Find Out What Is Causing Your Winter Allergies

When winter rolls around, everyone can finally get relief from their seasonal allergies…right? Actually, you may be surprised to learn that many people continue to suffer from allergies in the winter months. If you’re dealing with winter allergies and can’t determine the cause, Wyndly can help.

Order an at-home testing kit with Wyndly, or read on to learn more about winter allergies, why you might have them, and what you can do to prevent them.

Which Allergies Are Common in the Winter?

First, let’s talk about the allergies that are most common during the winter. If you’re suffering from winter allergies, one of the following is likely the culprit:

• Airborne dust
• Dust mites
• Pet dander
• Mold
• Cockroach droppings
• Mouse urine

There can be other triggers for winter allergies, but these are the most likely sources for most people.

What Are the Symptoms?

Here are some of the common symptoms you might expect to see if you’re experiencing winter allergies:

• Sneezing
• Itchy and watery eyes
• Stuffy nose
• Runny nose
• Shallowness of breath
• Scratchy throat
• Swelling around the eyes
• Hives or skin rash
• Coughing or wheezing

One issue you might have noticed is that many of these symptoms are also typical of the common cold. During the winter, it may be more likely that you’re suffering from a cold rather than allergies. However, a cold usually goes away in 7 to 10 days, and the symptoms diminish over time. If you’re having consistent symptoms for longer than a week, you can get an allergy test to confirm what your allergy triggers are. Get an at-home allergy test from Wyndly now!

Where Are Indoor Allergens Found?

The different indoor allergens that we listed can be found in a variety of different places. Let’s take a look at each culprit and where you might be able to find it in your home.

• Dust mites: Dust mites prefer warm and damp areas. Typically you can find them in bedding, furniture, and carpets in your home. The use of indoor heating will increase their presence.
• Pet dander: If you have dogs or cats, pet dander can get pretty much everywhere. Pet dander sticks to indoor surfaces easily.
• Mold: Mold thrives in areas that are dark and damp. Typically you can find mold in bathrooms and basements.
• Cockroach droppings: Cockroaches also prefer dark and damp areas, and they will likely leave their droppings behind in under-sink areas, behind your appliances, in drawers and cupboards, and basements. This can be made worse if food is left out or if indoor areas aren’t clean.

Why Is It Important to Remove Allergy Triggers?

If you’re suffering from winter allergies, you’re going to want to take measures to remove your triggers. If you aren’t working to remove triggers, they can build up over time and become more difficult to remove in the future. When you keep your triggers to a minimum, your allergy symptoms will be far less severe, and you won’t have to work as hard to manage them.

How to Remove Them

The best way to remove your winter allergy triggers is by keeping your home clean and by purifying the air using a HEPA air filter. Let’s dive deeper into some methods you can use to stop winter allergies.

Ways to Manage Seasonal Allergies

Here are some of the best methods to reduce your seasonal allergies:

• Clean your house regularly. Make sure to pay special attention to areas where your triggers are most commonly found.
• Wash your clothes, bedding, and anything else washable in hot water every week. This will reduce the amount of buildup.
• Put a protective cover on your bedding to reduce the number of dust mites.
• Reduce the moisture in your air by using a dehumidifier. Most indoor allergens thrive in moist and damp environments, so this can make your home less hospitable to them.
• Vacuum your home weekly or more frequently. A vacuum with a HEPA filter will be most effective.
• Use a 5% bleach and water solution to kill mold.
• Brush pets regularly and dispose of their shedding properly.
• Keep pets off the furniture if possible, and close the door to the bedroom to keep your room free of dander.
• Repair any water leaks in your home to prevent mold growth.
• Always clean up food and dispose of it properly. Take the trash out often.

By following these steps, you can reduce the allergens in your home.

Diagnosis and Treatment

To get treatment for winter allergies, it’s important to get a diagnosis first. This will help you learn the root of your symptoms and eliminate the allergen if possible. The best way to do this is through allergy testing.

For this, you have several options, such as:

• Skin prick test: Skin prick tests involve a doctor or nurse scratching or pricking your skin with a needle using different allergens on the tip. Each spot that swells, itches, or turns red can indicate an allergy.
• Blood draw test: A blood draw test involves a medical professional using a needle to draw blood and send it to a lab. The blood is introduced to various allergens to see if there is an abnormal antibody response.
• Blood prick test: A blood prick test uses the same methodology as the blood draw test, but you can simply prick the finger instead of drawing blood. Wyndly offers these as at-home tests, so you can take them from the comfort of your own home without the painful process of the skin prick test. This is an easy and convenient way to discover your allergy triggers. Get an at-home allergy test today!

Once you get your test, you can opt for preventive measures, over-the-counter medications, natural remedies, or immunotherapy.

Get Lifelong Relief

If you get an allergy test from Wyndly, our doctors will then work on creating a personalized treatment plan for you. Immunotherapy is particularly effective at providing lifelong relief. Wyndly can provide you with allergy drops that help your body adapt to allergens over time. By introducing small doses of the allergen in increasing increments, you can help your body learn that these harmless substances aren’t threats, thus preventing an allergic response.

Get Started With Wyndly

If you’re interested in getting an at-home allergy test and a personalized allergy treatment plan, choose Wyndly. We’ll send your kit right to you with simple instructions to get your test results — no doctor visits, injections, or stress required.

Pending your results, Wyndly will assign you a dedicated doctor who will personalize a treatment plan for you, helping you to find long-term allergy relief without the need for constant doctor visits.

Get your personalized treatment plan now to start beating your allergies for life!