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.

Source

You may think a 'How To' article on sneezing and coughing is a bit elementary, but then you'd be surprised at how many kids (and adults!) fail to take precautions when the cold season is in full swing. After all, it's that time of year when a simple office interaction or playground high-five can spread the funk.

The flu and cold can be given from one person to another simply by not covering your mouth when sneezing. Those pathogen-packed sneeze droplets come shooting out of the mouth at 100 MPH or more. That's 40,000 to 60,000 fluid droplets! It's our responsibility to cover our own mouths when the urge arises.

Speaking of covering mouths, use a tissue. But if you don't have one available, the crook of your elbow works great too. Otherwise, if you blow all that gunk on your hands and extend it to shake someone else's, they could end up sick just as easily! Of course, a sure-fire way to stay as clean as possible is to use a travel version of antibacterial hand sanitizer (like Purell). It doesn't take a lot of effort to ward off the sick season!

Source

Winter is known as cold season - and it's not just because the temperatures are dropping. Your chances of catching a cold this season are high -- but according to Everyday Health, you can reduce your chances of picking up one if you follow these steps:

• Avoid touching your face with your hands. Cold viruses can easily enter your body through the eyes and nose.
  
• Speaking of hands, wash them. Frequently.
  
• Avoid people who are sick, is possible.
  
• Keep your surroundings clean. Cold viruses can live for up to three hours on the phone reciever or stair railing, so make sure you are wiping those down with disinfectant if a sick person has used them.
• Take your echinacea at the first sign of sickness.
  
• Get your vitamin C too -- try drinking orange juice every day, for instance.
  

And if you're the one with the cold? Be polite -- cover your mouth when you sneeze and wash your hands often to prevent spreading the virus.

Source

If your mom was one to push the orange juice when you were sniffling and sneezing, she may have had good reason.

A review of more than 30 studies shows that taking one 1,000-mg vitamin C supplement per day may help shorten the duration and severity of cold symptoms, especially when you're under stress. You don't need to take a supplement 365 days a year, though, because vitamin C doesn't prevent colds from coming on. It just might help once that cold arrives, though.

There's a lot of speculation about the merits of vitamin C. Some believe in it; some think it's pretty useless. Whatever your view, the current recommended dose of this vitamin is 60 mg daily. One eight-ounce glass of orange juice contains 97 mg.

Source

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.

Source

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!

Source

While buffets are tempting because of the low cost bargains and all you can eat amounts, ordering food from a menu can be much safer to eat. Other common sense rules to follow when going into a restaurant is to look at the overall cleanliness of the establishment and the hygiene of the people working there and that should give you a clue that foods are being handled properly and things are safe to eat. If you are in a state where health inspection grades have to be publicly displayed, be sure to check out their last inspection grade. A low score means it might not be that safe to eat there.

Unlike menu ordered food being prepared per order and coming out hot and fresh, buffets have foods resting in steam tables, ice baths, or salad bars. If improperly tended, these buffet stations can allow disease causing bacteria and viruses to flourish. Customers can come into contact with food on buffets including unattended children that might be tempted to poke a finger into the cake. And not to put down children, I have witnessed many an adult picking up food with their fingers instead of tongs or sneezing and coughing over the food. Pay attention to the warning signs that food is being neglected if you see dried out chicken or browned wilted salad. Another key thing to think about is if you are trying to diet and lose weight it is easier to stay on plan if you order from a menu. If you eat from a buffet, you will tend to over eat and break away from your diet plan.