Allergen Avoidance

  Allergy Testing: Why It's Important And What You Can Learn Should You Get An Allergy Test? After my serious anaphylactic reaction to shrimp when I was a child, my parents took me to an allergist and had me tested for a full range of possible allergies. If you or your child has ever had hives or breathing problems after consuming certain foods, you should see an allergist before any more serious reactions occur. If you (or a family member) are waking up consistently with a runny or stuffy nose, with itchy or red eyes, or with a skin rash, you might be reacting to allergens lurking in your environment. Allergy testing can cut down on frequent trips to the family physician or the pharmacy, and it can eliminate the guesswork by honing in on the allergens responsible for your discomfort. Continue reading →

  Back To School Allergy Tips The following tips are directed toward college-bound students and parents. But if your son or daughter is not yet at that stage, you can implement these suggestions in their bedroom at home so they will sleep restfully with fewer allergy and asthma symptoms. Remember the Bucket Theory - less exposure at home means your child is less likely to react strongly to allergens at school. Continue reading →

  Renovation Considerations Whether you are embarking on a small room renovation or building a home from scratch, you can make decisions on the front end that will help your allergies or asthma in the long run. Whether your renovation project is do-it-yourself or you're working with a professional, ask these questions when buying materials: Continue reading →

  Home Service Companies - Avoiding Scams and Getting the Most for Your Money Duct Cleaning If you're like me, you've probably seen advertisements for duct cleaning services in your Sunday circular that feature pictures of dust mites they promise to eliminate. The truth is that having your ducts cleaned will not take care of a home dust mite problem. It is true that a very small amount of the dust mite allergen that becomes airborne could settle in your ductwork; however, ducts are far from the humid, fibrous environments where the mites live and produce their allergenic waste. Dust mites are lazy, lumbering creatures who are unlikely to crawl up your wall and into your air registers. Duct cleaning can be a worthwhile service in the event you have had severe flood damage as there may be mold spore in your ducts that could circulate through the home. Also, if you have had a major construction project, fire, or other cause for large particulates to have settled in your ducts, you may consider having them cleaned. The general maintenance recommendation for duct cleaning service is about every 20-25 years. It should be noted that more recently built homes with flex (accordion-style) ducts should not be cleaned as the ducts themselves can be damaged If you are concerned about airborne particulates coming from your duct work, we recommend a good furnace filterin conjunction with our AllerTech®  Vent Filters. They're both easy to install, electrostatically charged to trap small and large particles, and less expensive than paying a company to clean your duct system every few years! Continue reading →

  Forming Healthy Habits For Allergy Relief And Wellness Allergies And Your Immune System Do you ever notice that your allergy or asthma symptoms get worse in times of stress? Have you ever regulated your diet to improve your allergic symptoms? Our bodies are incredibly complex and miraculously, our body's components are constantly working together to keep us breathing, standing, talking, etc. When the body is healthy, it is less prone to many of the problems that plague allergy and asthma sufferers. Because National Allergy specializes in non-drug relief, we want to encourage you to see how the health of the whole body can effect allergy, asthma and sinus symptoms. What follows are simple overviews of how some of our body's most vital systems work, and a few tips on what you can do to keep them healthy. Continue reading →

Healthy Gift Ideas Bedding For Allergy Sufferers We always emphasize to our customers what doctors have been saying for years - the bedroom is the key place to start when creating an allergy-free home. Mite-proof encasings for pillows, mattresses or comforters are something your loved ones may not have considered for relief from allergies and asthma, but they probably need them. You may also be interested in some of our other comfortable bedding products, great for cozy nights in any season. Continue reading →

Healthy Traveling For Allergy Sufferers A Personal Account Allergies and travelling are both very relevant in my life. I have a passion for travelling, and I have had allergies for as long as I can remember. Ironically, my first major allergy attack was on a family beach vacation in Florida. I was almost two years old and all too happy to eat a mound of fresh shrimp. After going to bed, the next thing I remember I was on an emergency room table at Fish Memorial Hospital (no kidding) in New Smyrna Beach. I was suffering from anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal reaction to an allergic irritant, in this case, the shrimp. Had it not been for the astute observation of my big sister, "Mommy, Katie's breathing funny," my wheezing may have had more severe consequences. Continue reading →

Sleep & Fatigue: Your Allergies May Be A Factor Rest Well By Dr. Zedalis Over the last several years, more individuals have realized that they suffer with allergies and sleep-related problems. Patients who have upper respiratory infections often suffer from significant fatigue and sleepiness, as well as have concentration problems. Most physicians assumed that this relation was due to a complex mixture of chemicals that caused both the respiratory infections (colds) and the fatigue. However, it has been discovered that allergy-induced fatigue is due to a more fundamental process. Both children and adults with allergies experience a fragmented process of sleep instead of continuous deep sleep. As a result, these individuals suffer from a reduction in sleep quality and quantity.This reduction in sleep quality and quantity affects children by causing irritability and poorer performance in school. Interestingly, these children often appear relatively alert and show no obvious signs of inadequate sleep. They do not appear to be visibly sleepy and usually fight going to bed. However, when they are placed in darkened rooms with stimuli removed, they fall asleep rapidly. Adults, on the other hand, are more able to recognize when they are excessively sleepy and are more likely to take appropriate action to improve their sleeping habits. Unfortunately, many adults do not make the connection between allergies and daytime sleepiness. Continue reading →

The Best HEPA Vacuums For Controlling Allergens What Is House Dust? Why Doctors Recommend HEPA Vacuum Cleaners for Controlling Dust and Other Allergens? What Vacuum Technologies are Available? What Type of HEPA Vacuum is Right for Me? Comparison Chart for HEPA Vacuum Cleaners Tips for Vacuuming Your Home What Is House Dust? I try to vacuum regularly with a HEPA vacuum cleaner, or at least when I know company is coming over. Whenever I use my Miele HEPA vacuum cleaner, I can see and even breathe the difference, but just what is all that dirt and fuzz? Research shows that about 70-90% of what we vacuum up is gray/brown dust that contains a significant amount of dead skin cells. Somewhere between 5 and 25% of that debris is carpet or smaller fibers that have been loosened by traffic or by the mechanism of the vacuum itself. About 5% of the waste collection is hair. The remaining vacuumed debris is actually what can be the most dangerous for allergy sufferers, containing fur, food particles, insects, mites, sand and mineral dust, pollen and other plant parts, carbon and other pollution particles, and paper and packing materials. Other vacuumed microbes include soil and skin organisms, and bacteria and mold spores like penecillium, ascoporium, aspergillus and alternarium. There may even be allergenic animal dander – even if there is no pet in the home. Continue reading →

Indoor Mold - Parts 1 and 2 Part 1 - Mold and Indoor Air Quality Indoor Air Quality and Your Health Mold and Its Dangerous Effect on Indoor Air Quality Types of Mold You Should Know About How Do I Know If I Have A Mold Problem? Mold Testing Techniques A Case Study Part 2 - Mold Problems and Indoor Air Quality Safety Precautions to Take When Around Mold Cleaning Guidelines Prevention: It's Easier Than You Think! Tips on Preventing and Controlling Moisture and Mold When it May Be Time to Get Help Part 1 - Mold and Indoor Air Quality Indoor Air Quality and Your Health Over the past several years, we have all heard about illnesses and structural problems within homes as a result of exposure to toxic mold and fungal microorganisms. Likewise, there seems to be an increase of allergy symptoms and hypersensitivity, particularly in young children, as a result of mold. Mold can affect anyone (whether allergic or not). According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "Mold can be found almost anywhere." Learning more about mold and its causes in indoor settings is the first step in knowing how to maintain a quality home environment and avoid the adverse health effects that mold is known to bring. Continue reading →