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6 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Allergies

6 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Allergies
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It may seem that allergies are a fairly simple topic – in short, the immune system overreacts to harmless substances, causing various health issues. However, there are probably a few facts related to allergies that you were likely not aware of.

  1. Air Conditioners can Reduce Pollen Exposure: Did you know that air conditioners can greatly reduce your interaction with pollen? Specifically, the Allergy Asthma Immunology of Rochester contends that air conditioners can reduce pollen exposure by almost a third. What explains this connection? Air conditioners eliminate the need to cool your home via open windows.

  2. Cleaning Stuff Animals Can Help With Allergies: Young children just love cuddling with stuffed toys. Unfortunately, these children’s’ companions can also play host to numerous dust mites, a major trigger of allergies. This doesn’t mean you have to throw out your child’s favorite stuffed bear – washing stuffed toys in hot water (130 degrees Fahrenheit) is a good way of removing dust mites and other allergens.

  3. Cleaning Sheets Can Help With Allergies: As with stuffed toys, bed sheets can harbor large numbers of dust mites. And just like stuff animals, the dust mites that roam bed coverings can be eliminated by washing sheets in hot water (120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit).

  4. Letting Your Pet Sleep On Your Bed Can Aggravate Your Allergies: Pet owners love to cuddle with their cats and dogs. While your pet might appreciate the attention, your nasal passages might be less enthusiastic, as pet fur can be full of pollen, dust, mold and other allergens. To be on the safe side, make sure your pets sleep on the floor rather than right next to your body.

  5. Thunderstorms Can Spread Allergens: It is commonly thought that rain sweeps away pollen and other nasal irritants. However, thunderstorms frequently have the opposite impact, effectively fracturing and spreading mold spores and pollen across large swaths of terrain.

  6. Stress Might Make Allergies Worse: Stress frequently makes life less enjoyable. According to research published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, this might be true in more ways than one. Specifically, this report noted that allergy flare-ups tend to appear more often in those living relatively stressful lives.
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