Thursday, August 30, 2007

Allergy Sufferers Search for Help Online

Allergy Sufferers Search for Help Online

Allergy sufferers, previously resigned to taking pills or hiding indoors, are finding new forms of relief by searching the internet.

Tampa, FL (PRWEB) February 17, 2006

Allergy sufferers, previously resigned to taking pills or hiding indoors, are finding new forms of relief by searching the internet.

Margaret Johnson has always had a problem controlling her allergies. Every year, watery eyes, a drippy nose and a scratchy throat were a sign that Spring had arrived.

"Allergies have always been tough on me. Every year it's the same thing. I've tried everything -- from pills to humidifiers to just staying indoors most of the time. All of it helps a little, but the symptoms never go away."

Allergies affect about one-third of all Americans, almost twice as many as previously believed, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

From hiding indoors to taking remedies like Claritin every 12 to 24 hours, there are many ways to try and alleviate the symptoms. But those only work some of the time.

Margaret Johnson said, "Claritin pills start to wear off very quickly after you take them too often. I found myself taking 2 or 3 at a time just to get some relief. I started to worry if that was really healthy."

So, like many allergy sufferers, she went searching for alternative ways to reduce the symptoms. The Internet offers shoppers a myriad of products promising relief. From simple methods such as masks to more exotic solutions, everything was available at the click of a mouse.

Margaret decided on an approach that she discovered had been used for centuries in the Middle East. She purchased several salt lamps (http://www. onlinediscountmart. com/salt-lamps. html), one for each room of her house. According to her research, salt naturally ionizes the air and cleanses it of impurities.

"Best of all" she said, "they look natural, not like some clunky machine hiding in the corner of the room. They provide a beautiful soft glow. I love them -- no two of them look alike."

Other items you can find online to address the problem, include the Ionic Pro (http://www. tvproducts4less. com/ionic-pro. html), which is also sold in national chains such as Walmart. These perform the same function, ionizing the air and making it cleaner -- removing the impurities and attaching them to metallic plates inside the unit. The downside of these units is that they require cleaning.

However you deal with allergies this Spring, keep on top of the problem. You can track allergen levels in your area at http://www. weather. com/activities/health/allergies/ (http://www. weather. com/activities/health/allergies/).

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