I have suffered with allergies my entire life.  I can say I am lucky because my allergies are environmental, not medical related.  I do not have any medicine or latex allergies.  My allergies are everything else in the world.

I have been tested 3 different times with the first test coming when I was a pre-teen.  I was tested again in my late teens and then again in my mid- twenties. I had a severe reaction to everything I was tested for.  In those days, the test was a prick test.  The doctor would prick you with a needle and then put a drop of whatever they were testing.  After a few minutes they would measure the size of the bump to determine the severity of the allergy.  I was tested for over 60 allergens each time I was tested.

There are a lot of people that suffer seasonal allergies.  The symptoms typically start in May and start to fade out in August.  Plants, trees, grasses and many different pollens start floating around this time of year creating issues for over 50 million people.

What to do about allergies

• There are over the counter medications that might help
• There are prescription medicines that might help
• Change your furnace/ HVAC filter often- keeps the air in your house cleaner
• Vacuum often to keep dust and pollen out of the house
• If possible, keep the windows closed to prevent excess allergens from coming into the house
• A shower often helps me to wash off the pollens
• Dust everything in sight, including fans
• Wash bedding and any other cloth that you use on a regular basis

I know many people who feel miserable this time of year and I truly sympathize.  I have dealt with it my entire life.  I even took allergy shots for three years- but they did not help or stop my symptoms.

Happy Spring and best wishes as we deal with the side issues of allergies!

If you have a story idea or something you want to learn more about, give Randy a call at 406-788-3003 or send me an email at randall.bogden@townsquaremedia.com