According to medical research at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, the prevalence of children’s allergies to common foods and other elements is raising sharply throughout the United States. Every year, it seems, parents are increasingly besieged by the allergy attacks of their children. It’s difficult to say whether this has to do with the environment or with changing norms in early childhood care and development. Whatever the case may be, it can be tricky for parents to deal with.
Being allergic is a nuisance. Not only can allergies interfere with daily activities, having an attack is draining, often leaving a sufferer feeling listless, and many times, with chapped noses from constantly wiping away the after effects of sneezy, drippy noses. Even with non-drowsy medication and over the counter (OTC) drugs, these formulas are not strong enough to put a halt to a full-blown allergy attack and the vicious circle of sneezing, dripping and wiping continues.
Homeopathic cures are getting popular—since allergy medicines can sometimes be almost as disruptive as the symptoms they suppress—but there is no one approach that has a 100% success rate.
So now that allergy season is officially upon us what should we do?
If you are a new allergy sufferer, determining what “things” trigger an assault to the sinuses is your first step in controlling the issues specific to your situation. For those of you who have been dealing with allergies for any length of time, you may know many of the basic steps to an allergy-free environment but just in case you’ve forgotten, the list below is a good place to start for some additional information that may help you get through allergy season.
Steps to Consider
- See your doctor. Before dosing yourself with assorted allergy OTC pills and nasal sprays, talk to your doctor. If your doctor suggests that you or your family member is tested to determine what is causing your allergies, have the tests. By doing so, you will have access to the appropriate dosage of prescribed medication to alleviate and control ongoing allergy episodes.
- If allergies affect you when you are working outdoors due to sensitivity to pollen from budding flowers and trees, if possible, limit the amount of time you spend outdoors during the heaviest time when flowers and trees are blooming. Wearing a disposable mask, available at local home improvement stores, is also advisable when mowing the grass or using a weed-eater as the mask filters out airborne particles created by the action of the lawn tools. You can also wear a mask when vacuuming or dusting to filter the air as you inhale.
- Clean air in the home is important to everyone, but for an allergy sufferer it’s critical. Dust, pollen, smoke from a fireplace, cigarette smoke, animal dander and mold are a few things that can cause allergic reactions. These reactions can lead to sneezing, itchy eyes and stuffed-up noses that drip like a faucet. To lessen the quantity of allergens and improve air quality, use a vacuum cleaner equipped with an environmentally friendly air filter to remove allergen particles in your home and garage.
- A major step in helping allergy sufferers is keeping the air conditioner filter clean – whether you use a central air and heat unit, wall unit, or portable unit. Filters working at their peak performance improve the quality of air in your home and remove those pesky dust and dander airborne allergens. A new filter should be part of your maintenance regimen for your HVAC or portable system to keep the unit running at peak capacity. Replacing a standard filter with one that is designed to remove the tiniest of particles is a sure way to eliminate allergy attacks. To gauge the efficacy of filters available for purchase, you’ll want to check out their MERV rating. You can purchase these types of filters with a high MERV rating online from DiscountFilters.com’s air filter resource center.
Following these basic steps can help alleviate symptoms and attacks for allergy prone sufferers. With clean air provided by quality air conditioner filters and a prescribed regimen by your doctor for appropriate medications, you can live in an enjoyable allergy-free life all year.
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