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Tag: seasonal allergies

  • Allergy Relief: Some Tips to Avoid Feeling Miserable

    Few would argue that it’s about time Spring has sprung in the U.S. However, for allergy sufferers, this time of year has its own short-comings.

    Allergies can certainly sap the joy of Spring right out of a person. But, there are some great advice out there to make the season bearable for sufferers.

    Tree pollen — which can travel through the air up to 200 miles — is typically the first to emerge after the long winter and many areas in the U.S. are currently registering ‘very high’ readings.

    Here are some tips to reduce the affects of allergies:

    It’s a good idea for allergy sufferers to switch allergy medications frequently, as long-term use of the same medication can build up the body’d tolerance, making the drug ineffective.

    It’s also not a great idea to take antihistamines everyday. It’s better to wait until it’s really needed — again, the effectiveness of the drug loses its potency if taken everyday.

    Nasal sprays can take a couple of weeks before the medication begins to work, so don’t give up on them if you feel like it’s just not working and start using them early-on so they can build up in your system.

    Some foods should be avoided to alleviate symptoms. Some fruits contain similar proteins to pollen, which can cause allergy symptoms. It might be a good idea to avoid apples and melons, for example.

    Although it’s impossible to avoid allergies entirely, people can reduce the effects of allergies by avoiding them as much as possible.

    It’s good to avoid the outdoors between 5 to 10 a.m as pollen counts are typically the highest during these hours. If you must be outdoors in the morning, take frequent showers and change your clothes often to wash off the pollen.

    You can also check daily pollen counts and avoid stepping outdoors too often if the count is extremely high.

    Keeping the inside of your home pollen-free is important. You can ensure a lower interior pollen count by keeping your windows closed and changing your air conditioning filters often.

    Some natural alternatives might be effective as well. According to several studies, a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids can reduce allergy symptoms.

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  • Seasonal Allergies: Tips To Control Them

    Seasonal Allergies: Tips To Control Them

    It’s time for seasonal allergies to start acting up again. Spring and summer are times when pollen counts are high and allergies are at their worst. Even if you don’t have a pollen allergy, you could be suffering from a mold or pet dander allergy, both of which are also more severe is spring and summer.

    While there may not be a cure for allergies, there are several ways you can treat them and control them. Controlling your allergies means less time sitting inside on the couch with a box of tissues and more time enjoying the things you love with the people you love. Here are some tips to control them.

    The Cause
    Many people suffer from seasonal allergies and are unable to find relief because they don’t know the true cause or allergy. Pollen counts may be high during the spring and summer but many other allergens are also in the air. A doctor can perform an allergy test to determine what you are allergic to or you can use trial and error to figure it out yourself. Once you know what causes your allergies, you can avoid the allergen and have less symptoms.

    Medication
    If you are lucky enough to have medication that helps relieve your symptoms, you need to be careful that you don’t overuse it. Like other medications, your body can build up a tolerance for allergy medicine and eventually it will stop working. Try to only use your medication when your allergy symptoms are severe or find more than one medication that works and alternate them.

    Natural Remedies
    If you need a break from medication but are still experiencing allergy symptoms, there are some natural remedies that can help you find relief. Try supplements such as butterbur extract or nettle-root. These supplements will help reduce inflammation in the body and reduce allergy symptoms.

    Don’t let allergies keep you inside on warm spring and summer days. Take control of them and get your life back.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Seasonal Allergies: Natural Alternative Treatments

    Seasonal allergies plague more than 26 million Americans each year. As the harsh winter subsides and spring begins to warm the air and stimulate flowers and trees to bloom and grass to grow, it can be a bittersweet change for these allergy sufferers.

    For many, a trip to the corner drugstore for antihistamines and decongestants is usually the first step to take when the eyes start itching and the running nose and sneezing comes on. However, that relief can sometimes be short lived and even ineffective.

    In fact, at a recent meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Dr. William E. Berger reported that nearly a third of allergy patients think their medications don’t work.

    This can be because of the severity of symptoms or because your body has simply built up a tolerance to your favorite allery medication. Also, many drugs only take care of the itchy/sneezing and do little to decongest. The same goes for those who only take care of decongestion. Medication costs can also add up, especially if you have a whole family of allergy sufferers.

    In a time when people are becoming more aware of what goes into our bodies, it only makes sense that many are seeking a more natural treatment for allergies. Here are a few suggestions that could help alleviate or even stop those sniffles, wheezes and sneezes.

    Quercitin is a supplement that has been counted on for years as a natural, plant derived bioflavanoid that helps prevent mast cells from releasing histamine. The earlier you start, the better, as it can take a few weeks to see results. The recommended dosage for allergy sufferers is 1,000mg daily, taken between meals.

    Stinging Nettle is also a popular herb that inhibits the body’s release of histamine. The most convenient form is sold as a freeze-dried extract in capsule form. The recommended dosage is 300mg daily. The capsules may only bring a few hours of relief, but if you’re concerned about taking drugs or side effects, this could be an great option.

    Butterbur is also an herb that is gaining popularity quickly as a great natural seasonal allergy treatment since the results of a Swiss study, published in British Journal of Medicine, found that butterbur was as effective as the drug cetirizine, the active ingredient in Zyrtec. It may still be hard to find in the US, but as it gains recognition and popularity, hopefully it will become more widely available.

    And of course there’s the good old Neti Pot, for those who aren’t fearful of pouring water up your nose. It is a time-tested treatment for allergies and completely logical as it simply rinses your sinuses, clearing them of pollen, mold and other microscopic irritators.

    Good luck to all you sneezers and wheezers out there as spring takes over.

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  • Seasonal Allergies: Tips To Avoid Them

    Seasonal Allergies: Tips To Avoid Them

    If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you may find that they have been worse lately. This is due to the weather changes and sudden rises and drops in temperatures. Because there has been so much rain and snow this winter, scientist think that the pollen count will be high this year meaning, your allergy problems have just begun.

    If you don’t want to suffer with allergy symptoms all Spring, rest assured that there are ways to avoid them. Headaches, sore throats, runny noses and itchy eyes are all symptoms of seasonal allergies and can be avoided with a few simple tricks.

    The best way to avoid these annoying allergy symptoms is to avoid the allergens that cause them. To do this you first have to find out what allergens cause your symptoms. You can do this by trial and error or seeing your doctor to determine the cause or causes of your allergies. Once you know what causes your symptoms, you can avoid it and hopefully find some relief.

    Another way to battle allergens is with over the counter medications. There are numerous ones to choose from and some work and some don’t. The type of allergies you have and the type of relief you want can determine the medicine you buy. If you have to work during the day or have children to care for, you may want to choose an allergy medication that does not cause drowsiness. If you have been battling seasonal allergies for a while and are exhausted, you may not mind getting a little rest.

    Since the weather is a major cause of seasonal allergies, it makes since to avoid going outside when the weather conditions are bad. If you notice it has been particularly rainy or windy, you may want to stay inside to avoid being exposed to pollen and other allergens that are found outside. Nobody likes to stay inside on a nice day but nobody likes to sneeze their head off either.

    Don’t let seasonal allergies control your life, take control of them and learn to cope with the symptoms and avoid exposure in the future. Allergy season isn’t over yet but with the right preparations, you can make it through with no problems.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Seasonal Allergies Going Bonkers? Blame Weather

    One moment it’s reasonably warm, giving you all the hope against hope in the world that spring might come early. The next day, it’s below freezing. Such has been the crazy weather over the past couple of weeks.

    If that weren’t bad enough, you may find that your seasonal allergy symptoms show up and disappear without warning.

    Don’t think you’re going crazy; there’s a good chance your symptoms are linked to the rising and dropping temperatures.

    Around 36 million people in the United States have to put up with seasonal allergies every year. What should be a time to enjoy warm weather (when those annoying gnats aren’t flying in your face…) becomes a season associated with sneezing, itching, watery red eyes, and embarrassingly runny noses.

    As you may or may not know, this seasonal allergies are typically blamed on pollen. Thanks to our particularly wet winter season, medical experts like Dr. Mark Schecker thinks it will be particularly bad this year.

    The reason people are seeing symptoms come and go almost overnight has to do with the cold temperatures delaying the pollination that brings with it terrible seasonal allergy symptoms.

    For the bursts of warm weather that may have triggered these allergy symptoms, Dr. Schecker recommends over the counter treatment options such as Claratin, Zyrtec, Allegra and nose sprays.

    These are generally recommended for the more mild symptoms people may be experiencing. Anything too severe might require a prescription.

    Sooner rather than later, Old Man Winter will be headed on vacation. What can sufferers do to cope once we get hit will spring season full on?

    Some allergy sufferers have abandoned OTC treatments and prescriptions altogether, seeking relief from natural herbal supplements and home remedies. If this is you, then remember to do your research. Some items may be natural in orgin, but they can still cause dangerous allergic reactions.

    Whatever you do, don’t let seasonal allergies get in the way of finally enjoying some warm weather.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Tips For Outsmarting Those Seasonal Allergies

    While many people are anxiously awaiting the end of winter and cold weather, others are dreading the day that spring makes its arrival. Why? Those nasty seasonal allergies!

    The common triggers, pollen and mold, will soon be floating through the air, and allergies will be in full swing. Those who suffer from allergies know that it is not just a simple sneeze that will be affecting their lives. Rather, a myriad of symptoms accompany those sneezes including: airway inflammation, runny nose, itchy and scratchy throat, excessive coughing, and experiencing shortness of breath.

    So, what should you do to outsmart those seasonal allergies? The first step is to know your allergy triggers. If you notice these symptoms around the same time every year, you should probably visit an allergy doctor, known as an allergist.

    “Skin or blood tests for allergies can help pinpoint the seasons where medication may be needed, or if allergies are present at all,” says Dr. Mark Millard, a pulmonologist at Baylor University Medical Center and the Medical Director at the Martha Foster Lung Care Center. “Many of the allergens that increase airway inflammation leading to exercise-triggering are actually indoors: cats, dogs, dust mites and mold can really set the stage for a bad attack outdoors, because of the inflammation set up by daily exposure to these allergens.”

    According to an article How to Treat Seasonal Allergies by Daniel Moore MD, there are many things you can do to avoid pollen exposure.

    •Keep windows closed prevent pollen from drifting into your home.
    •Minimize early morning activity when pollen is usually emitted — between 5-10 a.m.
    •Keep your car windows closed when traveling.
    •Stay indoors when the pollen count is reported to be high, and on windy days when pollen may be present in higher amounts in the air.
    •Take a vacation during the height of the pollen season to a more pollen-free area, such as the beach or sea.
    •Avoid mowing the lawn and freshly cut grass.
    •Machine-dry bedding and clothing. Pollen may collect in laundry if it is hung outside to dry.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Seasonal Allergies: Get Rid Of This Yearly Nuisance

    You know what’s terrible? After months of freezing, icy, and depressingly gray weather, spring brings with it a whole new problem for a significant portion of Americans: seasonal allergies.

    That’s right, spring is not the welcome rescue from winter for everyone. For some poor souls it’s a time of endless sneezing, itchy eyes, and runny noses.

    Seasonal allergies are said to impact nearly 35 million Americans each year.

    If that’s you, you probably found your way to this article in the midst of a desperate attempt to find relief or figure out a game plan while there’s still time.

    Well there’s good news for you as indeed there are ways of effectively dealing with seasonal allergies. Even better, you don’t have to run to your local pharmacy to get prescriptions for the treatments.

    The increasingly sought after remedies for dealing with seasonal allergies are in fact simple, and in many cases homemade, natural remedies.

    One popular choice is called butterbur. Butterbur is a European herb that has behind it a series of successful clinical trials.

    According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, a tablet of butterbur extract or Ze 339 taken four times a day was just as effective as popular antihistamine medications at controlling seasonal allergies. The big difference is that it did so without the familiar side effect of drowsiness.

    You may have noticed an increase in saline nose sprays in the allergy section of the local drug store. This simple salt water mixture is said to be good for the removal of pollen from the sinuses and for getting rid of mucus.

    Saline nose sprays can be used in conjunction with herbal supplements such as goldenseal, which is an astringent with antibacterial properties.

    Other popular choices include grape seed oil, freeze-dried nettles, and quercetin (a flavanoid compound).

    Before getting carried away with all things Mother Nature, it’s strongly recommended that you do your research on any herbal remedy and the possible side effects.

    Even though a growing number people are seeking natural remedies to avoid the unpleasant side-effects of man-made medicines, side effects and allergic reactions are still something to be wary off when opting for all nature treatments.

    There is hope for seasonal allergy sufferers, just be certain the natural remedies you choose are safe and effective.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons