Friday, April 14, 2017
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Allergy season tips
This time of year is so beautiful in the south - but also very miserable if you have allergies. I actually don't know many people who are free from all spring or pollen related allergies. And when it hits you all at once, if you're immune system is down, you're gonna get really sick. That doesn't happen to me often but it did this year - and wow - it's an extra whammy.
I did find out a few nice tidbits of information though, about reducing the impact on outdoor pollens. I am re-posting this from the Accuweather website - in a shortened summary version of the same.
To keep allergies at bay - or at least to reduce the effect they have on your sleep - take these tips in to account:
1. Shower at night!!! this has always been my practice but not because it rinses off any pollens you may have exposed yourself to, just because it makes me sleep better! I am very happy to know my nightly routine benefits me in more than one way.
2. Wash bedding frequently AND in hot water! this is not something I usually do. Frequently can be interpreted as "more often than you do the rest of the year." The temperature is my downfall, I almost never use the HOT setting. I guess I will now on my sheets.
This piece of advice was offered by Robert Sporter, M.D. at ENT & Allergy Associates in New York City, who stated, "Pollen counts are highest in the early morning, between 5 and 10 a.m."
3. Stay inside and/or leave windows closed early in the morning! this is something I never thought of. My dad used to always open the windows in the morning then close by 10 or 11, to get the "fresh air" inside during spring. That's actually bad advice for severe allergy people, which now includes myself, and Stephen.
4. Know your personal allergies and avoid "some" foods. That specialist that was quoted above also said "Some people with severe pollen allergies may have trouble eating raw and fresh fruit. For example, some patients very allergic to birch tree pollen get an itchy mouth when they eat fresh apples, but cooked apples, like in apple pie, don't cause symptoms."
That is because cooking a food often changes the protein enough so you can consume it without issues. It just depends on the food and your level of sensitivity. That works for me sometimes, just not with Coriander/Cilantro.
If you know you are sensitive to certain fruits or vegetables, just avoid them during spring. It might sound hard but you'll feel so much better!!
5. Dress appropriately outdoors. For me this means wearing long sleeves, long pants, and often even gators during spring because I react to so many plants. But researchers here were also talking about wearing wide brimmed hats and glasses, to reduce the amount of pollen that gets in your eyes.
6. Keep indoor air clean. Close house and car windows when pollen counts are high, Sporter said. Use air conditioning in the car and at home to filter the pollen out of the air. I KNOW this helps because it really bothers me when driving down any road with the windows open. It always makes me cough and sneeze, at any time of year. One additional thing about this is, if your house has central heating/air, or if you have a car with an air filter, change those filters regularly!! I notice a huge difference once I change them, and I usually wait far too long.
Allergies are no fun but you do get used to managing them once you know a few tricks, like the ones above. Understanding WHY a trick works actually helps me in implementing that idea. So thanks to Accuweather for the article. Mine is just a bit (not much) shorter.
I did find out a few nice tidbits of information though, about reducing the impact on outdoor pollens. I am re-posting this from the Accuweather website - in a shortened summary version of the same.
To keep allergies at bay - or at least to reduce the effect they have on your sleep - take these tips in to account:
1. Shower at night!!! this has always been my practice but not because it rinses off any pollens you may have exposed yourself to, just because it makes me sleep better! I am very happy to know my nightly routine benefits me in more than one way.
2. Wash bedding frequently AND in hot water! this is not something I usually do. Frequently can be interpreted as "more often than you do the rest of the year." The temperature is my downfall, I almost never use the HOT setting. I guess I will now on my sheets.
This piece of advice was offered by Robert Sporter, M.D. at ENT & Allergy Associates in New York City, who stated, "Pollen counts are highest in the early morning, between 5 and 10 a.m."
3. Stay inside and/or leave windows closed early in the morning! this is something I never thought of. My dad used to always open the windows in the morning then close by 10 or 11, to get the "fresh air" inside during spring. That's actually bad advice for severe allergy people, which now includes myself, and Stephen.
4. Know your personal allergies and avoid "some" foods. That specialist that was quoted above also said "Some people with severe pollen allergies may have trouble eating raw and fresh fruit. For example, some patients very allergic to birch tree pollen get an itchy mouth when they eat fresh apples, but cooked apples, like in apple pie, don't cause symptoms."
That is because cooking a food often changes the protein enough so you can consume it without issues. It just depends on the food and your level of sensitivity. That works for me sometimes, just not with Coriander/Cilantro.
If you know you are sensitive to certain fruits or vegetables, just avoid them during spring. It might sound hard but you'll feel so much better!!
5. Dress appropriately outdoors. For me this means wearing long sleeves, long pants, and often even gators during spring because I react to so many plants. But researchers here were also talking about wearing wide brimmed hats and glasses, to reduce the amount of pollen that gets in your eyes.
6. Keep indoor air clean. Close house and car windows when pollen counts are high, Sporter said. Use air conditioning in the car and at home to filter the pollen out of the air. I KNOW this helps because it really bothers me when driving down any road with the windows open. It always makes me cough and sneeze, at any time of year. One additional thing about this is, if your house has central heating/air, or if you have a car with an air filter, change those filters regularly!! I notice a huge difference once I change them, and I usually wait far too long.
Allergies are no fun but you do get used to managing them once you know a few tricks, like the ones above. Understanding WHY a trick works actually helps me in implementing that idea. So thanks to Accuweather for the article. Mine is just a bit (not much) shorter.
Sunday, April 02, 2017
Breakfast with Chef Mickey
Family had a fun time on their last day with Mickey. Ashton had never seen any Disney characters, and was fascinated with Goofy.
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