Many people have seasonal allergic reactions to airborne pollens, grass and weeds. If you’re really unlucky, you’re stuck managing year-round with indoor allergens like animal dander, dust mites and mold. 

You don’t have to suffer!  Most people with typical allergies manage with Over-the-Counter (OTC) medicine.  There are plenty of affordable generic allergy products, with the same active ingredients as the name brands.  They can reduce or eliminate the allergic response and help you get through the seasons with minimal discomfort.

Most Popular Allergy Relief Products

Allergy Medications - Nip allergies in the bud with these allergy relief  tabs and liquids, name brand or super value generic brands – your choice.  For alcohol-free, sugar-free allergy congestion relief, try Expectorant Liquid Diabetic Tussin.

Shop all OTC Cold & Allergy Remedies

Nasal Strips - Open up those nasal passages so you can breath! Sleep better and perhaps even quiet those snores. 

Air Purifiers - Indoor allergy sufferers rejoice! HEPA and Ionic Air Purifiers remove bacteria, mold, dust mites and other allergens from the air.  Some remove nearly 100% of all toxins. Eureka!

Shop all Air Filters/Ionizers

Asthma? Check out our Breathing Therapy Products

Humidifiers - Humidifiers are great in certain climates, for every day use.  They come in sizes small enough for your office, bedroom or entire house!  Some cool, some warm.  All great! Some of them have built-in ionizers that clean the air as well.

Read Do You Need a Humidifier?

Shop all Humidifiers and Vaporizers

Read Humidifier Types and Tips

Allergy Control Pillows - Hedge your bet against allergies with a hypoallergenic bed pillow.

Shop all Allergy Bed Products

Snoring Treatments - Anti-snore devices can be an easy solution to endless nights of disruptive sleep, but not every product works for every person.  We see that by the individual reviews.  They either work or they don’t depending on how you sleep, your size, the size of your mouth, teeth… it goes on.  The alternatives to these low cost devices, however, can be even more daunting than trying them out.   

Shop by Condition: Allergies, Nasal

More Allergy Blog Posts:

Yo Sneezy! Stop Tromping through the Forest

Allergy Relief Begins at Home

Here’s to a sneeze-free allergy season! Thanks, as always, for doing business with Allegro Medical.  We appreciate you.

The key to prevention is protection.  But with more than 200 strains of cold virus and three types of  flu viruses floating around it’s no wonder that so many people catch these highly contagious bugs.  All you have to do is inhale infected air, share infected items or touch tainted surfaces then touch your hands to your nose, eyes or mouth and BAM, the virus is yours.  Flu shots are formulated to prevent Types A and B viruses, but can’t touch Type C.  And the common cold, well, the causes of 30% to 50% of adult colds remain a mystery.

Allegro’s Cold/Flu Season Category has a wide selection of products to help prevent and relieve cold and flu symptoms.  Ideal for everyone from individuals to caregivers, schools, offices, stores, clinics, homes and hospitals – it’s time for everyone to take stock and be prepared.

Cold and Flu Products

Personal Protection Masks and Hand Sanitizers - If you are in close contact with cold or flu victims, protect yourself from inhaling virus infected droplets in the air with a face mask (level of effectiveness depends on masks rating) and keep your hands sanitized to provide the first level of protection against viruses.

Exam Gloves- Gloves provide protection from viruses that can survive on surfaces – especially in health care and caregiver settings.  Keep a box handy also for household chores, messes and hobbies.  Great for changing the oil, gardening, cleaning, pet clean-up and much more.

Shop all Exam Gloves

Cold & Flu Diagnostic Products- With flu comes fever, which is likely the easiest way to distinguish between a flu and a cold.  What’s your temperature?  Also find tongue depressors, otoscopes and other diagnostic products for kids and adults alike.  Say ahhhhhhh.

Shop all Diagnostic Products 

Pain Relief / Comfort – Stock up on products that will help you feel better if that ol’ flu or cold bug catches you.   Heating pads, cooling pads and fluffy slippers, mostly.

Shop all Pain Relief

Shop all Hot/Cold Therapy

Shop all Heat/Heating Pads

Respiratory/Breathing Products - Loosen tight chests and ease your breathing with humidifiers, vaporizors and nebulizers.

Shop all Humidifiers/Vaporizers 

Shop all Respiratory Therapy

Surface Sanitizers / Disinfectants - These hospital-grade disinfectants and surface sanitizers kill bugs and bacteria you didn’t know existed.  Wipe down counters, walls, bannisters, door knobs, desks, tables and other surfaces in the home, office, clinic or school to keep everyone safe.  Read product descriptions and directions carefully!

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medications - Generic and name brand aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, nausea relief, cough syrup, Mucinex, naproxen sodium, sleep aids and more.  Super values.  Stock up today!

Shop all OTC Medications

Shop all Cold & Allergy Remedies

Shop all Dietary Supplements and Nutrition

Still looking?  Shop by Condition: Cold / Flu

Please try to stay well!  And remember to ask you doc if you should get a flu shot.

The key to reducing allergy symptoms is to avoid contact with irritants like dust mites, dust, mold, smoke, pollen and animal dander all together.  Easier said than done!  So, you can at least reduce contact with these allergens by taking a few precautions to round them up or keep them out of your house to begin with.

Allergy Relief Products that Work at Home

HEPA Air Purifiers and Ionizers – High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter devices and air cleaners range in all sizes from table-top to room size and capture nearly all types of pollutants.  A must for serious allergy sufferers.

Humidifiers/Vaporizers -  Keeping humidity low helps control dust mites (the leading cause of nasal allergies), but too-dry air can irritate nasal passages and make allergy symptoms worse.  Best to regulate the humidity in your home to between 30% and 50%.  Keep tabs on your moisture levels with a Mold Alert Thermometer/Hygrometer.

Allergy-Free Bedding – Shop for mattress covers, hypoallergenic bed pillows, support pillows and pillow covers.  All designed to block out allergen molecules while still allowing air to pass through.  Dust mites don’t have a chance.

Over-the-Counter Allergy Medicines – Allegro carries many name brand and generic allergy relief medications.  Check out our selection and save on generic brands with the same active ingredients as your favorite name brands!

See all Allergy Products

Keep allergens out of your home and give yourself a fighting chance for a sneeze-free spring!

Thanks for being an Allegro customer.  We appreciate your business.

Asthma attacks can last for minutes or even days and are generally characterized by coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness.  

Asthma is generally treated or controlled with anti-inflammatory drugs and bronchodilators but asthma symptoms can be substantially reduced by avoiding exposure to known allergens and respiratory irritants such as pollen, dust mites, mold and animal dander. Other asthma triggers include irritants like smoke, pollution, fumes, cleaning chemicals and sprays. 

Popular Asthma Products

Nebulizers- Nebulizers deliver lifesaving aerosolized liquid medicine to the lungs through a tube-like mouthpiece.  Allegro offers a wide assortment of nebulizers including the latest piston-powered, pediatric nebs, hand-held ultrasonic nebulizers and compact nebulizers.  We suggest the MABISMist II Handheld Ultrasonic Nebulizer, the CompMist Compressor Nebulizer Kit or the Beetle Neb Compact Ultrasonic Nebulizer.

See All Nebulizers and Accessories

Metered Dose Inhalers (MDI)- Doctors most commonly prescribe inhalers to deliver asthma medication, largely because these are more convenient and portable than nebulizers. 

See our full line of Breathing Therapy Products.

Peak Flow Meters – Highly Recommended and Low Cost!!Asthma sufferers ages 4 and up should have a peak flow meter at home to help recognize early signs of worsening asthma or a pending attack.  Readings can predict an attack hours or even days before asthma symptoms appear.  Be sure you always know your baseline measurement that reflects your best breathing.

Peak Flow Meter Ranges per WebMD:

• If your peak flow meter shows numbers between 50% and 80% of your personal best, an asthma attack has likely begun.
• A number below 50% signals an emergency that needs immediate attention.
• Call 911 if you have trouble walking or talking due to shortness of breath, or if your lips are blue or gray.

Finger Pulse Oximeters- A pulse oximeter is a diagnostic tool that enables the indirect measurement of the percentage of oxygenated hemoglobin in the blood.  Pulse oximetry is commonly used in the assessment of children with asthma and wheezing.  Parents or caregivers of children with asthma may have a home oximeter that is used, under a doctor’s instruction and recommendation, when asthma symptoms are present to determine the severity of an asthma attack. 

Allergy Products- Half the battle of managing asthma is avoiding asthma causing triggers.  See our Allergy Condition for products to help you stay away from asthma and allergy irritants.  Pay special attention to our allergy-free bedding and pillows and Humidifiers / Vaporizers.

Visit Allegro’s Asthma Condition product listing for all asthma products and may you breathe easy all the days of your life. 

Thanks for being one of Allegro’s 1 Million+ Customers!

The weird thing about nasal allergies – those caused mainly by dust mites, plant pollens, animal dander and mold spores – is that the symptoms sometimes don’t show up until HOURS later.  I can be totally fine all day and then BAM! that night I’m a sneezy, drippy mess.  Apparently it’s called ‘late phase reaction’ and they think it is related to airway inflammation.   Now, Fluffy the cat may cause an immediate reaction for you.  That’s an ‘early phase reaction’ or Type 1 allergic reaction.  Read more about Allergic Inflammation and you’ll see how incredibly complex it is.  No wonder it is hard to treat all the different kinds of allergies.

Back to avoidance.  It’s hard to know what to avoid if you don’t know what is causing your allergies.  You might think about getting tested. 

If you know what you’re allergic to, here are some suggestions on how to avoid them:

Pollen – Close your windows and use your air conditioning, especially in the bedroom.  Avoid morning exercise outside because pollen levels are higher then.  Tree pollen is prevalent in early spring.  Avoid grass pollen in May and June and weed pollen in late summer and fall.  If you’re allergic to ragweed, watch out from mid-August until mid-October.

Dust Mites – Keep your bedroom clean of mites – those little microscopic creatures that live and poop in your bedding, pillows and mattresses.   Mite-proof your pillows and mattresses with Allergy-Free Pillows, Anti-Allergy Pillow Cases and Anti-Allergen Mattress Encasings.  Read Why Your Pillow is Gross.  Wash your bedding every week in hot water (130 degrees).  Wash your blankets and comforters once or twice a month.  If you live in a humid environment, think about getting a de-humidifier.  Dust mites thrive in humid climates.

Pets – Keep them out of the bedroom or out of the house all together.  Keep them off the furniture.  Talk to your doctor about medication that may help your symptoms and save you from giving your pet away.  Have someone else bathe Fido on a weekly basis.  Consider removing your carpet from common areas of the home.  Vacuum frequently with a vacuum that has a HEPA filter.  Monitor your reactions to pet dander carefully.  Even after the animal is gone there will still be dander flying around for months so you should steam clean all carpeting and furniture, plus clean the drapes and bedding. 

Indoor Mold – Outdoor air is usually the cause of indoor mold but humidity in your kitchen, bathroom and basement can also cause indoor spores that lead to an increase in allergic rhinitis symptoms.  If you see mold or mildew in your house, kill it with a 5 to 10% diluted bleach solution.  Check for water leaks and make sure moist areas are ventilated or use a de-humidifier to reduce mold growth.  Use your bathroom exhaust fan after showering and in your kitchen to remove water vapors.  Keep your refrigerator clean and trash cans clean and closed.  Don’t store things in your basement or attic that can accumlate mold.  If you have water damage or a lot of mold, call someone.  It’s dangerous and the damaged parts may need to be removed.  Check your house with a Mold Alert.

And if you’re sneezy, don’t tromp through the forest. 

See our Top 5 Allergy Products. 

Bless you for your continued support.

If you can’t tell, and it is April in AZ, it’s probably nasal allergies.

Back when, folks moved here from other States to get away from allergens, and for the dry air.  But, ooops, they brought their allergy trees with them and now they are everywhere, chock full of pollenous sneezeballs.  Nice going, ancestors.

Okay, so here are our Top 5 Allergy Products.  Feel better!

1.    Autodrop Eye Drop Guide -  I pride myself on my eye dropping prowess.  But hey, not everyone is rock steady with  nerves of steel.  That’s probably why we sell so many of these!  Don’t waste another drop, squirting your forehead and your ears and chin with allergy eye drops.  Let us guide you.

2.     Multi-Tech 2000 Air Purifier.  With a name like that, who could resist?  It combines 6 proven air-cleaning technologes into one unit, including a true HEPA Filter.  Removes dust, allergens, mold, micro-organism, cigarette smoke, odors, chemicals, bacteria and much more.

See all Air Purifiers.

3.     Allergy-Free Pillow – Everyone should have a hypoallergenic pillow even if you don’t have allergies.  The extremely small fabric pore size creates a barrier to allergens including lint, dust, dust mites and their… um… by-products.  Raise your hand if you want to avoid sleeping on dust mite poo!  That’s what I thought.  You can put your hand down now.  You’ll need it for ordering.   Read Why Your Pillow is Gross and How to Pick a New One.  Go a step further and spring for a Zip & Block Anti-Allergen Mattress Encasing.

See All Pillows.

4.    Ultrasonic, Cool-Mist Humidifier 2500X – Makes you feel better.  Keeps your nasal passages moist.  This one has an optional Ion-Exchange Filter.  Read Humidifier Types & Tips for more ideas.

5.    Nasal Spray – Saline 1.5 oz – Squirt this up your nose if it is dry or if you have nasal congestion.  It helps keep your nose moist inside and it shrinks swollen nasal membranes.  Great especially if you have to fly and you have allergies.  It seems to help me ward off sinus infections too, when I’m feeling sinus congestion,  but don’t take that as medical advice.  Use Simply Saline Nasal Moist Gel with Aloe ‘around’ the nose for soothing relief.

Bonus Tip:  Save your marriage and try the Snore Wizard if your allergy induced snoring is driving your spouse crazy.

See All Nasal Allergy Products.

For tips on avoiding nasal allergens, read Yo Sneezy! Stop Tromping through the Forest.

The air in your house in the winter, no matter how temperate the climate, can get very dry. It happens right about when the heater starts clicking on. That’s when the humidifier comes out.  Experts say that you should keep the indoor relative humidity (water vapor in the air) at between 35% and 55%. Get a hygrometer to easily test your humidity levels.  It works like a thermometer.

Why Do You Need a Humidifier?

* Your Health:   Low humidity dries your skin, causes nasal situations and makes your eyes itchy.  Humidifiers keep your skin moisturized, help relieve cold and flu symptoms and can relieve asthma symptoms (check with your doc first).  The American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as other medical organizations, recommend the use of humidifiers and vaporizers for treating upper respiratory infections.   Proper humidity levels year round will help you avoid colds, bloody noses and sinus problems.

* Lower Utility Costs: You will feel warmer at a lower temperature so you can turn your thermostat down a couple degrees in the winter. 

* Your Furniture, Art and Instruments: Dry air can ruin your wood floors, wood furniture, piano, guitar and artwork.

*  Your Electronics:  Dry air causes static electricity.  Sometimes funny, sometimes just a pain, but these ”zaps” can wipe out computers and electronics.

What kind of humidifer do you need?  Read Humidifier Types & Tips.

If you have a portable humidifer, are you keeping it clean or Is Your Humidifier Making You Sick?

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 than 1 lb.

SonicAire Humidifier – Ultrasonic cool mist with built-in air purifying ionizer.  2 gallon tank for up to 30 hours of operation without refills.

 
Impeller humidifiers produce a cool mist with a rotating disk.

Sunbeam Cool Mist Impeller Humidifier – Perfect for small to medium-sized rooms.  Produces a refreshing cool mist.  Contemporary design. 

Evaporative humidifiers use a  fan to blow air through a wet wick, filter or belt.

Care-Free Humidifier Plus - 2.5 gallon.  PermaWick, mechanical humidistat, NiteGlo night light and 2-speed whisper quiet Hunter fan.  Needs no regular maintenance.  Clean once a year.  Triple antibacterial SafeSystem protects 100% agains bacteria, molds & spores.

Steam vaporizers use electricity to create steam that cools before leaving the machine. Avoid this type of humidifier if you have children; hot water inside this type of humidifier may cause burns if it’s spilled.

Sunbeam Warm Mist Vaporizer Humidifier - Produces a soothing warm mist to combat coughs and colds.  Great for small rooms.  Up to 14 hours on 1 filling.  Sleek and compact.  Easy to clean.

Humidifier Tips:

• Keep your humidifier clean and maintained or you could get sick. Dirty reservoirs and  filters quickly grow bacteria and mold.  Read Is Your Humidifier Making You Sick?
• Talk to your doctor about using a humidifier if you have asthma or allergies.
• Test the humidity in your home with a hygrometer or “Mold Alert”. A healthy range is between 35% and 55%.
• Rule of thumb: 40°F outside 45% humidity inside; 20°F out, 35% in; 0°F out, 25% in, -10°F out, 20% in.
• Move to another State if it’s 10 below in the winter.  Okay, anyway…
• High humidity can be remedied by an air conditioner or dehumidifier.
• Some rooms will be higher in humidity than others.  Even if you have a central humidifier unit, you may need to regulate some rooms with separate units.
• You can remove excess  humidity in kitchen and baths by running the vent/fan during cooking and bathing, and afterwards for about 20 minutes.
• You may consider a cool mist humidifier for children, so they don’t risk accidental steam burns.

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 on your furniture. You may also breathe in some minerals that are dispersed into the air. In addition, use demineralization cartridges or filters if recommended by the manufacturer.

• Change humidifier water often. Don’t allow film or deposits to develop inside your humidifiers. Empty the tanks, dry the inside surfaces and refill with clean water every day if possible.

• Clean humidifiers every three days. Unplug the humidifier before you clean it. Remove any mineral deposits or film from the tank or other parts of the humidifier with a 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution, which is available at pharmacies. Some manufacturers recommend using chlorine bleach or other disinfectants.

• Always rinse the tank after cleaning to keep harmful chemicals from becoming airborne — and then inhaled.

• Change humidifier filters regularly. If the humidifier has a filter, change it at least as often as the manufacturer recommends — and more often if it’s dirty.

• Keep the area around humidifiers dry. If the area around a humidifier becomes damp or wet — including windows, carpeting, drapes or tablecloths — turn the humidifier down or reduce how frequently you use it.

• Prep humidifiers for storage. Drain and clean humidifiers before storing them. And then clean them again when you take them out of storage for use. Throw away all used cartridges, cassettes or filters.

• Follow instructions for central humidifiers. If you have a humidifier built into your central heating and cooling system, read the instruction manual or ask your heating and cooling specialist about proper maintenance.

• Consider replacing your humidifier each season. Over time, your humidifier can build up deposits that are difficult or impossible to remove and encourage growth of bacteria. Even if you plan to toss out your humidifier at the end of the season, it still needs frequent cleaning in the meantime.

 To keep humidifiers free of harmful mold, fungi and bacteria, follow the guidelines recommended by the manufacturer.

Buy one from Allegro Medical that needs very little maintenance, like the 3.5 Gallon Care Free Humidifier Plus with 100% protection against bateria, molds and spores. 

For more info, see  Humidifier Types & Tips.

It may be time for a new pillow for several reasons.  Here’s a really good one . . . it is probably crawling with fungi and buggies.  Yes, it’s true.  The journal “Allergy”, published in 2006, says that pillows as young as 18 months old contained up to 47 different kinds of fungi!  The researchers found about four to 16 fungi species per pillow, with synthetic pillows having more.  In that case, if you have allergies or asthma, your pillow is probably not helping matters.   Besides, it’s gross.  Consider tossing your old pillows and replacing them with a new fungus free or anti-microbial pillows.  While you’re at it, you might as well choose your pillows according to the most important criteria:  how you sleep.

At AllegroMedical.com we display about 70 bed pillows in our Pillows category.  To save you the trouble, I’ve separated them according to sleep type and specialty pillows.  I’m searching for the perfect pillow myself, so I’m hoping this endeavor will bear fruit for us all.  

 The perfect pillow will keep your head aligned right on top of your shoulders when lying down – not too far to either side, or up and down.  Therefore, the thickness of your pillow is important, depending on how you sleep.  Think you need the biggest, longest, fluffiest, most expensive pillow every made?  Au contraire.   In fact, pillows that are too dense, fluffy or wide merely create tension in your neck and shoulders.

Pillows by Sleep Type

Side Sleeper Pillows are lofty and thick so they keep your head staight by filling in the space between your head and shoulders.   Our most popular pillow, the Better Sleep Pillow was originally designed for side sleepers, but it also works great for back sleepers and stomach sleepers because of it’s mult-positional, multi-functional contoured design.   This is also true of our Sleepmatterzzz Dual-Valve Cervical Pillow, a super popular pillow with 5 star reviews.  See all Sleepmatterzzz pillows.

Back Sleeper pillows are designed so that when you are lying on your back your head stays neutral – perfectly aligned with your spine, sitting squarely on your shoulders.   We have several pillows that support both side and back sleepers by automatically adjusting as your sleeping position changes.  If you alternate between your back and your side (or your side and your stomach) be sure to get one that works in multiple positions.  

Stomach sleepers are just weird.  Okay, that’s what I tell my stomach sleeper boyfriend Todd anyway.  Seriously, though, experts say it is not the best way to sleep because if your bed is soft and you use a pillow, then you are not keeping your head neutral.  But if you must sleep on your stomach then please use a specially designed pillow, a very thin pillow or no pillow at all.  The Sleepmatterzzz Dual-Valve Cervical Pillow would be perfect for sleepers who switch from their side to their stomach. 

Specialty Pillows

Allergy-Free Pillows and Covers are a must for allergy sufferers.  We even have an Anti-Allergen Mattress Cover. 

Anti-Snore Pillows:  The Snore-No-More Anti Snoring Pillow is our most popular,  but from reading the reviews, it either works or it doesn’t work at all.  It was featured in Woman’s World Magazine as the “best snoring pillow” though, and it seems to help a lot of people.   See our Snoring Section for all of our anti-snoring products.

Bed Wedges and Body Positioners are ideal for helping your body maintain a comfortable body position while you sleep.  They are often used for post-surgery bedrest , footrest or blank support as well.  The leg/knee wedges and back wedges are especially popular.  You can put them between your knees for side sleeping, or under your knees, or behind your back.

Body Pillows are especially good for side sleepers and pregnant women who like to keep their spines aligned, and circulation going by sleeping with a pillow between their knees.

Cervical Pillows come in all shapes and sizes, but they are all designed to support the neck.   Cervial pillows help relieve pain associated with muscle tension, stress and strain by promoting proper alignment and support.   

Cooling Pillows/Covers are heaven for hot summer nights and hot flashes.   I have two Chillow Pillows that I use all Arizona summer long.  They are super popular and I highly recommend them.   

Water Pillows allow you to personalize your pillow by filling a water pouch inside the pillow for soft, medium or firm support.

You can’t tell what’s going to work until you sleep on it so try to get the one that fits the best with your sleep style.  In my case, I’ve kissed a lot of toads, but I will continue to seek out the perfect pillow.  Even punching and feeling it in a retail store doesn’t make much of a difference. 

See our new category, Beds,  and also read how to retrofit the rest of your bed in my blog Bed Check for Better Sleep.

At least we have a lot of products to choose from, right?  Happy shopping!

-v