It's that time of year again, the sniffling, sneezing, itchy-eye time of year. Pollen is a major trigger for people with allergies, and since it's not springtime without pollen, there's little you can do to avoid it completely.

If pollen gives you a problem, however, you can reduce your exposure to it. WikiHow has a few answers for you, including:

• Know what you're allergic to and find out when your peak season is.
• Stay inside on windy days and when the pollen count is high.
• Use an air conditioner when necessary.
• Buy a reel lawnmower to reduce exposure while cutting the grass.
• Wear sunglasses outdoors to keep pollen out of your eyes.
• Take a shower after working in the yard.
• See your health provider if your allergies aren't easily controlled.
  

Believe me, I know that allergy season is no fun. But by being mindful of what you're allergic to and taking care to prevent attacks, you can still enjoy the beautiful spring weather and stay healthy too.

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We have all heard that pets can help teach kids patience, responsibility, and empathy, but according to a recent study, having a dog in the home during childhood, especially during the first year of infancy, seriously decreased a child's likelihood of developing sensitivities to allergens like pollen. Our own Maggie first broke this story a few days ago but it's worth repeating for those thinking about investing in a canine commitment -- and for those who like photos of cute kids and cute dogs. See gallery that follows.

So the science behind this theory is that dogs bring germs inside on their coats and in their mouths, thus exposing kids to them and boosting the child's immune system. Older generations were often exposed to more dirt and germs as children (you know, because kids used to actually play outside instead of sitting indoors playing video games), and therefore developed a greater resistance to many allergens than kids today.

This study in particular has taken blood samples from 3,000 six-year-olds and will test the samples for hints that the child might become allergic to things like pet hair, dust mites, and pollen. The children will be retested at age 10, but the lead researcher has already stated with confidence that, "Our results show clearly that the presence of a dog in the home during infancy is associated with a significantly low level of sensitization to pollens and allergens."

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Based on a six-year study of 9,000 children, German researchers have stated that having dogs may reduce a child's risk of developing allergies. In theory, exposure to pet-related allergens builds ups a child's immunity and helps reduce risk of allergies, asthma, eczema, and hay fever.

The study used parents' answers on detailed surveys from birth to age six. Blood samples were also taken from a number of participants to test for antibodies in the blood stream.

The same protective effect was not noted in children with repeated exposure to dogs, but without dogs in their home.

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As Brian noted last week, health officials think Texans could be facing their worst allergy season decades. I live in Texas, and can verify that those officials are absolutely right. I've been so sneezy, snotty, and completely exhausted the past couple weeks, that it feels like my nasal passageways have been deep fried. Every morning I wake up to the feeling of five or six large men punching me, repeatedly, in the face, while I stumble through the apartment, blowing my nose, trying desperately to find my utterly worthless hay fever pills.

It sucks.

If this sounds familiar, check out these tips from the Mayo Clinic on how you can reduce your suffering.

1. Stay away from irritants. This may sound obvious (like you'd be so stupid as to go rub your face in a field of ragweed), but other stuff -- like cigarette smoke, or even a dramatic change in temperature -- can send you into a sneezing fit, so be extra careful.

2. Stay hydrated. It'll help with the gunk in the back of your throat.

3. Use a humidifier. That'll keep the air moist, which helps thin the goop.

4. Get a Neti Pot. I know it looks gross, but these saltwater rinses are great for clearing out irritants.

5. Talk to your doctor. You ever know, they may have invented some nuclear-strength antihistamine since last allergy season.

[via Fitsugar]

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I don't know how I got so blessed but my entire family all comes down with hay fever and pollen allergies every fall -- everybody except for me. But seeing people like my mom and sister suffer really brings home the fact that having allergies can present a real problem because often the medications that are supposed to help come with side-effects that are almost as bad as the allergies themselves. And although the drug companies are getting better and there are more options out there than ever before, what if you'd rather just do something natural?

Mother Earth Living has come up with this list of natural allergy fighters, including garlic & onions, honey, horseradish, vitamin C, and ginko biloba. You've probably already got several of these in your kitchen cabinet, so have you ever eaten them with allergies in mind?

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For hay fever sufferers, August and September mean more than just back-to-school season, they also mark the beginning of ragweed season. Ragweed, common in ditches, roadsides, and vacant lots, causes hay fever in susceptible individuals, numbering roughly 36 million in the United States. Hay fever causes sneezing, water eyes, and stuffy nose, as well as fatigue and poor concentration due to sleep disturbances.

But according to allergy experts, you don't have to suffer. Minimize your exposure to the pollen of this highly allergenic plant until ragweed season is over, usually when the cool weather returns. Check out this list of tips from Healthday to learn how.

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Anyone who suffers from hay fever knows it's incredibly irritating, and can make life miserable every spring. Now, new research shows that the affliction is more than just annoying, and has a considerably negative impact on academic performance.

British students taking GCSEs (tests for high school-aged students similar to final exams in the US), were found to be 40% more likely to drop a drop a grade between their mock and final exams if they suffered from hay fever. If those students were taking anti-histamine drugs (which can cause drowsiness), the numbers were even worse -- with 70% scoring at least one grade lower.

The problem is so bad that researchers suggest moving the exams to a different time of year.

According to Dr. Samantha Walker, who led the study, "Parents and health professionals need to understand that having hay fever could cause their children to perform less well in their exams and that effective treatments are widely available..."

If hay fever has such a profound effect on academic performance, I wonder what it does to worker productivity?

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Seasonal allergies can sideline you better than an actual illness if you let them go untreated, but all too often the treatment comes along with side-effects that are arguably as bad as or even worse than the original symptoms. Some people swear that exercise helps gets things moving (like sinuses), but for some it only makes things worse.

If you're one of those where it seems to make things worse, are you exercising outdoors? If you already have allergies then huffing and puffing and breathing the irritants even deeper into your lungs is obviously going to not going to make things better for you. So try working out indoors (if you haven't already). Depending on the severity of your allergies, it could make all the difference. I know some people who have allergies that are just as bad inside as out, but it's worth a shot! Switching indoors (I know, it stinks to be stuck inside this time of year) does work for some people.

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It's that time again...allergy season. If there was ever a reason not to like spring, allergies would be it. And depending where you live, the issue may be even worse than for most. Forbes has compiled a list of the top 100 worst cities for spring allergies in the U.S.

Where does your city rank? Not so good if you live in one of the top three: Tulsa, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Fort Myers. But if you call #100 home, Fort Wayne Indiana, you're doing much better. As for me, I'm happy with a score of 64 -- at least it's in the bottom half!

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Hay fever is about as unpleasant experience as many of us will ever have. The short fevers, sinus infections, runny noses and scratchy throats are not the preferred way to spend a few days or even a few weeks.

A genetically modified form of rice currently under development in Japan is said to be able and bring relief to Japanese citizens who struggle with hay fever.

For some, the term "genetically modified" anything sounds scary, and especially when related to food consumption. In this case, modified forms of rice could be engineered with health-enhancing characteristics that would be designed to help consumers battle the effects of hay fever.

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Once you've been diagnosed with an allergy, your doctor will probably say "Oh well. Nothing you can do but treat it whenever the symptoms get too overwhelming." Conventional drugs do not remove the allergy, they just treat the symptoms.

But there's at least one doctor who would object to that analysis.

Dr. Devi Nambudripad of Buena Park, California says it's possible to get rid of allergies completely and permanently. This doctor, who is trained as a medical doctor, chiropractor and acupuncturist, has created a system called "Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique" or NAET.

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