How to Minimize Allergy Symptoms while Travelling
The thought of visiting new places can cause both excitement and anxiety for allergy sufferers. How do you have a good time on vacation if you are feeling stuffed up, experiencing a runny nose, or having watery eyes? If allergies are a real concern for you, then you may find some help from our tips on how to reduce allergies when you are traveling.
Clean the Luggage
When was the last time you used your luggage? If that staircase has been sitting in your closet for six months, then it is probably dirty and packed with allergens you need to clean out before you use it. Don’t wait until you start packing to pay attention to how dirty and dusty your luggage is. Just clean it well before trying to pack anything into it and save yourself some trouble.
When cleaning your luggage, be sure to use methods that won't damage the material and that will be effective at removing germs, dust, and allergens.
Pack Your Allergy Medications
If you take any kind of medication for your allergies, then be sure to have them packed and ready to go for your trip. Order extra, if necessary, before travelling so that you have enough for the entire trip. You don’t know for sure if you will be able to get them in the location you are traveling to, and you don’t want to assume that you can.
Be sure to carry your allergy medications on your person as you're traveling as well. This way, if you enter an environment that contains allergens you weren't expecting, you can be prepared to deal with them. You don't always know what kind of environments you're going into when you're traveling to new areas. You don't know how your allergies may react under the strange conditions you'll find yourself in, so it's best to be prepared. It is certainly better to have the medication and not need it than to find yourself suffering from an allergy attack and not have the medication on hand.
Clean before You Travel
Anyone who has allergies knows that keeping their home clean is very helpful when it comes to reducing allergy symptoms. If you can keep the dust, dirt, pests, and pest droppings out of your home, you will have clearer sinuses and fewer allergy symptoms. Cleaning your home can cause you to have an allergy attack and feel unwell, but afterwards, you will experience reduced allergy symptoms at home. It makes sense to clean your home before you travel so that the items you are taking are cleaner and you feel better going into your vacation. However, you might not want to do the cleaning yourself and you may not want to clean a day or two before your trip.
Instead, try cleaning about a week before you travel or hiring cleaning specialists to do the housework in your place. That way, your sinuses can be free and clear as you get ready to go. It doesn’t hurt to clean whatever you are taking with you, running the clothes through the washing machine, wiping down your cosmetic containers, and making sure each item is sanitized for travel.
Reserve the Right Room
Where you stay can affect how much you struggle with allergies. If you are reserving a hotel room for your trip, be sure to ask for a non-smoking and pet free room, to minimize your risk of allergies. You don’t want to be uncomfortable your entire trip just to save a few dollars on a hotel room, right? You may even want to choose a room that is away from the smoking sections of the hotel and areas where pets are allowed, if you have serious allergy issues.
Not every hotel has these kinds of options for you to choose from, but you should definitely check to see if the hotel you are staying at offers accommodations without pets and without smoking to minimize your allergy symptoms.
Be Careful about What You Eat
If you have any food allergies, you definitely want to be careful about the kinds of foods you eat while traveling. They may be made differently in other countries than they are made where you're from. Don't just assume the same ingredients are being used, even when you're going to a restaurant chain in the foreign country that is also available in your home country. Many restaurants change up their menus and ingredients to accommodate local culinary customs. Different ingredients can sometimes be used simply because the ones that would normally be used are not easily available in that country.
Because food allergies are so common these days, it is usually not considered rude to ask about the ingredients and cooking methods for any food you are considering ordering at a restaurant. Even when buying packaged food from the grocery, check the ingredient list to make sure the food contains nothing you're allergic to. Keep in mind that allergy warnings will not be the same from one country to another, with many countries not even bothering with them.
Consider Air Quality
Environmental factors can trigger allergy symptoms, and if the air quality is poor in the area you're traveling to, you may want to limit your outdoor activity. This is especially true in large cities that may have poor pollution control or in the countryside where pollen and other irritants are common. Check the weather and pollution reports each day before going outside to help keep your allergies under control. If you're willing to brave poor air quality conditions, consider wearing a face mask or using allergy medication to protect yourself.
Returning Home
If you had a bad allergy experience while traveling, there are some precautions you need to take once you get back home. As soon as possible, you should wash your clothes and clean your luggage. This will help remove any allergens that may be hiding in these items.
With these tips in mind, you should be prepared to have a great vacation, as free from allergies as possible.
