Every spring I turn into a sneezing, itchy mess, and for years I blamed the trees outside. Then a doctor told me half the pollen I was reacting to was already inside my own house, riding in on my clothes and hair.

Once I treated the house as part of the problem, things got a lot better.

Stop pollen at the door

The biggest change was the simplest: shower before bed and change into clean clothes when you get home. Pollen sticks to your hair and skin all day, and if you climb into bed with it, you are breathing it in for eight hours.

Make the bedroom a pollen-free zone.

Upgrade the air

• Run a HEPA filter in the bedroom and keep the door closed.
• Keep windows shut on high pollen days, especially in the morning when counts peak.
• Wash pillowcases and sheets weekly in hot water.
• Rinse your sinuses with a neti pot or saline spray before bed.

A few of these sound fussy, but they stack. I went from waking up congested every morning to sleeping through the night, and I did not have to live on antihistamines to get there.

One more thing: check the pollen forecast before you open every window for the day. It is a small habit that saves a lot of tissues.