So, how the allergies treating you so far? Unless you got our previous posts about how to control your allergies this allergy season, probably not too great. That said, here are some more summer allergy tips, a la HealthNewsDigest.com:

• If you stay in air-conditioned areas with windows closed, you may reduce your symptoms. Be aware that symptoms will flare up the moment you go outside and may remain with you for the rest of the day.

• Window air-conditioning units are useful in filtering out large, airborne pollen particles. If you are allergic to pollen it is recommended to run the air-conditioner as much as possible during the warm-weather months. If you use an air conditioner, keep it clean. Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems harbor moisture, mold and dust.

• If you suffer from mild symptoms, over-the-counter antihistamines will help for a few hours. Caution should be taken because they may cause drowsiness. Driving and operating heavy machinery should be avoided. Occasionally, older men develop urination problems when taking antihistamines.

• If you need more relief, over-the-counter antihistamines combined with a decongestant can relieve symptoms, but read the package for health warnings. Individuals who take multiple medications, and those with chronic medical issues like hypertension or prostate problems, should consult a physician.

• If you are concerned about your symptoms, please see your physician. In almost all instances, identifying allergic sensitivities and tailoring treatment with prescription drugs, nasal sprays, eye drops, non-sedating antihistamines or allergy shots, or specific allergen avoidance can help alleviate symptoms.

Here’s an informative, hilariously corny video about the dangers of letting your children play on the carpet — home to 100,000 to 10,000,000 dreaded dust mites. It’s actually an ad for a children’s double-decker play table, but there’s much to learn from their message!

Watch the video! 

According to Wayne Peacock of the Baptist Hospital’s Sleep Disorder Center, getting a healthy amount of sleep each night is the key to maintaining a healthy weight. Many people skip some of their sleep in order to have more time to work out and do other activities (usually in an effort to lose weight), but hitting the hay for a longer period of time may be your best workout.

“Research suggests that even a modest amount of sleep deprivation can increase appetite by altering the behavior of the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which are responsible for regulating metabolism.” - Wayne Peacock

When you lose sleep you can have stronger cravings for carbs and other high-calorie foods which are obviously bad for you in the long run.

Here are a few tips from the article that may help you get some more Z’s and put you well on your way to a slimmer waistline:

• Make sleep a top priority — getting optimal sleep allows you to feel your best and be productive. Healthy sleep also helps to regulate your metabolism.
• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule — going to bed and waking up at the same time every day keeps your biological clock in tune.
• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine — a regular routine, such as having a bath or listening to soothing music, can help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
• Use your bedroom only for sleep — clear your bedroom of distractions such as computers, phones and other “sleep stealers” in order to create a positive sleep association with the bedroom.
• Avoid foods and drinks high in caffeine (coffee, sodas and tea) for at least eight hours before bedtime, and avoid alcohol for a few hours before bedtime.
• Exercise regularly, but finish your workout at least three hours before bedtime.
• If you are experiencing a sleep problem, such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or if you suffer from chronic daytime sleepiness despite allowing adequate time for sleep, talk to your health care professional.

Well, not exactly—if you’ve always been a city dweller it’s probably too late. Doctors have found that children born into rural, farm families have lower rates of allergies and asthma than urbanites. Why? If you’re exposed to dirt, bacteria and other allergens at a young age it may protect you from developing the allergies all together!

Pediatrician Bianca Schaub at the University Children’s Hospital in Munich, Germany, recruited two groups of children to test out the theory that early exposure can lead to immunity. Both groups were unborn when the testing began, but one group was of mothers who were exposed to farms during their whole pregnancy, while the other was not exposed to farms during their pregnancy. When the children were born, Schaub took blood samples and compared the two groups—the differences were obvious. Children from mothers exposed to a farm during pregnancy had higher regulatory T cells, which keep the immune system healthy. When the children got older, the ones with more T cells had fewer allergies and were less likely to have asthma.

Looks like the bed bug infestation at the Fox headquarters that we reported on a while back has led to at least one lawsuit. A 12-year veteran has filed a suit after she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome as a result of the infestation.

Jane Clark has not been able to work “after suffering emotional distress due to a continuous and ongoing bed bug problem at work,” says her lawyers. She filed a suit against the building manager, Beacon Capital, the maintenance company, Triangle Services, as well as a separate workers compensation suit against News Corp., Fox’s umbrella company.

As your teary eyes and stuffy nose might have pointed out by now, the allergy season is upon us. There are so many different ways to treat allergies and allergy symptoms, but which is right for you? The Oregonian discusses the different treatments, their benefits and drawbacks, and how you might be able to get your hands on them.
Avoidance
How it works: If the allergens don’t get to you, you don’t sneeze or get hives.
Benefits: Prevents allergies from starting. Can be low-cost.
Drawbacks: You must know what you’re allergic to in order to avoid it. And it can be hard to avoid pollen, dust mites and other widespread allergens. Items like air filters and mite-blocking mattress covers can be expensive.
How to get it: Notice when and where your allergies start and get worse, then talk to a doctor about possible causes and ways to avoid them.

Saline spray
How it works: Washes pollens and inflammatory cells from the nose.
Benefits: Cheap and easy to use.
Drawbacks: Can feel unpleasant. Doesn’t always work, especially for serious allergies.
How to get it: Available at stores for about $1.50 a bottle.

Nasal steroid spray (Flonase, etc.)
How it works: Reduces inflammation of the nose. Exactly how is not known.
Benefits: The best medicine for relieving nasal allergy symptoms including sneezing and itchy, runny noses and congestion.
Drawbacks: May cause bloody noses. Some people find the smell or feel of certain sprays unpleasant.
How to get it: A doctor must prescribe one of the many steroid sprays. Switch if you don’t like the smell or feel of one—all the brands work equally well. Price can be as much as $100 for prescription brands.

Cromolyn (NasalCrom) nasal spray
How it works: Stops allergies from happening by keeping mast cells from releasing allergy-causing chemicals. Start using a week or two before your allergy season begins.
Benefits: May prevent your allergies entirely.
Drawbacks: Works only for some people. Doesn’t help symptoms once allergies start.
How to get it: Over the counter in stores. Costs roughly $15 a bottle.

Non-sedating antihistamine pills (Claritin, Zyrtec, etc.)
How it works: Blocks inflammatory chemicals called histamines.
Benefits: Helps relieve sneezing and itchiness in the nose and throat for many people, usually without causing drowsiness.
Drawbacks: Doesn’t help congestion, so some brands mix in a decongestant (like Claritin-D). Some brands, including Zyrtec, cause sleepiness in a minority of users. Don’t double the dose, which raises the risk of sedation.
How to get it: Over the counter, though Allegra and a new drug, Xyzal, are prescription. Costs run from 7 cents a pill for generics to $3.50 a pill for Xyzal.

Sedating antihistamine pills (Benadryl, diphenhydramine)
How it works: Blocks histamines.
Benefits: Helps relieve sneezing and itchiness in the nose and throat for many people.
Drawbacks: Makes most users very sleepy, with a “significant hangover effect in the morning” that can make it dangerous to drive or run machinery, Dr. Anthony Montanaro of OHSU’s Allergy and Immunology Department said. That’s why diphenhydramine is in sleeping pills.
How to get it: Over the counter. Costs run from 5 to 25 cents a pill.

Singulair, a pill.
How it works: Blocks leukotrienes, chemicals that help inflame the nose.
Benefits: Works about as well as antihistamines but in a different way, for people who don’t get help from antihistamines. Also may help asthma.
Drawbacks: The FDA is studying a possible link to depression and suicidal thoughts.
How to get it: Prescription required. Costs about $3.50 a pill.

Eye drops
How it works: Antihistamine eye drops fight inflammation and itchiness. Over the counter eye drops may just relieve itching and redness.
Benefits: Targeted relief for people with especially bad eye symptoms.
Drawbacks: Can sting slightly. Prescription drops are expensive.
How to get it: Antihistamine drops take a prescription and can cost $100 a bottle. Over-the-counter drops cost several dollars a bottle.

Allergy shots
How it works: Officially called immunotherapy; a doctor injects you with small but increasing amounts of allergen until your immune system adjusts.
Benefits: Can actually cure allergies in many cases.
Drawbacks: Shots hurt, and you have to see the doctor weekly at the start and get injections for years. There’s a risk of a serious allergic reaction to the shots.
How to get it: An allergist prescribes and gives the shots. Can cost roughly $2,000 for full treatment, but it’s covered by most insurance plans.

Some summer allergy tips from NetWellness.org:

In addition to the new generation of prescription medication that’s bringing relief to allergy sufferers, there are a number of self-help measures that can help allergic persons get through another summer.

• Wear a pollen mask when outdoors for a long period of time. (A half-hour or more.)
• Keep doors and windows buttoned up during heavy pollen counts; and turn the air-conditioner to “recirculate.”
• Change or clean air-conditioner filters at least monthly.
• If using a room air-conditioner, keep it off when no one is at home. Once it is turned on, keep the room vacated for at least thirty minutes as some window units emit short bursts of mold when they are first activated.
• Stay out of fields of corn, grain and soybeans - places where ragweed loves to grow.
• Avoid high diving. The pressure changes that come with diving into water can aggravate ears that “pop” and/or are plugged due to the symptoms caused by allergens.
• Be proactive. Prevent autumn, winter indoor allergens by lowering indoor humidity in the summer months (with the help of a dehumidifier or air-conditioner). Dust mites depend on a high humidity summer for their autumn population explosion.

From the Sun-Times News Group, here’s an article that instructs you how to allergen-proof your home.

Window treatments
Replace dust-collecting drapery with metal or wood blinds, shades and shutters. Although they may become dusty, these materials are easier to clean on a regular basis than fabric treatments.

Flooring
Remove wall-to-wall carpeting and replace with hard-surfaced materials such as hardwood, stone or ceramic.

Use throw rugs that can be washed or dry-cleaned regularly. If carpeting must be used, choose one that is very dense and low-piled where contaminants sit on the surface and are easier to remove.

Paint
Select an eco-friendly paint. Most all of the major paint manufacturers now offer some type of low or no-VOC paint. VOCs present in paint and finishes produce low-levels of toxic emissions released into the air after application.

Natural paints are a great option, too, since they are made from natural raw materials such as clay, chalk, natural latex, beeswax and earth pigments. Sensitivity to these paints is very low.

Maintenance
Weekly, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to clean carpets, rugs, vents and baseboards.

Install properly sized exhaust fans in the bathroom and kitchen to remove mold-causing warm, humid air. Similarly, exhaust dryer to the outside.

Incorporate a place for shoe-removal at the main family entrance so dust, bacteria and pollens are not tracked into the house.

Miscellaneous
Rather than over-stuffed upholstery, consider wood-framed pieces with removable cushions having covers that can be washed or dry-cleaned.

To reduce dust mites in the bedroom (where people spend 1/3 of their day and is a haven for dust mites), use allergen-proof covers on comforters, mattresses, box springs and pillows.

A really fun activity for asthmatic children is to attend an asthma camp. An asthma camp is exclusively for youngsters with persistent asthma. Asthma camps are set up and staffed by highly trained medical professionals to ensure the youth’s asthma is well managed during the camp. This way the kids get to have fun, and parents needn’t worry their child won’t have proper care. Be sure to find one near you!

According to new research, if an expectant mother is exposed to high levels of stress, her baby may be more likely to develop asthma or allergies later in life.

“Moms who had elevated levels of stress had children who seemed to be more reactive to allergens, even when exposed to low levels of allergens,” said study co-author Dr. Rosalind Wright, an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Babies born to mothers experiencing high levels of stress had more IgE in their blood at birth than did babies born to less-stressed moms. IgE is an antibody involved in allergic and asthmatic reactions.

Wright’s colleague, and another author of the study, Junenette Peters, said that stress may make women more susceptible to allergens because it “may make the cells more permeable” so that even low levels of exposure trigger a reaction. And, women whose immune systems are altered by stress may, in turn, pass down that trait to their infants.