Respiratory Therapy

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.

According to Huffington Post, in a small study of 26 people with spinal cord injuries 77% of the people in the study had sleep apnea. Almost all the people in the study reported that they had problems sleeping in general.

True or False.  Cold weather makes you sick? If you were like me and said true, then you’re in the same boat as the majority of the population. This misconception has been repeated for so long that we all start to believe it is true. The magnificent thing about science is the ability to challenge and prove theories. So how come more people get sick in the winter than in the summer? It comes down to the simple fact that people are inside together for longer periods of time¹. With the days getting shorter and people staying inside for longer periods of time person to person contact increases.  The heightened contact of sick people talking, coughing, and sneezing are the top causes of cold and flu transmission ².

Flu season is unpredictable and varies from season to season with new flu strains appearing each year.  Typically, flu season peaks in January or February; however, flu activity can begin starting around October.

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. 

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 the train to work, well, um . . . good luck.  :)

Freshen up, cool off and beat the summer heat with these Top 10 cooling products from Allegro. 

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.

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.  

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?....