|
|
|
Written by asap
|
|
Wednesday, 19 April 2006 |
|
|
|
|
Your eyes feel like sandpaper. Your chest feels squeezed with a rope. And your nose? It’s so stuffed, you’re sleeping with your mouth open.
For 40 million people, spring means more than flowers and warm weather. Spring means the beginning of allergy season — itchy, watery eyes, constant sneezing, shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing.
It doesn’t matter where you live, how many trees are near you, or whether there is grass in front of your apartment building — allergies will get you. So forget about moving to Las Vegas or Albuquerque, N.M. — both are among the 30 spring allergy capitals for 2005, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
“You may move but be just as affected by the tree pollen in the new place,” says Mike Tringale, spokesman for the group. “Many of the trees that never used to be in the Midwest are there now. The best advice is to get a full diagnosis, find out what you are allergic to and prepare for the season that’s worst for you.”
More and more people are suffering from allergies, says Tringale. While the verdict is still out on what is causing the increase, some experts suggest it is linked to the number of pollen-producing trees and grasses being planted in populated areas.
Spring means tree pollination. During the summer, you can probably blame your sneezing on the grass. In the fall, it’s ragweed. And don’t forget about the indoor allergens, such as dust mites and mold, that never go away, no matter how much bleach and scrubbing you do.
So what’s causing your allergies? Here are five triggers:
TREES: Regardless of whether there are trees in your neighborhood, you can still come down with a bad case of the achoos, especially this time of year when trees are number one for producing pollen.
The top pollen producers? Depends on where you live, but the allergists say elm, oak, ash, cedar and birch.
GRASS: You may want to think twice before playing in the yard. While tree pollen is the biggest nuisance right now, in a few weeks, the grass will begin to pollinate.
The culprits? Timothy grass, Kentucky bluegrass, Johnson grass, Bermuda grass. Grass pollen usually runs from June to August.
RAGWEED: You probably picked these for your mother when you were a kid. She smiled and said thank you. She may have even put them in water. These yellow flowering weeds may look pretty on the kitchen table, but they cause allergic rhinitis, or “hay fever.” Ragweed season begins Aug. 15 and runs through October.
DUST MITES: Don’t think because your house, apartment, whatever, is so immaculate, you don’t have dust mites. These microscopic creatures can survive in the cleanest environment, says Stanley Fineman, with Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic. Dust mites are the number one indoor allergen, causing wheezing and itchy eyes in at least 10 percent of the general population all year round, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. | Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
