Allergies: Dallas, Texas

Writing this from Dallas, Texas one of the ragweed hotspots
of the nation, I'm particularly aware of "allergies" and
the havoc they can cause. Here are some tips for handling
allergies:

1. Ragweed pollen is probably the largest single seasonal
allergen in North America.

It is estimated that a square mile of ragweed plants would
release 16 tons of pollen in one season. Even skin contact
with ragweed can cause
dermatitis.

2. If you know before airborne allergies get worse in
your town, you can prepare.

At this site http://www.pollen.com/Pollen.com.asp you can
sign up to be alerted in the morning of conditions likely
to exceed a trigger point, the point where most allergy
sufferers will start to experience symptoms.

3. More than 50 million Americans suffer from Allergies.

4. An allergy is...

... "a heightened sensitivity to a foreign substance
(called an allergen) which causes the body's defense system
(the immune system) to overreact when defending itself.
Normally, the immune system would only react if a harmful
substance, such as a bacteria, attacks the body. For people
with allergies, their own immune system is working too hard,
and it reacts even when relatively harmless substances such
as pollen are present. The severity of an allergic reaction
can vary from mild discomfort to life threatening
situations." [Source: http://www.pollen.com]

5. Probably 25% of your website visitors suffer from
allergies.

Here - http://www.pollen.com/Pollen.com.asp - you can get
the html to put a pollen alert box on your website -
either a zip code entry box or for any town in the U.S.

6. The most extreme allergic reaction is called
"anaphylactic shock."

Immediately after contact the individual will suffer
difficulty breathing, itchiness, welling of the lips and
throat, and drop in blood pressure, and finally collapse.
If you've ever suffered anaphylactic shock, you should
carry injectable adrenaline from your doctor and keep
some at home as well. Have the 911 number handy, and
seek medical attention immediately.

7. Subsequent contact with a particular allergen can
be much worse than the first time, for instance if
you've been stung by a bee.

That's why people sometimes say, "And then all of a
sudden ..." I've heard people mention this about combining beer and shell fish one day, and ending up in the ER.

8. Coming into contact with products containing
normally innocent foodstuffs such as peanuts can actually
kill susceptible people. One way to determine what
you're allergic to is to see your personal physician
and get an allergy test.

9. Allergic conditions include: (1) Hay fever and
allergic asthma. Pollen from grasses, ragweed and trees, mold
wne dust can all cause respiratory and nasal problems. (2)
Eczema. A special form of skin reaction. Cement dust is
particularly likely to cause this. (3) Urticaria (itchy
hives). Most of us get this from nettles. You can also get
this from strawberries, seafood, cheese; it depends.

10. Once the allergy is established, you must remove the
cause or avoid it. Here are some tips:

a. Wear hypoallergenic gloves;

b. Use a filter in the vacuum cleaner to remove dust mite
droppings and an air filter on your A/C which you clean
often. Also clean the ducts;

c. Remove heavy drapes and bedspreads from the bedroom

and replace with blinds and tile or wood flooring with