Good-Bye Winter  ...  Hello Spring

With the coming of Spring, pollen and hay fever season returns. Seasonal allergies (seasonal allergic rhinitis) is caused by the pollens of various plants. For the most part, trees flower in the spring and that is what starts it,  If you have seasonal allergies, your best plan of attack is to know what is blooming and when pollen counts are high in order to avoid as much pollen as possible. As the season progresses, the plants that are in bloom will change.

For example, at the time this article was written, Alder trees are blooming in Georgia and Massachusetts, Elms are blooming in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wyoming and Massachusetts and Cottonwood trees are blooming in Kansas and Wyoming. You can get the pollen forecast for your ZIP code by visiting Pollen.Com.

In general pollen counts are highest early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Pollen counts are low after a rainfall and higher on windy days. Remember that in addition to the pollen that you breathe when you are outside, you also capture pollen in your hair, on your clothes, and on your skin. So if you must be outside for long periods on high pollen count days, be sure to take a shower, wash your hair, and change your clothes as soon as you come inside. This will prevent the pollen from being spread throughout your home.

As part of that Spring cleaning ritual, many people will be putting away winter blankets and bringing out lighter-weight blankets, sheets, and other bedding. Don’t forget to wash your linens in Allergen Wash or De-Mite before you store them for the season. Washing them before you store insures that you aren’t packing away allergens too.

Reactions to Insect Stings ... Allergic Reaction or Not.

Spring and summer bring another unwanted natural problem other than pollen and grass, insects. Most people are not allergic to insect stings but more people are killed in the U.S. each year by insect stings and bites, including wasps, bees, hornets, yellow jackets and fire ants, than by any other venomous animal including rattlesnakes. Now with that being said everyone should recognize the difference between an allergic reaction to insect stings and a normal or large local reaction. This won't help the pain but it might prevent unnecessary worry and medical expense.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the severity of an insect sting reaction varies from person to person. A normal reaction will result in pain, swelling, and redness confined to the sting site. Simply disinfect the area and apply ice to reduce the swelling. A large local reaction will result in swelling that extends beyond the sting site. For example, a person stung on the forearm may have his/her entire arm swell to twice it's normal size. Although alarming in appearance, this condition is often treated the same as a normal reaction. (Read Rest of Article)