Let's Talk Allergies

Why Did Your Bed Bug Treatment Fail?

If you have ever had to deal with bed bugs or know someone who has, you know how bad it can get. You do everything you were told to do but the bugs just won’t go away. Why?

We had some send us this great article and we thought you may want to read it when you get the chance. It is titled “4 Reasons Your Bed Bug Treatment Failed”

You did not kill all of them or get rid of the eggs. Bed bugs will hide in the smallest of cracks and while they are there lay eggs. They also will move around the house.
The wrong treatment was used. Bed bugs are already becoming resistant to some pesticides. One problem is you won’t know that until after it is done.
You weren’t persistent enough. You have to be tougher than the bed bugs. You have to be relentless in your bed bug treatment and not let your guard down.
You didn’t apply preventative measures. The best offense is a better defense. Keep bed bugs out of their favorite hiding place in the first place. Make sure you cover the beds with bed bug-proof mattress covers. Make sure they are bed bug proof and not just bed bug resistant.

There is no easy answer or treatment for bed bugs. Bed bug treatment should be considered a war. But is a war that can be won. It just might take more than one battle.

Wishing you the best of health

Mike Krause
Allergy Store – Helping customers since 1989

Allergies and Dust during the Holidays

The other day my daughter and I were taking the Christmas decorations down from the attic and she just started sneezing and got all stopped up. Had to stop working for a while and take her Claritin. Seems like holidays can inadvertently bring allergies and dust together.

I hadn’t even thought about it until I read an article in the St. Petersburg Times -Dusty decorations, Christmas trees, and cold weather can touch off allergies, asthma and it reminded me that we all need to be careful, especially those with allergies and/or asthma when digging through stuff we have stored.

So many times those stored items have dust. Allergies and dust don’t go well together.

Before you just grab that box off the top shelf in the closet you may want to take a look on top. It doesn’t take much time for a layer of dust to build up. Plain household dust can have mold, pollen, dirt, dander, and a few other allergens that can cause your allergies to flare up. If the boxes are coming down from the attic they can also have some fiberglass mixed in. Nasty stuff. You might want to wear a mask like the QMask to protect yourself.

Funny how much dust settles on stuff you only touch every 12 months or so.

Wishing you the best of health
Mike Krause

AllergyStore.com – Helping customers since 1989
800 771-2246

How to Treat Your Allergy Symptoms Part 3

Last but not least. Immunotherapy, or a series of allergy shots, is the only available treatment that has a chance of reducing allergy symptoms over a longer period of time.

Patients receive subcutaneous (under the skin) injections of increasing concentrations of the allergens to which they are sensitive. These injections reduce the amount of IgE antibodies in the blood and cause the body to make a protective antibody called IgG.

Many people with allergic rhinitis will have a significant reduction in their allergy symptoms and in their need for medication within 12 months of starting immunotherapy. Most patients who benefit from immunotherapy may continue it for three years and then consider stopping.

Now many people are able to stop the injections with good, long-term results, however, some do get worse after immunotherapy is stopped and end up having to start again. As better allergens for immunotherapy are produced, this form of treatment will become an even more effective treatment.

Another form of immunotherapy that is popular in other parts of the world and is gaining interest in the United States is sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT). In this form of immunotherapy, instead of injections under the skin, drops are placed under the tongue. For those that hate needles, this is a very good thing.

This method of immunotherapy has been endorsed by the World Health Organization but has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the US. While some allergists are using SLIT, it is considered by the FDA as “off-label” use of the extracts. However, the FDA has approved tablets for immunotherapy use at home to control allergy symptoms.

As always, talk to your doctor about the best way to treat your allergies.

Till next time
Cheryl

The Allergy Store