Loading ...By Aviva Patz Men’s Health
YOU DON’T NEED WEBMD TO DECODE ALLERGIES. The reason for your sniffling is simple: Your immune system encounters a foreign substance (pollen, say), registers it as a threat (it’s not), and launches a counterattack. Cue the runny nose and itchy eyes. Straightforward, right? In fact, that may be the only thing about allergies that is straightforward. “Many people suffer quietly with allergies for decades,” says William Reisacher, M.D., an assistant professor of otorhi nolaryngology at Weill Cornell Medical College. “They don’t tell their doctors because of the false belief that allergies are a trivial problem with no solution.” Breathe a sigh of relief: We’ve uncovered the truth about allergies—and the best ways to keep airborne enemies at bay.
Allergies are on the rise because we’ve sanitized our lives
PROBABLY TRUE
But Purell isn’t entirely to blame. One leading theory is that the uptick in allergies began with our shift away from farm life and has accelerated because of our obsession with antibiotics and cleanliness, says Estelle Levetin, Ph.D., head of biological science at the University of Tulsa. As a result, we’re exposed to fewer infectious agents than ever—with an unexpected side effect. In the absence of its usual targets, your immune system may become overly sensitive and attack harmless particles, says Levetin.
YOUR MOVE
There’s no need to play FarmVille in your backyard. But the next time your doctor prescribes an antibiotic, ask if it’s absolutely necessary. When your immune system is forced to focus on invaders that matter, it may eventually start to ignore allergens, say researchers in France. Another strategy: Eat more fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and kefir. They’re full of good bacteria that may boost your immune system and, say scientists in Pakistan, further help prevent it from reacting to allergens.
Special pillowcases and mattress covers will banish dust mites from your bedroom
FALSE
You won’t win this pillow fight. Simply covering your bedding with miteproof covers isn’t enough to reduce your symptoms, a 2011 Cochrane review concluded. “Covers will work as part of a plan that includes other dust-mite control measures,” says Thomas Platts-Mills, M.D., Ph.D., director of the University of Virginia’s asthma and allergic disease center.
YOUR MOVE
The first step in your mite-control mission: the right pillow and mattress covers. Skip the cheapie versions—their weave isn’t tight enough to block the little buggers, says Dr. Platts-Mills. Instead, invest in Mission: Allergy Premium Microfiber Allergen-Proof Shams and Mattress Encasings ($28 to $170, missionallergy.com). Also, regularly wash your sheets and pillowcases in hot water and clean your floors with a HEPA vacuum, such as the Hoover WindTunnel Self-Propelled Bagless Upright ($200, hoover.com). In a Rutgers study, HEPA filtration reduced dust-mite allergens by 81 percent. The key: After vacuuming, the scientists waited 2 hours to let any agitated particles settle, and then they vacuumed again.
Read more at Men’s Health: http://www.menshealth.com/health/clearing-air-allergies#ixzz1togD4jVa
