Oh, my allergies!

Zyrtec offers greats tips and strategies to help allergy suffers. Photo via zyrtec.com.

Sometimes I think there’s no rhyme or reason to when my allergies hit. Lately, my nose has been throbbing and I’ve been sneezing like crazy. I know it’s different from a cold since I don’t have a sore throat or fever. I actually think that my central air furnace has a lot to do with it. I was so tired of having itchy, watery eyes that I ran out to the drug store a few days ago and got some 24-hour Zyrtec. So far, so good.

A friend once told me that men grow out of their allergies whereas women grow in to them. I’m not sure if that’s true or not, but it seems like a lot moms my age have been complaining of allergies lately.

Perhaps it’s the constant exposure to irritants and dander as they tend to be around their kids who are often walking allergens spores, especially when they forget to wash their hands.

Zyrtec has just released a 10-video explanation on how to identify allergies and manage them. It’s pretty informative.

For example, did you know that:

• Heavy drapes, as well as carpet are allergen magnets.
• Cold and allergies are mostly differentiated by body achiness and sore throat (cold) and sneezing and itchy, watery eyes (allergies).
• Dog allergies aren’t caused by fur, but rather dander, saliva and urine that triggers allergy symptoms. (Who knew?)
• If sneezing and itchy watery eyes last for more than two weeks, you may have an allergy to pollen.
• On an average day, pollen counts rise in the morning and peak about mid-day and then start to fall again.

Other tips include:

• Have your kids take showers daily to rinse off dander and allergens.
• Make sure your kids wash their hands frequently.
• Have kids put stuffed animals in closed containers.
• Vacuum weekly with a HEPA filter.
• Scrub bathrooms regularly to minimize mold.
• Keep your windows closed so that dander and dust doesn’t get stirred up in your home.
• Kids with allergies should leave shoes outside to minimize tracking allergens inside.
• Wear a hat and sunglasses outside to keep pollen away from hair and eyes.

To learn about Zytec rewards and access more tips and tools on allergy management, visit Zyrtec.com.