Allergies- Ways to Feel Better

In many cases, allergy symptoms are difficult to differentiate from the symptoms of other disorders and illnesses, such as cold, a deformity of the nose, or a food intolerance. For this reason, many doctors suggest that allergies be properly diagnosed by
a board-certified allergist to avoid the self administration of inappropriate medication or other remedies. Also, some allergy sufferers can benefit from today's wide range of available treatments, such as new treatment antihistamine that won't cause drowsiness, nasal corticosteroids, and allergy injections that can provide immunity to a specific allergen.

Some mild allergies, like seasonal hay fever or an allergy to cats, can be treated with a combination of properly used, over-the counter antihistamines and a wide range of strategies to reduce or eliminate your exposure to particularly annoying allergens.

There are some ways to help reduce the discomfort caused by the most common allergies. The following ways may be used in combination with an allergist's treatment or, if your allergies are mild, by themselves.

• Avoid the culprit. At times, the best way to reduce discomfort is to avoid exposure to allergen as much as possible.
  
• Rinse you eyes. If your eyes are itchy and irritated and you have no access to allergy medicine, rinsing your eyes with cool, clean water may help soothe them.
• Try a warm washcloth. If sinus passages feel congested and painful, a washcloth soaked in warm water may make things flow a bit easier. You can place the washcloth over the nose and upper-cheek area and relax for a few minutes.
• Use saline solution. Irrigating the nose with saline solution may help soothe upper-respiratory allergies by removing irritants that become lodged in the nose, causing inflammation.
• Wash your hair. If you spent long hours outdoors during pollen season, wash your hair after you come inside to remove pollen.
• Take a shower. If you wake up in the middle of the night with a coughing, sneezing allergy attack, a hot shower may wash off any pollen residues you've collected on your body throughout the day.
• Wear your sunglasses. Sunglasses may help shield your eyes from airborne allergen.
• Beware of the air. Since air pollution can augment allergies and may actually induce people to have allergies.
• Make your house a no-smoking zone. Tobacco smoke is a notorious irritant, either causing or aggravating respiratory allergies.
• Keep the window shut. Close windows will keep pollen out of the house apartment.
• Filter your vacuum.
• Dust with a damp cloth. Avoid using feather dusters, which tend to spread dust around.
  
• Don't dust at all. If dusting only aggravates your allergies, it's better not to do it at all.
• Dehumidify. Dust mites grow very well in humid areas.
• Think before you burn. Wood that is treated with heavy metals or other chemical-laden materials will irritate everybody, but the person that is allergic or asthmatic will have proportionally more difficulty.
• Cut through the smoke. Many people with respiratory allergies find that wood smoke poses a particular problem.
• Leave the lawn mowing to someone else. During pollen season, a grass-allergic person is better off letting someone else-anyone else-mow the lawn.
  
• Wash your pet.
  
• Make sure that your final rinse really rinses. Make sure that your final rinse cycle on your machine thoroughly rinses the detergent from your clothes.
  
• Call ahead. When planning a vacation or business trip, call ahead to find a room that will be easier on your allergies.