Beards can help fight allergies

HOUSTON — If your allergies bother you, some doctors say a beard could help by keeping allergens from getting into your nose and mouth.

"The beard can actually serve as a barrier," Dr. Michael Moore told KPRC. "It can filter out allergic triggers such as the ragweed, mold, dust, animal dander... And that barrier can prevent those allergens from entering the body."

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The larger the beard, said Moore, the better it acts as a filter and it can help to build your tolerance to your allergies. "It keeps those allergens in close proximity to the nose and mouth. And so, those allergens can get slowly released over time and you can get exposed to an incremental amount of that and the body can actually build up immunity from that slow release. That can help if you're exposed to larger amounts from having an allergic reaction."

Moore said the key to getting the health benefits is keeping the beard clean and well-groomed. "It needs to be washed regularly and groomed to get that benefit."

Other recommended treatments include over-the-counter medicines Zyrtec, Allegra and Claritin.

A nasal rinse can also flush your sinuses of allergens.

If none of that works, you may want to talk to your doctor about allergy shots or drops.

NBC/KPRC