You can help to reduce your exposure to indoor and outdoor allergens by taking measures to avoid or eliminate them, both inside and outside of the home.

  1. FOOD FIX: Preventing allergies and asthma may be as easy as drinking OJ. The higher your folate levels, the lower your risk of having an allergic reaction to pet dander, dust mites and mold. Aim for 400 milligrams of folate per day from grapefruit, beans, kale, oranges and spinach.
  2. Over 1 million dust mites can live in a single bed. The best protection against dust mites is covering your mattress in an allergy encasing.
  3. Dust mites and bed bugs create double-trouble at night. A bed encasing that blocks bed bugs and dust mites is an effective solution to protect you and your bed from these nighttime pests.
  4. Hypo-allergenic only means that materials made to produce the product don't cause allergies. For true allergy relief, cover your bedding with allergy encasings.
  5. Get rid of allergens without shrinking or color bleeding from hot water when you use an allergen-removing laundry product for all wash temperatures.
  6. Carpets are notorious havens for dust mites. Cleaning carpets with anti-allergen treatments will reduce symptoms from this huge allergy source.
  7. Keep humidity levels down to 35-40% with dehumidifiers or air conditioners to reduce the growth of mold and dust mite populations.
  8. Air purifiers are especially helpful for pet dander, and if you have a pet at home, running an air purifier is one way to help control allergy symptoms.
  9. Follow the advice of Dr. Oz and wash sinuses with a saline rinse for sinus relief and to reduce the chance of sinus infection.
  10. If your child has asthma, make sure to create an Asthma Action Plan with medications and doctor's contact information to share with schools, caregivers and teachers.
  11. Wear a face mask for protection against airborne allergens and pollutants. If you've been outside working or playing sports, change clothes and take a shower to avoid continued exposure to pollens, molds and other allergens that you carry inside.
  12. Use a shower filter to remove chlorine that is otherwise absorbed into the skin to strip away natural protective oils.