With spring already here and summer rapidly approaching, it’s time to begin thinking about managing allergy symptoms. While we all know the major causes of allergies and how to prevent allergic reactions, there are many smaller habits that many of us have that can make our allergies worse. Here are four of the everyday habits that you probably don’t even realize are aggravating your allergies.
 1. Leaving Windows Open During the Day
At this time of year, it can be great to open up the house and let some fresh air in during the day. However, this is also one of the easiest ways for pollen to get into your home. Plants produce pollen mostly during daylight hours, so the time during which the sun is up and the hour immediately after it goes down will be the times of day with the highest pollen levels. If you suffer from severe asthma or allergies, it’s best to keep your house shut during these hours. If you really need some fresh air in your house, open up the windows at night to let the air circulate before peak pollen production begins again the next morning.
 2. Having a Beer or a Glass of Wine With Dinner
A refreshing beer or a glass of wine may pair perfectly with what you’re having for dinner, but alcohol does not go well with allergies. Numerous studies have confirmed that alcohol can make people more susceptible to allergic reactions caused by pollen. Cutting back during this time of the year can help you to keep your allergy symptoms to a minimum.
 3. Having Your Kids Play Outside
If you have children, chances are this is the time of year when they most enjoy playing outdoors. When they come back inside, however, they bring in pollen that has accumulated on their clothing and shoes. Of course, you’d never want to keep your children from having fun and getting healthy exercise outdoors, but it can be a good idea to have them change into fresh clothes when they come back in. Keep in mind that this is especially important if both you and your children experience allergy symptoms related to pollen.
 4. Running Outside
On a day that your allergies don’t seem to be affecting you, a run might seem like a great idea. After all, who doesn’t want to enjoy the warm days and get some exercise? The problem is that your body responds to running or other cardiovascular exercise in a very specific way. In order to supply the needed oxygen to your muscle tissues, your body will begin to draw in larger and larger breaths. If there is pollen in the air, this causes you to draw much more pollen into your respiratory system than normal. Even on a day with fairly low pollen levels and when your allergies aren’t acting up, a run that forces you to breathe heavily can set your allergies off.
These are just a few of the fairly common things that people do without realizing what a large impact they can have on allergy symptoms. If you notice a pattern among them, it’s that most simply involve letting pollen get to you in unexpected ways. If you’re serious about making sure the air you breathe is as pollen-free as possible, you should consider looking into a home air monitoring system, such as the Foobot. Using tools like this to keep track of the pollen levels in your home can help you plan the best ways lower them.