Newswise — MAYWOOD, Ill. – The warm weather brings the urge to open the windows and start cleaning out the closets, but for allergy suffers the spring cleaning bug can be miserable.

“Though allergies are with us year-round we think about them more during the springtime because that’s when spring plants pollinate causing a large number of allergens to be released in the air and allergy symptoms to flare,” said Joyce Rabbat, MD, allergist at Loyola University Medical Center and assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology.

Though it might be tempting to open windows and doors to air out the house on beautiful spring days, according to Rabbat it’s best to keep them closed and the air conditioner running if there is an allergy sufferer in the house. Pollens can enter the home through opened doors and windows, settling into reservoirs such as couches, carpets and bedding and filling the indoors with allergy triggers.

Another common culprit for bringing allergens into the house is the family pet. Dogs and cats who have been outside enjoying the weather can have pollens attach to their fur, which they transport into the house. To limit this transition Rabbat suggests:• Give your animals frequent baths• Keep your pet’s hair trimmed short• Have pet-free areas in the house such as bedrooms and other places where there are lots of pollen reservoirs

“If you do suffer from seasonal allergies it’s best to take medication before the season peaks. This can help ward off a bad flare-up. Talk to your allergist about when the allergy season is going to peak and when to start your allergy medication,” Rabbat said.

If you are cleaning out the closets and have an allergy to mold or dust Rabbat suggests wearing a mask and taking an antihistamine before cleaning begins. Also, run an air purifier during the cleanout and be sure to vacuum the carpet well after the cleanout is complete to ensure no dust is being harbored there.

If heading outside for spring yard renewal, Rabbat says to try to avoid being outside during the peak pollen times of 5-10 a.m. To limit tracking pollen into the house she suggests:• Shower or take a bath as soon as you enter the house• Put on a fresh pair of clothes

“A common pollen reservoir is bedding. It’s best to take a shower each night before heading to bed and wash and change bedding frequently during your allergy season,” Rabbat said.

For media inquiries, please contact Evie Polsley at [email protected] or call (708) 216-5313 or (708) 417-5100. Follow Loyola on: Facebook: www.facebook.com/loyolahealthTwitter: http://twitter.com/LoyolaHealth YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/LoyolaHealth#p/u### Loyola University Health System, a member of Trinity Health, is a quaternary care system based in the western suburbs. It includes a 61-acre main medical center campus, the 36-acre Gottlieb Memorial Hospital campus and 22 primary and specialty care facilities in Cook, Will and DuPage counties. The medical center campus is conveniently located in Maywood, 13 miles west of the Chicago Loop and 8 miles east of Oak Brook, Ill. The heart of the medical center campus, Loyola University Hospital, is a 569-licensed-bed facility. It houses a Level 1 Trauma Center, a Burn Center and the Ronald McDonald® Children’s Hospital of Loyola University Medical Center. Also on campus are the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola Outpatient Center, Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine and Loyola Oral Health Center as well as the LUC Stritch School of Medicine, the LUC Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and the Loyola Center for Fitness. Loyola's Gottlieb campus in Melrose Park includes the 264-licensed-bed community hospital, the Professional Office Building housing 150 private practice clinics, the Adult Day Care, the Gottlieb Center for Fitness and Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Care Center.