Prevent and Manage Your Allergies While Traveling
Don’t forget to consider your allergies when traveling this spring. We understand. It’s easy to get lost in packing and planning, but an allergy attack can derail any potential fun. So here are some tips for maximizing your time and travel with allergies.
Research Weather & Local Allergens
Many travelers already check out the forecast in advance, but often tucked away in those reports are pollen and allergy levels. Depending on the season, allergen levels may vary, but knowing what’s waiting for you from the moment you arrive can give you advance warning, letting you be proactive rather than reactive with your travel prep.
Bring OTC Medication & Nasal Sprays
This suggestion may be obvious, but it’s important, especially if you already know your allergies. OTCs provide a safety net in the event of an attack, providing relief that keeps you active rather than on the sidelines. Besides, no one likes spending their vacation from their hotel room.
Having OTCs around just in case, even if you don’t consider yourself allergic, is a prudent move. There’s a potential for encountering an allergen you have never met because of seasonal or regional coincidences. If you you’re caught off guard, just find the closest pharmacy and remedy the situation.
Keep in mind, however, that using OTCs is a remedy, not a solution. An allergy solution will require a trip to an ENT doctor.
Bring Your Bed Linens
Or at least your pillow. This solution may sound a bit strange; after all, don’t all hotels come with those standard? While true, not all hotels are created equal when it comes to allergies (see next tip). Hotels that allow pets, have lax cleaning regimes, or, although rare, offer smoking rooms will become allergen hazard courses.
Bringing something from home like a pillow creates stability in an unknown world. Why at least a pillow case? Because that’s where you rest you head for hours at a time. Imagine willingly laying your head in a pile of dust mites or allergens that flew in through an open window from a previous guest. Eck, right?
Choose Allergy-Friendly Hotel Rooms
By “friendly” we don’t mean welcoming. While no hotel is perfect, some hotels offer allergy-friendly rooms at comparable to regular rates. These rooms offer superior allergen treatment and hypoallergenic materials to help make your stay more pleasant. You just have to research or ask which ones do or don’t.
Make Your Room An Allergy-Free Fortress
If an allergy-friendly room is not an option, then consider making your room a safe haven.
Upon arrival, you may want to dust down any potential problem areas that housekeeping may have missed. Also, if you can help it, never open your windows. The view may be gorgeous; however, we all know it takes only a slight breeze to carry in a bunch of allergies that will cause headaches, stuffiness, or worse.
When it comes to mold, though, your plans may require more logistic preparation beforehand. In general, mold likes to grow in damp and cool areas. But how do you avoid mold in a hotel, especially when you can’t always see the problem area? Ask your hotel for an upper-level room on a side that receives the most sunshine. Moisture is less likely to find a home due to the low humidity while regular exposure to sunlight will dry out anything that remains.
Don’t Forget Food Allergies
Saying so sounds silly, but forgetting life-saving equipment like epi-pens or other rescue medication can derail a vacation faster than any allergen. Here are some other safety tips for traveling with food allergies.
Hope this guide helps for maximizing your time and travel with allergies.