Breathing and Allergies

Neti pots use normal saline to rinse the nose of excess mucous. Normal saline is water to which salt is added and has the same degree of saltiness as your body's fluids. Saline rinses temporarily relieve nasal ... continue reading  about  A friend uses a neti pot and swears that it has reduced her allergies (sinus congestion and headaches) by 75 percent or more. How does the neti pot work and is it safe?

When we're talking about reactions to food, most people think any reaction must be allergic in origin. Not true. There are many reasons why one may have an adverse reaction to a food. A few examples: coffee may... continue reading  about  How can I know if I have a lagging reaction to a specific food?

If you are stung and start to have any whole body reaction such as hives or any respiratory problems, you should immediately use your EpiPen and then go straight to the ER. If you had whole body hives in the pa... continue reading  about  I had a pretty bad reaction to a bee sting a few years back, with hives all over my body. I was prescribed an EpiPen. If I get stung again, do I use the pen right away or wait to see if I have a reaction? After using the pen, should I go to the ER?

There are two reasons that bee pollen would not be expected to help with allergies:The type of pollen that bees carry is not the kind of pollen that causes allergy. It's the wind-transported pollen that causes ... continue reading  about  Does bee pollen help reduce allergies?

Yes, it is ok to take the medication for an extended period of time. However, the "D" formulation has a decongestant (which is what the 'D' represents in the name) and this can raise your blood pressure. I woul... continue reading  about  I have seasonal allergies. I previously went through allergy injections but I didn't feel like they were making much of a difference after several years of treatment. Is it okay to take something like Claritin D 12 hr for an extended period of time?

Mild intermittent asthma is defined as:One bronchodilator (Proventil) usage no more than twice a week ANDWaking up at night with asthma no more than twice a month ANDExacerbation of asthma resulting in an unsch... continue reading  about  My asthma is intermittent and mild. Is the Proventil inhaler the best treatment? Are there any side effects? Is there a more natural method to manage asthma? And are there effective dust and other airborne allergen removers?

Dust mite allergy is diagnosed by obtaining a positive history (yours sounds suspicious) and having a positive allergy test (skin or blood) to dust mite. Pollen (plant) allergy would have similar symptoms but w... continue reading  about  How would I know if I have a dust mite allergy? Sometimes when I'm cleaning the house my eyes start to itch, I sneeze, and my asthma kicks in. How would this type of allergic reaction differ from a plant allergy? Is there anything I can do about it?

It sounds as though you have done all of the 'self-help' measures you can. I would recommending discussing with your primary care physician or seeking an otolaryngology referral to try other medications that ar... continue reading  about  I've been plugged up for months with allergies. I've used decongestants, antihistamines, and sinus rinses but nothing seems to help. Any advice?

The only way to know for sure if this is an allergy is to have allergy testing. Winter allergies could be caused by any of the indoor allergens - dust mite, mold or animals. If this is allergic reaction and Cla... continue reading  about  In winter my allergies get worse. My doctor thinks it's from mold and dust mites, and told me to take Claritin, which I'm doing. But it only works for a few hours, and then I'm sneezing and itching again. Is there anything I can do to prevent this?