allergies

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 of the house and started missing that "moist air feeling" in my own home. I've had a humidifier ever since.

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. 

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.

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?  I stay on the other side of the street on my walks, and I steer clear all together when it's windy.  It seems to help. 

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?.... 

Apparently you can get really, really sick if you don't keep your portable humidifier clean. 

First of all, Do You Need a Humidifier?

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.   

June 21st marked the first official day of summer and along with the great weather and vacations it’s also a time of angst for allergy sufferers. And though there are many, many symptoms of allergies to mull over and gripe about, there is one major -- and sometimes life threatening -- aspect of the allergy season that some do not consider and that’s asthma.