Ashford Clinic Blog
Fall Survival Tips for your Ears, Nose, Throat, and Sinuses
It’s fall, which means lots of seasonal goodies, festivals, and outdoor fun. It’s also a time for ragweed, mold, and dust mites. Add to that fluctuations in temperatures, and you’ve got plenty of things to trigger sinus issues which in turn can cause problems for your ears, nose, and throat. There are things that you can do to make life easier in the fall.
Leave the pollen outside.
If you suffer from ragweed allergies, keep the windows closed, change clothes as soon as you come inside, and shower after being outside for an extended period of time or before you go to sleep.
Be an inhospitable host for mold.
Inside your home, you can make it harder for mold to grow by letting air circulate freely, and keeping tabs on humidity. Temperature and moisture meters are easy to find and fairly inexpensive, making it easy to keep an eye on the levels in every room. Many of them will even connect to a smartphone. Outside, mold loves damp piles of leaves, so keep that in mind if you’re doing yard work or spending time in the woods.
Clean is key.
Dust mites love soft surfaces and undisturbed areas, but regular cleaning and vacuuming can help to keep them at bay.
Watch the weather.
Changes in weather patterns and barometric pressure can trigger sinus pain, windy days can make pollen worse, and rain increases humidity leading to more mold. Keeping an eye on the weather can help you identify triggers and treat symptoms early.
If you do start to feel pain and congestion, over-the-counter medications, nasal rinses, and herbal teas are all good ways to treat your symptoms at home. There are also plenty of hearty seasonal soups that can help you feel better and enjoy some of the more pleasant aspects of fall. And if you still aren’t feeling better after a week or two, give us a call. We’ll help you figure out what’s going on, create a treatment plan, and get you back to enjoying fall again.
