Watching the weather before going outside is a key step. Windy, dry days make for the highest levels of pollen. But a spring rain can wash the pollen out of the air — temporarily.
“Exercising after rain or even during light rain will make for better air,” Pedro Lamothe of the Emory University School of Medicine Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
When pollen combines with air pollution from cars and trucks, the result is often sniffles, sneezing, and even asthma attacks.
Researchers from Emory found that nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter from cars and trucks stuck in traffic on I-75 and I-85 surge during rush hours. Particulate pollution is made up of tiny particles of solids or liquids so small they can be inhaled deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, potentially causing health problems. That traffic pollution lingers, often blowing into nearby neighborhoods. But the burden is even more problematic when the pollution combines with pollen.
For this reason, Lamothe said, runners, those playing tennis, and others should avoid outdoor sports activities during rush hour traffic. “Exercise indoors too. And use allergy medications before going out.”
It’s a sentiment shared by Christopher Chu, a doctor with Atlanta Allergy & Asthma.
“Pollen and pollution can combine, and that can contribute to adverse health effects,” he told the AJC.
Chu recommends athletes turn to second-generation antihistamines, like Zyrtec, Claritin, or Allegra. He suggested that patients avoid first-generation antihistamines like Benadryl, which have been linked to early onset dementia.
In addition to the possible dementia risk of first-generation antihistamines, Chu said they may also cause drowsiness “and this won’t allow people to get in a good workout.”
Lamothe of Emory agreed: “If you’ll be at the gym or running on a treadmill,…
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