Tiptoe through the tulips: six preseason tips to help you survive spring allergies.

If you suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever, the start of spring isn't necessarily determined by the calendar, but by your first allergy symptoms. Your congestion, runny nose, and sneezing may make it difficult for you to appreciate the beauty of spring. But by paying attention to possible nasal allergy influences, such as pollen counts and weather trends, and visiting your physician, you'll be better prepared to savor the sweet smell of spring.

Tip 1: Pay Attention to Pollen

Springtime pollen produced by trees, grasses, and weeds is an airborne allergen that triggers hay fever symptoms in millions of nasal allergy sufferers and can be found anywhere in the United States. Contrary to popular belief, brightly colored flowering plants, such as roses and tulips, very rarely cause nasal allergy problems. Instead, pollen produced by less eye-catching foliage, such as oak and elm trees and orchard and Bermuda grasses, may be the most troublesome.

Pollen counts track an area's pollen grain accumulation during a 24-hour period and can be helpful predictors in the control of nasal allergies. Overall, tree pollen poses problems the earliest--as early as January in southern regions. By April grass pollen surfaces throughout the country, followed by weed pollen in the Northwest and Southwest. Both the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic do not see significant weed pollen usually until mid-August.

Avoiding pollen is nearly impossible, but you can decrease exposure to it by monitoring daily pollen counts that are often published in daily newspapers and staying inside on "high pollen" days.

Tip 2: Watch the Weather

Weather factors, including temperature, rainfall, wind speed, sunshine, and cloud cover, directly affect pollen production. Therefore, planning your day according to weather conditions can reduce pollen exposure and may ease your symptoms. The chart at right shows the difference between low and high pollen conditions.

Tip 3: Be Smart When Out and About

Since the morning hours typically are high pollen periods, try to limit outside exposure between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. If grass pollen triggers your allergies, limit any "sun and fun" to the early to midafternoon hours and keep your lawn cut as short as possible to reduce the potential for grass pollen production. If possible, have someone else cut your lawn, or wear a mask and sunglasses to lower your contact with airborne pollen.

Tip 4: Wash Away Pollen

As pollen circulates through the air, it accumulates on you, so shower daily to wash pollen from your hair and skin. This also holds true for your pets, as pollen can cling to animal fur and rub on you and your surroundings. Additionally, if you wear contact lenses, wash them with saline solution to dislodge any pollen.

Tip 5: Clear the Air

Although pollen is found predominantly outside, it can mix with house dust and collect under beds, in carpeting, and throughout your home. To guard against this, keep win cows and doors closed, and use an air-conditioner, which can eliminate more than 99 percent of all pollen and allergen-producing material. And before driving your car, crack open a window and turn on the air-conditioner for several minutes. This helps get rid of pollen and mold that may have collected in your car's cooling system.

Tip 6: Don't Underestimate Other Allergens

While pollen is a major springtime allergy culprit, mold also should be avoided. Outdoor mold spores, abundant in soil, rotting wood, and leaves, actually may outnumber pollen grains in the air--especially during warm, humid conditions. Take the necessary precautions to avoid both airborne mold and pollen so your springtime may be more enjoyable.