Learn about pollen allergy countermeasures.

Basic pollen allergy countermeasures!!

Outdoors: Avoid contact with pollen!

The basic principle of countermeasures is to avoid contact as much as possible. If you don't come into contact with pollen, which is the cause of the allergy, symptoms will not occur.
Even though it's called treatment, it doesn't actually cure the disease itself; it's just medical care (drug therapy) that suppresses the symptoms with medication. Therefore, by simultaneously making lifestyle adjustments to avoid contact, you can effectively prevent the onset of symptoms.
The symptoms mainly appear in the nose and eyes. Therefore, it is important to protect your nose and eyes from pollen.

Indoors: Don't bring pollen inside!

Wearing a mask, glasses, hat, and clothing to avoid contact with others when going outside is an effective preventative measure, but it's impossible to completely prevent pollen from adhering to your body and clothes. It's important to thoroughly brush off any attached pollen before entering a building. This is something you should ask all family members living together to do.
Additionally, gargling, washing your face, and taking a bath as soon as you get home can help prevent the onset of symptoms.
Another thing to be careful about in daily life is laundry that is hung outside to dry. It is important not to hang laundry outside, and to shake it thoroughly to remove any debris when bringing it inside.
During pollen season, it's best to avoid opening windows. Be especially careful on sunny, windy days.

Hay fever Q&A

Why do symptoms occur if it gets into the nose or eyes?: Your body tries to expel pollen by "sneezing" to blow it away, or by "runny nose" and "tears" to wash it away.
Do masks and glasses offer any preventative benefits?: Wearing a mask can reduce the amount of air inhaled by approximately one-third to one-sixth during periods of high airborne activity, thus alleviating nasal symptoms. Furthermore, even those who are not currently experiencing symptoms can reduce the likelihood of developing symptoms by minimizing inhalation. Eyeglasses can also reduce the amount of air entering the eyes by half to one-third during periods of high airborne activity, thus alleviating eye symptoms.

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Wearing a mask or glasses is an effective form of self-care. In fact, there is a clear difference in the frequency of symptoms such as sneezing between people who wear masks and those who don't, but even with a mask, germs can still get in through gaps, so it's not possible to completely block them out.
Furthermore, you should also be careful about pollen that adheres to your hair. Just because pollen gets on your hair doesn't mean you'll experience symptoms, but pollen that has attached to your hair can fall and get into your eyes or nose. Wearing a hat to prevent pollen from getting on your hair, or choosing a hairstyle that makes it less likely for pollen to stick, are effective measures.
When pollen gets on the skin, some people experience symptoms such as skin irritation. It seems that when pollen acts on exposed skin, symptoms such as a tingling or puffy feeling on the face may appear.
Are some people more prone to hay fever than others?: People with allergic diseases other than hay fever, or those with a family history of allergic diseases, are thought to be more susceptible. Additionally, catching a common cold can cause inflammation and hypersensitivity of the mucous membranes, such as those in the nose, potentially increasing susceptibility.

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Wearing clothing that covers your neck, arms, and legs can help prevent symptoms from appearing. Another effective clothing tip is to wear clothing made of smooth materials that pollen is less likely to stick to as your outermost layer. Aim for clothing that is less likely to attract pollen and is easy to remove.
Are anti-static sprays for clothing effective?: Since pollen easily adheres to woolen clothing, spraying it on fur coats and similar items can be effective.
What kind of pollen is flying around, and when does it usually start?: From February to April, cedar pollen is dispersed in most parts of Japan; from April to May, cypress pollen; from June to August, grass pollen; and from August to October, ragweed pollen.
Is the amount of pollen being dispersed increasing year by year?: The amount of cedar pollen dispersed varies greatly from year to year, but in recent years, cedar trees planted after the war have grown considerably, resulting in a high potential for pollen production. It is also said that climate change is contributing to increased pollen production. Measures are being taken to reduce cedar pollen dispersal, such as selectively cutting down trees that produce a lot of pollen and increasing the number of cedar trees that produce less pollen.

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Even if you take precautions to prevent pollen from entering your home, it's impossible to completely eliminate it. However, you can deal with the pollen floating around indoors by using an air purifier. A typical household type is sufficient for collecting dust.
However, air purifiers cannot deal with pollen that has fallen to the floor or other surfaces. Vacuuming or wiping surfaces with a cloth is said to be an effective way to deal with it.