The spring season is here and you are just about ready to do some spring cleaning in your home. To alleviate indoor allergy, the top remedy suggested by most allergists is the use of protective bedding. Remember that your bed is a host to a lot of invisible allergens (house dust, dustmites and pet dander). On top of the protective bedding, antihistamines, air conditioning, air purifiers and diet modifications have also been suggested by allergists. Such were the result of the recent Braun Research survey, conducted on behalf of Aller-Ease.

Those with indoor allergy will benefit a lot from protective bedding - which you can get free from Aller-Ease by visiting their website. I haven't tried it yet, but consumers like the Aller-Ease protective beddings because they filter allergens, are soft, cool and quiet, allowing them to sleep comfortably and wake feeling refreshed.

Visit the Aller-Ease website between March 21 and April 30 and tell them the most disgusting thing you found during your spring cleaning and you'll have a chance to win a grand prize of an Aller-Ease allergy-proofing bedroom makeover for your entire home (up to four beds). This is your chance to try an Aller-Ease protective bedding for free, so check it out.

Winter, adieu! It's time to think of activities for the next sunnier, warmer months that calls for more outdoor fun!

For those of you who shun the pools because of chlorine allergies or intolerances or some other reason, why not consider getting above ground pools installed? If you are sensitive to chlorine, there are companies that offer alternatives to pool sanitizers that doesn't involve chlorine, such as Pristine Blue, Ecosmarte, and Ozone Generators.

Now, you don't have to forego a splash in the pool just because of chlorine-related issues!

I'm a bit concerned after reading a recent study (read abstract here) saying that children who had eczema during the first two years of life were more likely to have psychological abnormalities and emotional problems later in life. Furthermore, the study suggested that children whose eczema persisted beyond the first two years of life were more likely to have mental health problems than children who had eczema only in infancy.

Within the framework of the GINIplus study, scientists tracked the family history of the children, collected data on their physical health and emotional condition at age 10 years and gathered information on their daily lives. Questions were asked about the course of disease - also in early childhood - with special focus on diseases such as eczema, asthma, allergic rhinitis, stress tolerance and behavioral abnormalities.

Eczema is a non-infectious skin disease characterized by scaling itchy skin rashes. It is the most common skin disease in children and adolescents. Children who suffer from eczema are known to have an increased predisposition for hay fever and allergic asthma. Eczema symptoms are accompanied by a broad spectrum of secondary symptoms, such as sleep disorders.

My first born had skin asthma until he was about 4, and yes, we tried many OTC creams and cortisol-containing prescription drugs (topical) to manage it. A few years ago, we relocated to the tropics and amazingly, his skin problems drastically improved. He's had less than 5 bouts of skin rashes in the last 3 years! I dearly hope his earlier bouts of eczema hasn't marked him psychologically as the study above suggests!

British researchers reported at the AAAAI Annual Meeting in New Orleans that children with eczema are at at a higher risk of having peanut and other food allergies.

According to Graham Roberts, MD, a pediatric allergist at King's College London:

"We were shocked to find out that even in the first year of life, over 20% of infants with eczema already were sensitized [showed susceptibility] to peanut allergy.

But we didn't know how early the peanut allergy started; we thought may at 3, 4, or 5 years of age."

Read the full report from WebMD.

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