Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Avoiding allergens


Avoidance is the most effective way to deal with an allergy, but it is not always easy. However, there are precautions:

Check food labels: Choose fresh, unprocessed foods; if you suspect food additives, read labels carefully, and avoid those additives as far as you can.

Choose household products with care: When using detergents, particularly biological detergents, take extra care. Rinse your washing thoroughly. Wear rubber gloves when using any household cleaners or chemicals. Keep notes of what you use, and a process of elimination may help.

Vacuum frequently: To get rid of dust mites and prevent a build-up of animal hairs, vacuum daily.

Change your garden: Few people are driven to such desperate lengths, but if your hay fever is troublesome, you could try paving over the lawn and growing non-flowering foliage plants. This will not, of course, prevent pollen drifting from your neighbours’ gardens, but some hay fever sufferers say that their weekends have been made bearable by such action.

If your efforts to avoid or eliminate the allergen have failed or are impracticable, the solution is to treat the symptoms. Remember that most allergens are, in themselves, harmless. It is your body’s response, not the allergen that does the damage, so coming into contact with the offending substance will not hurt you a ling a you can control your reaction to it.

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