Controlling Allergies While Exercising
Before starting any strenuous exercise program, always consult your doctor. Exercise and allergies don't always make the best combination -- but don't use allergies as an excuse to be sedentary.
 Exercise still can be fun for allergy suffers provided the right steps are taken. |
- Especially if you have asthma, warm up properly before exercising and cool down/stretch after.
- If you are receiving allergy shots, do not engage in strenuous physical activity one hour before or two hours after your injection. Vigorous exercise gets the heart pumping and the blood flowing, which can lead to more rapid absorption of the allergen. Your chances of experiencing a serious side effect increase.
- Before popping out for a jog, listen to the radio to check pollen/mold counts or log onto a pollen count Web site. (Pollen counts in the paper are too old to be of help.) Avoid alfresco exercise when counts are sky-high and the weather is windy and cold. Even if pollen counts are mild, choose where you exercise with care. Jogging along grassy paths or through fields may produce a sniffle with every step.
- For both safety's sake and health's sake, avoid jogging along the road. Pollution levels can be extremely high at curbside and even 50 feet away.
- People with severe allergic reactions to insect stings/bites should carry injectable adrenaline (epinephrine) with them when exercising outdoors and wear a medical bracelet in case of an emergency.
- Gyms, recreation centers, and workout studios make for good retreats when pollen and pollution prohibit outdoor exercise. Yet, like most places, they harbor potential allergens or irritants. In summertime, blasting air-conditioning can cause a runny nose. Mold spores love it when you sweat on foam-rubber workout mats or on the carpeting. Put a towel down when exercising or stretching on either surface.
- Ever smelled a clean gym towel? (Yeah, it's much better than sniffing a dirty one.) The olfactory region detects bleach, bleach, and more bleach. Gym towels take a beating from sweaty, stinky gym members and must be disinfected. It's best to bring your own towel to avoid irritation from harsh commercial laundry detergents/disinfectants.
When Allergy Sufferers Should Exercise Deciding when to exercise can be tough for allergy sufferers, since high pollution days can be just as bad as high pollen count days. The Environmental Protection Agency has a Web site that lists daily air quality ratings in each state. Log onto www.epa.gov/airnow. On days when pollution levels are high, strenuous outdoor activity isn't advised. As you huff and puff, you'll be like a vacuum, sucking in pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide. Since most people breathe through their mouths when exercising, these pollutants bypass the body's own filter: the nose. The pollutants irritate airways and can cause breathing difficulties. Pollution is highest in the mid-afternoon and lowest in the early morning. Pollen counts are also lowest around dawn, and do not peak until noon, making early morning a good time to pound the pavement. Right after a rain is also a great time to exercise.
- Swimming is an excellent aerobic activity, but chlorine can irritate sensitive nasal membranes. Use a nose plug to keep water out of your nose or hang onto a kickboard to keep your head above water. Try water aerobics. Most classes don't require you to do a dunk.
- Skiers should wear a face mask to protect the airways and nasal membranes from the cold, dry air.
Descending into the deep blue with a congested nose or a head full of antihistamines is an unwise move that can quickly land you back on shore...and in a hospital bed. Those with allergic rhinitis or sinus problems often have trouble equalizing the pressure in the ears and sinuses. Without proper equalization during descent, the eardrums can rupture.
While decongestants, antihistamines, and nasal sprays can clear openings, these medications' effects may wear off while you're underwater, resulting in equalization problems when surfacing. And many over-the-counter drugs have sedating side effects. A drowsy diver may quickly turn into a dead diver. Always consult an allergist before planning a scuba trip.
Allergists, not to mention dive schools and dive organizations, generally prohibit scuba diving for asthmatics unless your asthma is well controlled. Scuba diving is a controlled sport that requires you to breathe in a regular, relaxed pattern. If your tubes are inflamed, the expanding air has nowhere to escape, especially when ascending, and can result in life-threatening injuries and death. Additionally, the air one breathes from a tank is cool, dry, and compressed, which often provokes a bronchial tube spasm.
Snorkeling is a better option for asthmatics and those suffering from sinus problems.
People with allergies are also at risk while doing an easy task like gardening. In the next section, we will give you some general tips for relieving your allergies while poking around plants and piles of dirt.
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