Spring is one of the best times of the year to hit the trail and get some serious riding in. It’s no longer as freezing cold as winter and the scalding heat of the summer is not here yet. Sadly, Spring brings its own challenge with it: allergies.
Because of the pollen and other allergens that begin to spread during the early Spring months, outdoor activities like cycling can be miserable. There’s no reason that allergies should interfere with your spring rides if you take the necessary steps to control them before they control you.
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Prepare
There are steps you can take before each ride that can help you ward off your allergies. If you already know you struggle with allergies, you can pretreat them before they begin to flare up. You should avoid any kind of antihistamine or medication that will dry you out or make you drowsy. I would expound on this last sentence. That was a good one.
Prevent
Unless you want to stay indoors and skip riding altogether, you’ll have to face your allergies head on. One of the best ways to keep pollen and allergens out of your system is to wear a mask. If you think this will restrict your breathing too much, the following tips can also be very helpful.
After each ride our any other outdoor exercise, you should shower as soon as possible to get rid of any pollen clinging to hair or skin.
Additionally, you should shake your clothes out outside and wash them thoroughly. Another way to prevent pollen from getting to you is to ride when pollen and allergen counts are lower, which is early morning and in the evening.
Treat
Treating your allergies is essentially the same as pretreating. Two of your strongest tools in treating your allergies are nasal sprays and eye drops. Nasal sprays can help by reducing inflammation and can also aid in reducing mucous. Eye drops will help you deal with red, itchy, dry eyes and keep swelling to a minimum.
Right now is a fantastic time for some fun spring rides. Follow these steps to avoid issues with pollen and the allergies they cause.
