For many people, springtime marks the return of some annoying allergies. These allergies, and many others, can end up making their way into the workplace. Handling workplace allergies is important for not letting them get in the way of your work. As it turns out, there’s several ways which you can try to tackle these allergies…
Workplace Allergies: How To Handle Them
Know your triggers
The first part of handling workplace allergies is knowing what triggers them. For instance, pollen, dust mites, and mold tend to be common triggers which can show up in the workplace. However, maybe your allergies are food-related, or a mixture of both. In that case, you’ll have to know what foods you can or can’t eat as well.
Once you know what your triggers are, you can start to know what to look out for. There’s the common things like dust or pollen, but certain perfumes or sprays could also trigger your allergies. Different foods also might be made in places with say tree nuts or other allergens, so you’ll have to check the labels of any workplace food as well.
Minimize your exposure
Minimizing your exposure to allergens is another important part of handling workplace allergies. Of course, the less you encounter your allergy triggers, the less you’ll have a reaction. Still, this is not always an easy task. It might take some proactive approaches to help keep those allergies at bay.
Keeping a clean workplace can help prevent dust or pollen buildup and keep your allergies in check. You can also politely ask others if they can be mindful of their perfumes of sprays because of your allergies. It’s also a good idea to let them know of any food allergies too, just for future reference.
Try allergy medicines
Depending on your work, it can be hard to fully limit your exposure to workplace allergies. You might need some extra help, so allergy medicines might be something you want to consider. These medicines can help you manage and subdue those symptoms for the day ahead.
However, it’s important to be aware of any side-effects. Certain medicines might cause drowsiness, which can hamper your work ability as much as your allergies. While many newer ones are less likely to cause this, it’s always good to talk to a doctor before making any decisions.