Easy Lifestyle Changes to Promote Allergy Relief

I got tired of being adversely affected by severe allergies. It just hit me one day: I felt bad most of the time, constantly had a stuffy head, never slept a full night due to painful sinuses, and was dependent on over the counter allergy medication.

None of this made me happy, so I went on a campaign to try and change things.

The first thing I did was make a commitment to use higher quality air filters in my home's central air conditioner and to change them on a regular basis.

I was in the habit of purchasing the least expensive air filter available at the local home improvement store and changing them whenever it occurred to me. Sometimes I only remembered when I noticed the AC wasn't operating efficiently.

My theory was that because air quality probably had a huge impact on my allergies, I’d do everything I could to improve the air quality in my home.

At the store, I bought the highest rated air filter for my unit in a three pack and decided to mark my calendar and change the filter every 30 days for 90 days and see if I felt like it made a difference.

After three months, I was committed to this change for life. Not only did I experience a decrease in allergies, I also experienced a decrease in my electric bill to the tune of over fifty bucks a month. I experienced this decrease during rising temperatures when the bill normally does nothing but go up. This more than paid for the more expensive air filters I was using, so I felt like a real winner for coming up with this idea.

I wanted to try something natural instead of the over the counter allergy medicine I was regularly taking. I chose these drops which can be added to water each day and consumed to assist with clearing nasal and throat congestion.

Native Remedies Mucus Clear is not addictive and it's registered with the FDA. I found there are no side effects with these drops, and that I experience more relief than I did when taking a generic form of Zyrtec on a daily basis.

The second thing I did was make a commitment to better oral hygiene. After all, the digestive system and immune system start in the mouth.

I decided to not only brush my teeth and floss in the morning, but also to brush and floss each night, too. Previously, I was rarely a night time brusher.

Not only did my dentist tell me he saw an improvement in the health of my gums, I felt like this helped me sleep better at night by lessening my congestion and discomfort due to allergies. As an added bonus, I noticed the monster breath I experienced each morning in my rush to get to the bathroom and brush was practically gone. This told me that all the junk I was leaving in my mouth each night by failing to brush and floss before bed was really affecting me more than I realized.

In addition to added brushing, I began washing my face each night with cold cream. Previously, I only washed my face at night if I had worn makeup that day, so maybe half the time it was only getting washed in the morning. Allergens are everywhere, even your face, so I feel like washing my face an extra time definitely can't hurt.

• Wash with hot water whenever possible.

• Use your washer's long cycle.

• Add a half cup of white vinegar in addition to your normal detergent.

• Dry on full heat.

• Wash frequently! You can make the time.

The third thing I did was make a commitment to washing my bed sheets on a regular schedule. For years, I only owned one set of bedding, so they got washed once they looked dirty. It's tough to get the entire bed set washed and back on the bed in one single day, especially if a person has already worked a full shift.

Dust mites cause allergies and they live in bedding so I decided this was something I needed to deal with. I started by purchasing an additional set of bedding so I could immediately place a new set on the bed instead of having to rush and wait for everything to come out of the wash.

The second bed set made it much easier to keep to my plan of weekly washing. I wash my dirty set with hot water, dry it on full heat, and add vinegar in my washer with the regular detergent. I do believe that cleaner bedding has been a contributing factor in my allergy relief. As time went on, I was able to purchase an additional set of bedding, bringing my total to three sets. I fully believe this was worth the investment.

The fourth thing I did was work on the bedroom curtains. My curtains were rarely washed, which was a huge failing on my part. On top of that, they were made of a velour material which seemed to attract every bit of dirt or hair in my house, no matter how much I vacuumed.

I made two changes. The first change was to invest in completely new curtains which weren't made of dirt attracting velour and ten years old. I chose thermal blackout curtains for the bedroom, figuring that I may as well go thermal which might benefit my electric bill.

The second change was to start washing the curtains each month. I usually do this when I'm sure I have time to take down curtains, wash them, dry them, and re-hang them all in one day. Sometimes it's tough but I make sure it gets done.

By making these lifestyle changes, I experienced a decrease in daily allergies and discomfort and an improved quality of life.

Nothing I'm recommending here is hard to accomplish, and everything will be a benefit to your household even if you don't experience the same allergy relief that I did.