Thinking about moving to Arizona to avoid nasal allergies? Think again, my friend. Allergens are everywhere.  Pollen, dust, animal dander, mold – all seemingly harmless until your body mistakes them for something sinister, like bacteria or a virus.  Next thing you know, bam!  You’re a red-eyed sneeze monster.  Many people have seasonal allergic reactions to [...]

Changes in weather, back-to-school germs, commuter travel, jobs in health care, stress and allergies are just a few of the factors working against you in the cold- and flu-avoidance areas.  Bottom line, if your immune system is shaky and you hang around a lot of people, you’re wide open for a virus.   And if you’re a stressed out school nurse that takes [...]

Sure, take your prescription antihistamines and over-the-counter allergy medications.  After all, it’s a sneezy itchy mess out there.  But according to WebMD Health News, 60% of people with springtime allergies have limited success treating their symptoms, by any means.  There is “no single magic bullet” to eliminate allergy attacks. The key to reducing allergy symptoms [...]

Asthma is serious business.  According to the CDC there are approximately 16 million Americans who currently have asthma, 7 million of whom are children.  In fact, asthma is the most prevalent chronic illness in children affecting nearly 10% of the population.   Asthma attacks can last for minutes or even days and are generally characterized by coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest [...]

There are very few ways to avoid nasal allergies but hey, it’s worth a try, right?  For example, I’m allergic to the yellow sneeze balls hanging from the allergy trees that line one side of my street.  (I’m sure they have a real name, but that will do for now).  So, what do I do?  [...]

Allergies are in full bloom here.  The sounds of sneezes and sniffles fill the air here at the Allegro HQ and everyone is asking themselves… “Do I have a cold?  Is it Allergies?  Do I have a cold?….  If you can’t tell, and it is April in AZ, it’s probably nasal allergies. Back when, folks moved [...]

I remember my mom and dad dumping buckets of water into the big humidifier in our living room each winter in Nebraska. I loved the warm moist mist that steamed from it, making the hot dry air pumped out by the furnace a little easier to breathe. I never really thought about it until I moved out [...]

First of all, Do You Need a Humidifier? Humidifier Types: Central humidifiers are built into home heating and air conditioning systems and are designed to humidify the whole house.   Ultrasonic humidifiers produce a cool mist with ultrasonic vibration. Surround Air MiniAire Humidifier – A palm-sized humidifier that’s perfect for your office or car.  Weighs less [...]

Apparently you can get really, really sick if you don’t keep your portable humidifier clean.  Here are Mayo Clinic’s Tips for portable humidifiers: Use distilled or demineralized water. Tap water contains minerals that can create deposits inside your humidifier that promote bacterial growth. And, when released into the air, these minerals often appear as white dust [...]

Your pillow is just as important as your mattress when chasing that perfect night’s sleep.  If you have headaches, neck pains, shoulder pains, numbness, sneezing, snoring or wheezing when you wake up, your pillow may not be causing the problem, but it is likely contributing.    It may be time for a new pillow for several reasons.  Here’s [...]