Dealing with allergies whenever they attack is so stressful, so much more if this happens while you’re at work. The moment you start sneezing, hissing, and getting watery eyes, you also start losing your grip to focus and stay productive. You can ask your allergy clinic about ways and certain medications that you can use to ease your allergy attacks. Do not let your allergies get in the way of your job and there are other contingency plans in order to counter certain attacks.

Protect Yourself From Your Workplace

The majority of employees miss work due to allergies and that presents a great impact on their performance and productivity. Business owners should play their role in protecting their employees against irritants and allergens that are roaming with the four corners of the office. In order to do that there are certain steps to protect your working environment:

  • Dust Mites Control.

Dust mites are one of the well-known allergens that are commonly found in homes. They can easily travel from home to your workplace through eggs that may have been present in the clothes that you wear. Other places for dust mites could be cubicle walls, carpets, and furniture. Regularly cleaning the carpet and dusting the entire workplace with a wet rag or microfiber cloth can greatly eliminate dust mites. A small HEPA or high-efficiency particulate air cleaner can also tidy up your workspace.

  • Minimize Animal Allergens.

Although your building is a pet-free zone, you can still be exposed to all kinds of pet hair. Dog, cat and all kinds of pet hair can be carried indoors through pet owners’ clothing. So if you wanted to save your allergic employees from allergies, separate them from pet owners and place hair removal rollers within your office premises.

  • Seasonal Allergen Protection.

No matter how hard you avoid pollens, it can still enter your work area through vents and by opening and closing of doors and windows. To minimize this, make sure that the building has a stable air filtration system. Make it a habit to do heating and air conditioning system maintenance every 2 years as well as the replacement of air filters.

  • Get Rid of Environmental Hazards.

Do not use any of those aerosol and plug-in air fresheners and opt to cleaning devices or by-products which does not contain any volatile organic compounds or VOCs. These vapors can cause lung irritation that will lead to respiratory problems and difficulty in breathing. every time you clean fluids and air fresheners, you enable these VOCs to mix into the atmosphere.

  • Make Your Employees Get An Allergy Test.

There are a lot of allergic individuals who thought they knew what triggers their allergies which they are actually wrong. In order to treat your allergy correctly, you must know what triggers you first. Many allergic people have been assuming that they are allergic to a certain allergen then after the test results will show otherwise. It will only until then will you be able to avoid yourself from what really triggers you and take the appropriate medications from a certified allergy doctor. Always consult the experts and never assume.

  • Change Your Medication

Yes, an antihistamine is an allergy saver, but it’s also a sleepy head trigger. You don’t want to end up asleep during a presentation in the boardroom, right? Ask your doctor about a non-sedative antihistamine or an allergy shot which effect is long-term and will not make you drowsy.

Now that you know what actually triggers your allergies, check your work area for the following allergens:

Common Allergens

  • Chemical fumes
  • Cigarette smoke
  • Aerosols
  • Pests or cockroaches
  • Air temperature
  • Dust
  • Humid air
  • Fresh paint
  • Molds
  • Mildew
  • Scented products like perfume and cologne
  • Pet hair
  • Pollen
  • Wind
  • Weather

It is never easy to be dealing with something you cannot see, but will just hit you. Allergens are silent players that will just attack you when you least expect it. To avoid being caught off guard, have your allergist Manassas do an allergy test on you to determine what causes your allergies and how you can avoid them wherever you are, especially when you are at work. Don’t let your controllable situation ruin your goals and productivity. See, it is easy to treat an allergy but is never easy to find a job that fits you.