five tips for surviving allergy season

this is a sponsored post by the lovely people at cvs minute clinic. as always, the 

thoughts and opinions are all our own.

i love the spring. it is possibly my favorite season of the year. i love the weather, the planting, the blooming flowers, and the hours i get to spend with my kids outside. still, with five kids with allergies, springtime can be rough on my kiddos. the south specifically takes no prisoners when it comes to springtime pollen. it's like a greenish yellow film covers over every inanimate object outdoors and the result is a house full of very sneezy and wheezy children.

allergies, or the body's hypersensitivity to substances in the environment, are suffered by more 35 million americans. (my family helps to push than number into the next million, i believe) and many people suffer from allergies without every getting the proper diagnosis. many people confuse a common cold with allergies and have never received the medicinal help that's available for allergy sufferers. 

at the third boob, we are huge fans of the cvs minute clinic and we love the ease with which we can receive quick and painless allergy care. if you haven't tried minute clinic and are suffering with allergy symptoms, their nurse practitioners and physicians assistants can recommend over-the-counter medications and write allergy prescriptions when medically appropriate.

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if you have been diagnosed with allergies or your children have been diagnosed, there are a few tips that can help you avoid the seasonal allergens. i'm no doctor but i can certainly share what has worked for us. 

five tips for surviving allergy season

1) shake it off. 

your kids will love being outside in the spring weather and it is impossible to keep your kids from coming in contact with pollen. before they come back indoors, have your kids give a good shake to help rid their clothes of some of the pollen that has settled while they play.

2) skip the hair gel and wear shades. 

hair get could be a pollen magnet. skip the sticky hair gel during allergy season for a little extra relief. sun glasses can also be an aid in keeping your eyes pollen free. invest in some shades for your allergy sensitive kiddos.

3) avoid window fans and even open windows.

this one kills me because i love having my windows open when the weather is perfect outside. still, i can't deny the film of pollen on my flat surfaces after a day of letting the fresh air into the house. on the worst pollen days, keep the windows closed. i light spring scented candles that give me the illusion of fresh air.

4) go to sleep on clean sheets. 

if your kids are normally morning bathers, switch to night time baths and showers. wash the pollen off of them before they head to bed. this helps to keep their sheets clean as they sleep each night. also make sure their bedding gets washed every two weeks to help give some relief in the night.

5) make sure household surfaces and clothing stay as clean as possible. 

it isn't possible for me to keep my house pollen free. i have to do extra duty during the spring to try to keep my household as pollen free as possible. this means cleaning off surfaces (tables, chairs, countertops, floors) where pollen resides. it also means washing all my kids' clothes regularly. i normally have my kids wear their jeans more than once if they are still clean enough to wear again. that can't happen in the spring. i have to wash their clothes every night. i also have to make sure the sweatshirts and jackets they wear in the cooler mornings get washed regularly as well. have i mentioned how much i love laundry?

get the help you need.

whatever your symptoms or if you are thinking your child might be suffering from allergies, take the time to see a health care provider. cvs minute clinic has been a life saver for us and it could be just what you have been looking for as well. no matter what the season or how much you have suffered in the past, allergies don't have to put a damper on the enjoyment of the spring season for you or your kids. find relief and do what you can for your little peeps. with some help from our favorite health care providers and some tips along the way, we can all make it through allergy season.