It is never fun to get a runny nose and itchy eyes when allergies flare up. Your goal in such circumstances is to minimize your reactions (maybe even eradicate them) as much as possible. However, you may not have realized that seemingly harmless things surrounding you or seemingly harmless daily habits could actually worsen your symptoms. So, to keep them in check, Progressive Urgent Care – Sebastopol, a walk-in clinic in California, has rounded up a handful of common culprits which you cannot consider as your allies when it comes to dealing with allergies:
- Some fruits and vegetables
If you are sneezing and sniffling after eating some raw produce like apples, cantaloupe, or tomatoes, you may need urgent care in Sebastopol, California for a problem that is called oral-allergy syndrome (OAS). Also known as pollen-food allergy syndrome, OAS results from cross-reacting allergens that can be found in raw fruits, vegetables, and pollens. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, approximately two percent of OAS patients have symptoms that can potentially progress to fatal anaphylactic shock. - Contact lenses
When pollen count gets bad, you might have pollen trapped in your eyes. Normally, this would already be an issue if you are wearing glasses. However, if you are using soft contact lenses, your allergy symptoms would likely get worse since they are especially vulnerable to airborne irritants (e.g., pollen, smoke) due to their permeability. So, if you are set on wearing soft contact lenses, you might want to consider using disposable ones. You can just throw them out every day to prevent pollen buildup. This way, you can also avoid needing to hire urgent care services. - Alcohol
If you have ever felt stuffed-up just after drinking a glass of alcohol, then you aren’t alone. Alcoholic drinks, particularly red wine, can make your allergies go haywire. The compounds found naturally in both beer and wine, known as sulfites, are the reason why a person can develop perpetually stuffy nose after drinking.