues?) Not me.

So, I thought I’d share with you some of the ways we get through spring time allergies.

First, make sure it’s not a cold. If you are running a fever or feeling achy, it’s probably not allergies.  If your eyes itch and the world around you is yellow from pollen, allergies are likely the culprit.

If you know you have allergies, plan ahead! Some medications (both over the counter and prescription) work best if they are in your system before the symptoms start.  Get a visit in to Minute Clinic or to your doctor in February or March to figure out what you will use and WHEN to start.

Some more tips for you:

• Don’t miss a dose. Why be miserable, plus sometimes it takes a while to get things back under control.  (This is our personal experience, anyways.)
• Wash your hair before bed.
• Change your pillowcase every day or so and your sheets regularly.
• Don’t open the windows in the affected person’s bedroom. (We actually don’t open any windows in the upstairs during the prime allergy weeks around here.)
• Wear sunglasses when you run or anytime there’s a breeze. This keeps the pollen out of your eyes.
• Wash your hands regularly – it doesn’t take much to move pollen from your hair to your eyes. Trust me on this one.
• Keep your outdoor pet off of your bed and bathe or brush them regularly.
• Move your workout indoors on the worst days. (I break this one all the time since I can’t stand missing out on running in beautiful weather.)

Seasonal allergies are not fun. Luckily, there are lots of options out there to help you with them. As a mom of a kid with food and seasonal allergies, I’ve had lots of discussion with doctors about it. If you are suffering, visit a medical professional and come up with a plan that works for you (seriously, it took us several years to come up with the most effective combination of eye drop, nose spray, and systemic medicines for Jones.) No one needs to spend the best time of the year feeling miserable.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, just a mom with a kid with bad allergies. I was compensated for this post, but all opinions are my own.