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.