Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Excerising in Las Vegas with Allergies

Here are some things allergy sufferers need to take into consideration when exercising:

Before Your Workout
o Always talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program.
o If you are a beginner to fitness, exercise indoors for a few weeks before you move your workout sessions outside. This will help you build up your fitness level without worrying about allergy symptoms on top of the challenges of starting an exercise program.
o Take your allergy medication on a regular basis to remain protected. At the very least, take your medication and/or use eye drops at least one hour (or 24 hours, if using a nasal spray) prior to exercising.
o If you receive allergy shots, do not exercise strenuously for at least one or two hours after your injection. Vigorous exercise, which increases heart rate and blood flow, can lead to a rapid absorption of the shot, increasing your chances of serious side effects.
o Watch the weather. Changes in weather (temperature, wind, humidity and precipitation) all affect pollen counts. Warm, dry, and breezy days—especially in the morning—tend to increase pollen counts (avoid outdoor exercise during these conditions), while rainy, cooler days and evenings will reduce pollen concentration.
o If you're feeling under the weather, avoid outdoor exercise. Your immune system is more likely to react severely to allergens when you're tired, sick, or overly stressed.
o Before heading outside, listen to the radio to check pollen/mold counts or log onto a pollen count website. Adjust your workout plan accordingly, based on the counts and your level of sensitivity. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, "low" pollen counts will only affect individuals who are extremely sensitive to pollen and mold; "moderate" pollen counts will give many individuals symptoms; and "high" pollen counts affect almost everyone with any sensitivity to pollen and molds.
o Spend at least five minutes warming up before you start each workout.

During Your Workout
Here are some tips that will help prevent and reduce your allergy symptoms so you can exercise comfortably.
o If you're allergic to dust mites, you can avoid breathing indoor dust by exercising outdoors.
o If you're allergic to grasses and weeds, avoid these allergens by exercising indoors during the height of the allergy season.
o Air pollution can trigger a tightening of the airways in sensitive individuals, making it difficult to breathe when exercising on sidewalks—and even up to 50 feet away from the road. Avoid contact with outdoor pollutants (near busy roads, for example) by exercising at low-traffic times and locations or exercising indoors.
o If you're allergic to pollen and want to exercise outdoors, plan your workouts for times when pollen counts are lowest. They tend to peak between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., so skip an early morning workout in favor of an afternoon or evening exercise session.
o If your seasonal allergies are severe, you may need to limit your outdoor workouts completely—especially when pollen counts are at their peak levels.
o Remember that outdoor allergens like pollen can travel several miles. Although you may feel better when exercising further away from allergens like grass and trees, you may still exhibit allergy symptoms while on a tennis court, an asphalt track, or even at the beach.
o To prevent itchy, watery eyes when outdoors, wear wrap-around sunglasses to prevent allergens and wind from compounding the problem.
o Consider wearing a paper face mask to filter out allergens while you breathe heavily during exercise.

After Your Workout
o Spend at least 5 minutes to properly cool down. And don't forget to stretch!
o If you exercised outdoors, change you clothes (preferably outside to keep allergens on your clothes out of the house), and shower as soon as possible to remove allergens from your skin and hair.
o Keep windows closed and use the air conditioner to clear the air even more.
o Consider using a nasal spray (saline) to clear allergens from your nose.

Exercise is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. While allergies may be a nuisance, there are lots of options for working your workouts around your symptoms. In fact, a good workout may even help reduce your allergy symptoms. Your body produces extra adrenalin during exercise, which benefits the body by lowering your allergic response (temporarily). This means that exposure to outdoor allergens while you are working out might not result in a reaction. But once that workout is over (and adrenalin levels return to normal), allergy symptoms are more likely to flare up.

Friday, October 2, 2009

FAAN Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward a Cure in Henderson, NV

Mission Hills Park (in Henderson) on Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 9 a.m.

The event, to be held in 34 cities across the country as well as online, is sponsored by the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) to increase awareness about food allergy and to raise money for research and education.
Registration for FAAN's Walk for Food Allergy is now open to families, community groups, and anyone else wishing to raise funds for food allergy education and research. Registration is online at www.foodallergywalk.org. Sponsors are also being sought; the Walk is a great way for businesses to show their support for families facing the challenges of managing food allergies.
More than 12 million Americans have food allergy, which is the leading cause of anaphylaxis (a severe and potentially fatal allergic reaction) outside the hospital setting and results in more than 50,000 emergency room visits each year. Eight foods account for 90 percent of all allergic reactions in the U.S.: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans, etc.), wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish. Food allergy afflicts one in 25 Americans overall, and one in 17 under age 3.Kendall Tenney from Channel 3 News KVBC is the Honorary Chair and Emcee. Kendall joined Channel 3 in 1994 as a morning anchor and began anchoring the 4 and 6 p.m. newscasts five years later. Around that same time, Kendall started his series of reports called Kids First focusing on any and all things affecting children.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Online Coupons for Allergy Medicines

Some pharmaceutical companies offer coupon programs but require you to sign up with your email address. Please note that I have no financial interest in any of these products. If you find additional coupons on the internet for allergy products, please let me know and I’ll add them to the list.

Click on the drug to find the coupon link:
· ADVAIR
· ALVESCO
· ASMANEX
· ASTELIN
· ASTEPRO
· CLARINEX
· NASACORT AQ
· NASONEX
· OPTIVAR
· PATADAY
· PATANASE
· SYMBICORT
· TWINJECT
· VERAMYST
· XYZAL
Also see the Consumer Reports newsletter about saving money on prescription drugs

Las Vegas is 19th Worst City for Allergy Sufferers

19. Las Vegas, Nev.
Pollen Score: Worse than Average
Medicine Utilization per Patient: Worse than Average
Board-Certified Allergists per Patient: Average
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Back in April 2007, Forbes Magazine published information from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. A not-for-profit organization that provides information, community-based services and a support network, it ranked the worst cities for allergies based on three factors: pollen counts, medication usage by allergy patients and the number of board-certified allergists per patient. Las Vegas, NV was ranked 19th worst, with Tulsa, OK ranked #1.

Is it Time to Move?
One of the reasons the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America first began tracking in 2003 the intensity of seasonal allergies was because the group was getting so many calls from people asking where they should move to avoid them. The goal was to put research behind its answers.
But while it's helpful, for instance, for people with tree pollen allergies to know that the Southeast might not be a great place for them to live, relocating won't solve most sufferers' problems.
Most people tend to have more than one trigger, something they may not realize until they move to another city and are exposed to different allergens. People with tree pollen allergies could move to Seattle, for example, where the tree pollen count is much lower, only to find out they're also allergic to mold, a significant problem in the Northwest.
Some seek solace in places like Nevada and Arizona. But Dr. Michael Daines, an immunologist and assistant professor in pediatrics at the University of Arizona in Tucson, says the people who initially moved to the desert to escape their allergies basically brought allergens with them, planting Bermuda grass and other non-native plants.
So, the message is … unfortunately, you can’t outrun your allergies. All you can do is manage them the best that you can.