Runny nose, swollen eyes, rashes, hives – any one of these can indicate that you have an allergy to something in your environment. An allergy occurs when your body is exposed to something it doesn’t like. Not everyone has an allergy, but if you have a cold which has hung on for more than a week, or a rash, you are probably experiencing the wonderful world of allergies.

The worst problem with allergies is they can make you feel miserable. You feel stuffed up, you sneeze, you itch. The good news is you don’t have to suffer. Aside from getting a series of desensitizing shots from your doctor, there are many things you can do in your own home to get rid of your allergy problems.

Get Moving!
Believe it or not, cutting edge allergy experts now say that one of the primary causes of allergies is pure physical laziness. If you don’t move, sooner or later something’s going to catch up to you, and that something is often an allergy.

If you get up, get out and get more exercise, you will greatly reduce your risk of suffering from allergic reactions of any kind. If you have a lot of allergies, increase your daily exercise by 1 to 2 hours. Walks or bike rides in the fresh air are great for oxygenating your lungs, brain — and entire body.

Eat Better!
It’s as simple as this — a poor diet makes you weak. If you eat a lot of junk food, and very little good food, meaning fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, you hamstring your body’s immune system. With a poor diet, you have no ammunition with which to fight off outside irritants. In short, you develop allergies to those things most other people are strong enough to resist. So while you get more exercise, reform your diet, and watch your allergies dwindle.

Eliminate Irritants
Obviously, you should take care to avoid that which bugs you — pet dander, pollen, dust mites and mold. Keep your house very clean. Vacuum and dust regularly to control dust mite and pet dander problems. Also, wipe down damp areas, like the bathroom, regularly with disinfectant to control mold growth. If your allergies are fairly mild, these steps will usually keep your problems under control.

Go Further
For some people, this is not enough. If your reactions continue to be severe, you might have to isolate or give away Fluffy and Fido. If you are allergic to pet dander, the last thing you want is to have your furry friends anywhere near the area where you sleep, because you don’t want to breathe in their dander for eight solid hours. You might also try covering your bed in plastic and investing in synthetic Dacron pillows. This will cut down on places for pet dander and dust mites to hide.

Re-Do the Floor Plan
Rip up your carpets and put down linoleum and throw rugs. Wall-to-wall carpeting is bad news for allergies because tightly woven carpeting material can harbor dust mites, dander, pollen, and mold which even the best steam cleaner can’t help.

Get and Air Conditioner
Air conditioners can help filter out pollens while dehumidifying the air in your house so mold cannot grow. Make sure you periodically clean out the air conditioner with a disinfectant, because in wet climates, air conditioners can also be a major producer of mold spores.

Air Cleaner
Invest in an industrial strength air cleaner which bolts on to your central air and heating unit. These can be expensive, but they remove potentially harmful particles from every room in your house. The room-size air cleaners can take certain particles out, like pollen, but there is nothing to keep more allergens from floating from other rooms.

Over the Counter
It pays to invest in over-the-counter antihistamines, which can take care of your runny nose and other symptoms. They work to a certain extent.