Last morning, I was rudely awakened...by a sneezing fit. Within minutes, I broke out into rashes, all over my face and neck. Thinking 'Biblical plague!', I rushed to the doctor, all alarm bells ringing. While I was in drama diva mode, the expert told me it was an allergic reaction to the changing weather and gave me some pills. An allergic reaction sounds simple but can be life threatening. Beware!

AWFUL ALLERGY:

Simply speaking, an allergy is when your body reacts abnormally to any external stimuli. You can be allergic to food, contact, anything you inhale, drugs and various beauty products. In this weather, contact and inhalation allergies spring to life. Common manifestations of allergy are bouts of sneezing, skin rashes, itching in the eyes, cough and cold, bronchial asthma and conjunctivitis. Reasons enough to either stay indoors or pay attention!

BLAME IT ON....

Allergens, because they cause allergies! At home, house dust-a combo of cloth fibres, lint and hair-is the allergen while outdoors, pollen is the culprit, Ahchoo, sneezing season is here!

QUICK CURES:

Allergies are all about prevention and quick action. So, if you are allergy prone, read on. For skin rashes, rub a sandalwood block on a wet stone slab and cover the rashes with the paste, at least three times a day. Wash off with ice-cold water and pat dry. If you find it difficult to breathe, burning camphor in an aroma lamp in a room helps open up the sinuses. Or put two drops of eucalyptus oil in the lamp to clean up the entire respiratory tract.
If your eyes are itchy, freeze rose water in an ice tray, put these cubes on your eyes and rub gently. Do it every evening to get rid of the dirt that you may have accumulated all through the day. As always, Yogic pranayam helps to detoxify and relax your body. Taking water in through one nostril and out through the other also helps a lot. Just relax and breathe easy.

ALLERGY BEGONE:

If you are allergy-prone, here's your list of lifesavers...

1) Vacuum-clean rugs, carpets, coolers and furniture at regular intervals.

2) Avoid using feather-filled duvets, pillows or cushions.

3) Change bed sheets every night, just before you sleep.

4) Avoid using perfumes and deodorants. Use talcum powder instead.

5) Use glycerine-based soap.

6) Avoid going near flowering plants and trees.

7) Avoid fumes in the house.

8) Get in tune with your body. Learn when you're most likely to suffer an attack.

9) Keep your home and car windows closed to lower exposure to pollen.

10) Dry your clothes in the dryer rather in the sun. This way, pollen will not collect on the clothes.

11) Consult your doctor.

Learn more about this author, Pinaki Goswami.
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