If you’ve ever had seasonal allergies, you know how miserable and frustrating they can be. They can spring on you suddenly and sometimes it’s hard to know whether they’re allergies or if you’re just coming down with a cold because that’s what it feels like—like you’re perpetually coming down with a cold that doesn’t seem to want to go away.

Here are some tips with how you can deal with seasonal allergies:

Try different over the counter medications. There are many allergy medications out there and each will work differently on different people. Try different types and see if one works better for you than others. For some, Benadryl works great, while for others, it just makes them drowsy, some to the point where they can’t sleep. For others, Claritin or Zyrtec work great. If your main symptoms are running nose, it’s possible that all you’ll need is a nasal decongestant such as Sudafed. If over the counter medications aren’t working for you, meet with your doctor to discuss the possibility of prescription drugs that might be more helpful.

Know what’s causing your allergies. If you know what causes the symptoms you can work on ways to avoid that plant so it’s less likely to cause you to sneeze. The most common are ragweed, pollens, and molds. If you live in a wet area, such as an area that rains often, you’ll more likely deal with allergies because moisture stirs up pollen and allows mold to grow. One way to decrease symptoms is by wearing a mask when you garden or are doing yard work, you can protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses outside.

Avoid foods that are contaminated. There are some foods that can be contaminated with ragweed causing you to ingest the allergen which can increase symptoms. Possible foods in this category include zucchini, cucumbers, bananas, melons, and sunflower seeds.

So the next time you’re dealing with symptoms, remember these tips. There’s a lot you can do to help alleviate seasonal allergy symptoms so that you can enjoy being outside without sneezing and blowing your nose all day.