Many people look forward to summer travel. If you suffer from allergies, traveling can present challenges, but there are ways to travel safely. You may need to consider extra precautions, planning and preparation.

Traveling with Allergies

There are many kinds of allergies. Generally, you can suffer from environmental allergies or food allergies; both present different hazards to be aware of.

Approximately 40% of the population suffers from at least one environmental allergy. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you are not alone! One of the key differences between the two kinds of allergies is that people who suffer from food allergies face the same threats throughout the year. Those with seasonal Las Vegas allergies may find travel to be easier, or more difficult, at certain times of the year. For instance, experiencing hay fever and allergic rhinitis are common for people who have seasonal allergies. Traveling with allergies can be difficult whether you’re traveling regionally or across the country.

Traveling with Environmental Allergies

Environmental allergies generally include pollen from plants and trees. Additionally, they can include mold and mildew during the colder months of the year.

To comfortably manage traveling with seasonal allergies, here are a few tips:

• Check the pollen forecast
• Renew your medication
• Check the airline and hotel pet policy
• Ask about lodging
• Consider immunotherapy

Check the Pollen Forecast

When you’re planning to travel, you will likely check the weather forecast so you know what weather to expect and what clothes to pack. If you know that you will be traveling with allergies, it’s a good idea to see what allergens you might encounter so you can plan accordingly or postpone travel plans.

If you are allergic to plants, weeds, or trees, check the pollen forecast ahead of time to ensure a fun, allergy-free trip. The National Allergy Bureau maintains a database of pollen counts across the country. You can visit their website to figure out when your allergies might be at their worst. Another good resource is the Allergy & Asthma Network’s Asthma and Allergy Forecast. The dates provided on this website are usually available for weeks or months in advance.

Another helpful resource is AccuWeather. On AccuWeather, you can get a forecast for up to 10 days in advance (or up to one month with premium subscription) for Las Vegas allergies and allergies you might experience across the country! The AccuWeather website breaks down the different allergens you may encounter and how to deal with them. Lastly, pollen.com is a great resource for allergy monitoring. Through pollen.com, you can look at the asthma and allergy history of a given location for the past 30 days. Along with historical data, you can see a 5-day forecast for allergies and asthma based on your location.

Utilizing allergy forecast and prediction tools can be helpful to get a sense of what kind of allergens you could encounter while traveling. There is no guarantee that an allergy forecast will be entirely accurate, so you might need allergy testing to confirm your allergies.

Renew Your Medication

If you take medication for Las Vegas allergies, remember to refill your prescription before your vacation. If an allergy doctor in Las Vegas has prescribed medication for allergies, make sure that you have enough medication to last the entire trip. Ideally, you should order some extra medication if you end up staying on your trip longer than planned. Most allergy medicine prescriptions last for about three months (or 90 days). Assuming you’re planning a short-term trip, that should be sufficient to get you through your vacation. However, if you think that you might need more medication, ask your allergy doctor to send in another prescription so that you are fully prepared. Keep in mind that some of your allergy medications may not be available. For example, Benadryl and epinephrine are two common allergy medications that you may not be able to get right away.

Check the Airline’s Pet Policy

If you have allergies to animal fur and dander, you should check your airline’s pet policy. Some airlines are strict and do not let any pets onboard. Other airlines allow service animals and permit animals of a certain size, such as cats and small dogs. If you are flying with an airline that allows pets and you have a fur allergy, you can take certain precautions to protect yourself. Make sure to bring your medication onto the flight and wearing a mask as needed.

Ask About Lodging

Like flying on a plane, you should ask the staff at the place you’re planning to stay about their pet policy. Ask if there are fur-free or pet-free rooms. Be aware that service animals may be allowed in places where pets usually are not, so ask about service animal accessibility in the area where you’ll be sleeping. Some hotels have allergy-friendly air filters and bedding, so it doesn’t hurt to mention that you suffer from allergies when you are traveling. Rooms may come with special cleaning procedures to reduce the likelihood of an allergic reaction. If you suspect that you have an allergy, ask your doctor about allergy testing before you set out to travel domestically or internationally.

Consider Immunotherapy

Despite all the precautions that you take while traveling, you might feel the need to do more to keep your allergies at bay. One option is considering immunotherapy, which is a treatment that an allergy doctor in Las Vegas may advise to make you less sensitive to allergies. This treatment is patient-specific, so if you would like to find relief from your allergy symptoms prior to traveling, ask your doctor about immunotherapy treatments.

You can make an appointment at Tottori Allergy and Asthma by calling (702) 240-4233 or by scheduling an appointment online.