Achoo! Ten Tips For Allergy Sufferers

It begins with a tickle in the throat. Or, maybe a runny nose. Or, crud in your eyes. More likely, all of the above and more. If you are plagued by seasonal allergies (you know who you are) or suspect that pollen is not your friend, here are a few suggestions for an allergy smack down, and how to limit the number of tissues needed to get through the day.

•  Pets. Fifi and Fido are your loveable buddies, just not during allergy season. Keep dogs and cats outside, or at least restrict petting and grooming to outdoors. Don’t get your dander up, get your dander out!

•  House. Take a quick inventory of your living space. Look for known pollen triggers like cleaning agents, carpet dust even houseplants. Closing windows and seeking out air conditioning are highly recommended.

•  Food. One word, mold. Make sure you clean regularly and thoroughly all dining and food preparation areas. Guys, get the weeks-old dirty dishes out of the sink!

•  Grass, weeds, trees. No, no and no. You get the picture. Avoid outdoor activities that bring you in contact with pollen producers. No, you don’t have to move to a monastery, but letting someone else mow the grass is a good idea.

•  Plan your day. This one is interesting, if not downright contradictory. Some allergy resources say pollen counts are highest in the early morning hours (5- 10 a .m.) Others indicate that pollen is most problematic mid-day to late afternoon. Go figure. Bottom line: stay indoors if you can (see tip #2).

•  Personal Hygiene. Beyond the obvious advantages of grooming, regular washing of your hair and body will strip away pesky pollen that you’ve picked up throughout the day. Washing clothes is also helpful for the same reason. Now, hit the shower!

•  Alcohol. You just knew this one had to be here somewhere. Like it or not, research indicates that alcohol intake can trigger your body’s natural histamines, and that’s not a good thing. Go on the wagon during allergy season.

•  Contact Lenses. This one’s pretty obvious, but eschewing contact lenses during allergy season will limit eye irritation. Eschewing – that means fuhgeddaboudit! See what I mean?

•  Sleeping. We all do it, so why not sleep with allergies in mind? Experts recommend a slight elevation of the head while counting sheep. Sweet dreams!

•  Air filtering. If you’re really serious about allergy relief then get yourself an indoor air filtration system. Think of it this way: you can pay for it with the money saved buying tissues.

The bottom line is, be smart about your allergies. Take these recommended steps and you’ll be breathing easier in no time.

Bonus material

There are numerous allergy-related resources on the Web. Here are a few suggested links:

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
Food Allergy Network
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Allergy and Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics

A ranking of the top 15 worst U.S. cities for allergies , according to Forbes magazine:
•  Hartford, Conn.
•  Greenville, S.C.
•  Boston
•  Detroit
•  Orlando, Fla.
•  Knoxville, Tenn.
•  Omaha, Nebr.
•  Sacramento, Calif.
•  Washington D.C.
•  Baltimore, Md.
•  New York
•  Louisville, Ky.
•  Rochester, N.Y.
•  Houston
•  New Orleans