Encouraging Health

It’s getting cold up here in the north. Leaves are turning their rich golds and yellows, and when the sun shines on them they glow as though the it were shining right through them. Birds are flocking, preparing to make their flight south. I can hear them raucously calling to each other every morning on my way to work. There’s a bite to the air, and inside it is almost chilly enough to turn on the heat.

We really don’t expect this to be a time of year for allergies to flare up. But, unfortunately for many of us, this can be a miserable time. Certain trees and plants have their special pollens that waft out as the leaves die. Even though we don’t see it, the air is often thick with them. Inside our homes we keep the windows closed more, permitting dust, mold and pet dander to collect and concentrate in our rooms.

Often, the best way to ease an allergy is to stay away from whatever it is that we have become sensitized to. But having to get rid of a beloved pet be like losing a member of the family. And having to stay inside all the time to avoid contact with allerges can be like a prison sentence. Occasionally, an allergist will prescribe a series of injections to desensitize the person to the allergens, and this treatment can be very successful.

Otherwise, there are medications for this problem. Each of them has its own set of side-effects, and each of us has our own tolerance level for them. Drowsiness, sometimes to the extent that it is difficult or even dangerous to operate heavy machinery is chief among them. The best thing to do is to work it out with your doctor as to which medication, or combination of medications would be best for you.

After that, it may be necessary to cordon off a room or two for your pet, if it is your pet that is causing the problem. In those rooms, the furniture should be upholstered in materials that can easily be kept clean, and the rugs should be removed from the floors, as it is very difficult to keep allergens from collecting in thick-napped rugs that are difficult to clean.

It has been proven that frewquent vacuum cleaning may well raise more dust than it settles, so investing in a vacuum cleaner that has milipore air-filters may be helpful. And, many people find that keeping a room air-purifier in their bedroom is very helpful towards getting a good night’s sleep, so they can wake up feeling refreshed.