A national survey revealed that allergies can affect kids in more ways that sneezing, runny noses, and itchy, watery eyes. The survey polled more than 1,000 families and found that kids who have allergies are more likely to be fatigued, irritable, and even "miserable." This bleeds into the children's activities including schoolwork and extracurricular activities.

If your child is one of the 40% of US kids who suffer from seasonal allergies, your first step is to see your doctor. Knowing what triggers your child's allergies is critical for helping them. But you can take some common measures that may minimize the effects. Wash your child's sheets and clothes frequently, keep your home well-vacuumed and as dust-free as possible, and purchase a HEPA air filter for your child's bedroom and for your living room.

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I'm lucky to be one of the few people without allergies, except for the occasional bout of hayfever. Allergies are a nuisance for so many people, and it seems like there are an unlimited amount of culprits.

Did you ever wonder what the top allergens are? Everyday Health has come up with the top offenders:

1. Mold
2. Dust Mites
3. Pollen
4. Pet Dander
5. Latex
6. Insect stings
7. Seafood
8. Soy
9. Peanuts
10. Lactose
11. Eggs
12. Penicillin

Hmm, surprising. I didn't know that soy, eggs and latex were common allergies.

To find out more about each allergy, click here.

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It's that time of year again -- where vibrantly green grass and leaves are replaces with yellow and brown ones, a sign of the impending winter season. And you know what winter means -- the season of colds. Of course, colds can happen year-round but I always find that during the changing of the seasons from summer to fall, I end up with a case of the sniffles. But I'm an allergy sufferer so I often wonder if it's my allergies acting up or if it's actually a cold. Do you have the same problem? If so, check out this handy questionnaire from AOL, which will help you determine what ails you.

Turns out my regular Autumn 'cold' might actually be a case of allergies acting up. What tends to separate cold from allergies is that colds are characterized by a sore throat, a low fever, swollen lymph nodes, yellowish nose discharge and an achy, weak, sick feeling -- if you don't have these symptoms, you might just have allergies. What about you? Cold or allergies?

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One of my favorite hobbies is gardening. I have a big perennial garden in my backyard that I've lovingly filled with a variety of plants -- from the tulips and mounds of white candytuft that bloom in the spring, to summer's irises and lilies, to the sedum that bloom in the fall. But one year I planted goldenrod. What was I thinking? Every time I even got near my garden I started sneezing rapidly like a machine gun shooting off rounds of bullets. Finally I donned a mask and pulled that noxious weed out, but it's made a valiant effort to return every year.

Have you ever wondered exactly what's happening when you sneeze? Sneezing is a protective reflex that clears your nasal passages of irritants like dust, pollutants, or pollens like the nasty ones from the goldenrod in my backyard. Nerve endings in the irritated nasal lining stimulate the brain stem which, in turn, stimulates muscles in the chest and throat to contract. Your eyes shut and your palate closes and the irritants are expelled through your nose and mouth. A sneeze can send 2,000 to 5,000 droplets chock-full of bacteria into the air at a pace of 70-100 miles per hour.

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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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Your weekly poker game may be making you sick, and not just because beer and cigars might be involved. You're not only playing chance with your money, but your health as well. In fact, the odds are that you're actually more likely to leave the card table with a new cold brewing than you are with the winning bet. Obviously, this is due to people coughing or sneezing into their hands and then dealing out cards and passing around chips.

Dr. Will Sawyer, who has dedicated his career to the importance of proper hand washing, says that germs can only float through the air about 3 feet. This means they are most commonly spread through direct contact -- such as touching contaminated playing cards and then touching your eyes or mouth. He also goes so far as to say that if people wash their hands often enough and at the right times they can avoid ever getting a gastrointestinal or respiratory illness again.

I do believe in the power of hand washing, but that's a pretty bold claim!

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How do you cough or sneeze in public? If you're like most Americans, you probably cover your nose and mouth with your hands, thinking you're being polite.

Well that's all wrong, according to the Center for Disease Control. To prevent the spread of our germs to other people, the CDC recommends we start sneezing and coughing into a sleeve or other piece of clothing. There's even a new video explaining the technique that's a little funny, a little bizarre, and says the message about 5 times more then I felt was necessary. But honestly, it just make take that kind of repetition to make sneezing into your sleeve acceptable in our society.

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