10 Easy Allergy Prevention Techniques

For people who suffer from seasonal allergies, the season change can be the worst time of the year, but with these 10 tips you’ll make it through this difficult time with ease. To overcome skin rashes, headaches, or a running nose, one doesn’t need to go to the pharmacy. By following these tips will help you ward off the allergens in the air and save you hassle and money for expensive medication.

1. Use Eucalyptus Oil 

Eucalyptus oil has a pleasant and powerful aroma, which can help the body deal with irritation to the skin, as well as the airways. The secret is the eucalyptus’ anti-inflammatory properties, combined with the powerful smell that can help clear congestion. To relieve skin irritations, use a couple of drops and massage it into the skin of the irritated area. Eucalyptus oil is very potent, so using too much may lead to skin irritation, and in such cases one should stop using the concentrated version and instead use 10-20 drops in a hot bathtub and soak for a bit.

 

2. Drink Pineapple Juice 

This delicious fruit contains an enzyme called bromelain, which reduces congestion and opens up the airways. Another benefit worth mentioning is the pineapple’s high concentration of Vitamin C – 3.5oz of fresh pineapple contains about 80% of the recommended daily intake for an adult. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that, among other things, strengthens the immune system. 

 

3. Eat Spicy Food 

Spicy foods are not just delicious and nutritious, but also great at clearing nasal congestion. “Spicy” doesn’t refer solely to hot peppers but also to onions, ginger, horseradish, etc. You can get your dose of spiciness by seasoning your food with it, or by adding it to an infusion.

4. Shower as soon as you come home 

 Before summer weather is upon us, many people don’t feel sweaty and thus don’t feel the need to wash – which can lead to irritations in the skin and airways. By spending time outside, we expose our clothing to contaminants such as pollen, dust, and even tiny insects. The sooner we wash it all away, the better.

5. Change Your Diet 

Aside from spicy foods, there are many other kinds of foods that can help you combat allergies and maintain your health. Reduce your consumption of fatty and sugary foods – these types of foods can exacerbate allergic reactions. Eat more citrus and greens, and check out our list of foods that help you deal with allergies. 

 

6. Don’t Forget Sunglasses  

Sunglasses protect our eyes from harmful UV rays, but they can also protect our eyes from harmful particulate in the air, such as dust, spores, and other allergens. A research from 2013 showed that sunglasses are one of the easiest and cheapest ways to protect your eyes from irritants and infections during seasonal transitions.

7. Drink Mint Tea 

Mint tea contains a potent antioxidant called Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG for short). EGCG was shown to be more effective than Vitamins C & E in halting allergic symptoms well before they become a nuisance, making mint tea one of the most effective prevention treatments out there.

8. Keep Your Windows Closed 

 At home, in the office or in your car, if you don’t need to sit by an open window – don’t. As pleasant and refreshing as a cool spring breeze may feel, it’s also the main way for allergens and contaminants to enter your environment. If you suffer from allergic reactions, close any open windows once you enter a room and avoid drafty areas.

9. Plan Your Time Wisely

NIAD (the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) found that the time of day with the highest amount of allergens in the air is the afternoon, so avoid being outside during that time of day. Furthermore, extended sun exposure can increase your skin’s sensitivity to rashes and irritations, so if you have to be outside, be sure to minimize your exposure by wearing long clothes, sunglasses (and some sunscreen couldn’t hurt).

10. Roll Up Those Rugs 

Rugs add color and warmth to the house, but they also accumulate contaminants, making them your worst enemy. It doesn’t matter how much you clean your carpets; they’ll always collect dust, dead skin cells, pet hair, etc. When spring arrives, roll up that rug and put it in the garage (maybe even send it to get cleaned) until allergy season’s over.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

15 Habits You Should Avoid to Maintain Sharp Vision

Our eyes are pretty fragile, and even the slightest misstep on your behalf is bound to affect their health and subsequently - your eyesight, if not now, then further down the road. Environmental stressors, such as UV light, dry air and others can worsen your vision and contribute to eye disease, but so do excess strain and lack of sleep. Learn to preserve sharp vision for decades by avoiding these 15 bad habits capable of ruining your eye health.

1. Air Conditioning and Central Heating

Both air conditioning and central heating significantly dry out the air in a room, potentially causing a whole host of issues, especially dry eyes. And while having dry eyes doesn't seem very threatening, it is more dangerous than you'd think. For one, eyes devoid of a moisture barrier are more susceptible to infections. Dry eyes can also damage the surface of the eye, and chronically dry eyes can even worsen one's vision.

To deal with the issue, keep a working air humidifier in your bedroom overnight, or simply put a bowl full of water or two in your bedroom - this water will slowly evaporate, slowly increasing the humidity in the room.

2. Not Wearing Sunglasses

Similarly to why you need to use sunscreen when you go outside, you should also wear sunglasses on the regular to protect the surface of your eyes from UV damage. The truth is that the sun's rays are getting stronger and stronger, and constant UV exposure was proven to contribute to several eye diseases, namely eyelid cancer, cataract, and pterygium (a pinkish growth over the cornea). Doctors suggest wearing sunglasses year-round, even in the winter.

3. Using Makeup Remover Too Close to the Surface of the Eye

This is not to say that you should stop wearing eye makeup, or stop removing it from your eyes, but rather be wary of the products you use around the eye area and make sure not to get eye makeup remover inside your eyes. Eye makeup removers and face wash can contain a type of cleaning agent, a surfactant called benzalkonium chloride, which can irritate the surface eye and damage eye tissues, subsequently worsening your eyesight. Products intended for eye use and those that don't contain this ingredient are generally considered eye-safe.

4. Improper Use of Contact Lenses

Contact lenses require the strictest hygienic and medical guidelines to be safe for your eyes, you wear them directly on your eyes, after all. First and foremost, you should never sleep in your contacts or use them in water, as this can cause damage to the surface of the eye and severe, sometimes incurable, eye infections.

Some contacts are considered safe for sleep, but we wouldn't risk it anyway. Two other things we'd never risk is overusing contact lenses or using not medically-approved lenses, as in both cases, the risk of eye infection is just too high. Contacts can scratch your eyes and harbor bacteria, especially if they're not regulated - a recipe for disaster. Contact-related injuries and infection have been found to result in visual impairment in 20% of cases.

5. Sleep Deprivation and Apnea

According to medical research, your eyes require at least 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep on a daily basis to function properly and stay healthy. Overexertion may cause eye spasms (twitching), popped blood vessels, dry eyes, blurry vision, and itching eyes.

Even more serious health conditions are associated with sleep apnea sufferers, who are more likely than healthy people to develop glaucoma and can suffer from vision loss caused by a degenerative condition affecting the optic nerve called Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (AION).

6. Traveling by Plane

Here is one more reason to sleep on the plane, and it has everything to do with your eye health. The thing is that the recycled air on the plane is among the driest and most germ-ridden imaginable, so make sure to rest your eyes, preferably wearing an eye mask, while you're on the plane, especially on long flights.

7. Using Devices for Too Long

All screens are bad for your eye health, especially if you spend too much time in front of them, be it a computer screen, your smartphone or your TV. The reason behind is that concentrating on a screen for prolonged periods of time is just too strenuous for your eyes, and the resulting condition is the already familiar 'dry eye', of course, but also another condition called Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), characterized by eyestrain, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, blurred vision and dry eyes.

To prevent the development of CVS, set up your desk ergonomically, adjust the lighting and the brightness of the screen, and keep a healthy posture while using the computer.

8. Smoking

Believe it or not, smoking can affect even your vision. In one study, participants who were smoking 20 or more cigarettes daily were shown to have worse color vision than those who didn't smoke more than 15 cigarettes a day. Smoking is also known to contribute to more serious eye issues, such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataract, and diabetic retinopathy.

9. Sleeping With Eye Makeup On

If washing your eye makeup off is bad for your eyes if you're using the wrong products, not washing your eye makeup off is very harmful, always. People often don't realize how much dirt and buildup can accumulate inside their eyes, and this is especially true for eye makeup wearers. Those who don't remove their eye makeup are in an even worse situation, as they smear that gunk all over their eyes while they sleep.

While mascara, false lashes and eyeliner can cause eye infections, especially if you don't replace your makeup products regularly, glitter eyeshadow can cause microtears on the surface of the eye, so make sure you clean all the eye makeup from your eyes before you go to bed. 

10. Doing Yard Work Without Safety Goggles

Eye injuries are no joke. Unlike a cut, a bruise or even a fracture, you won't be able to regrow an eye, which is why you should prioritize your eye safety whenever you're doing something potentially risky for your eyes. Such things include walking in the dark, carrying sharp objects, such as scissors, and doing yard work.

When it comes to yard work or home improvement, the easiest preventative measure is to simply wear protective eyewear, but when it comes to walking in the dark, you can just avoid the activity altogether. Also, be careful and don't make any quick or sudden movement when you have sharp objects in your hands.

11. Rubbing Your Eyes

Rubbing your eyes may give you temporary relief to allergies or tiredness, but try to abstain from it, and teach the little ones to do so as well, as eye rubbing can be quite bad for you. To be more specific, eye rubbing contributes to the development and worsening of a disorder called keratoconus, which is the thinning of the cornea.

This condition typically can result in blurry or double vision, astigmatism, nearsightedness, and light sensitivity, and it is especially common in kids.

12. Certain Medications

Unfortunately, many medications come with side effects that worsen your vision. For example, antihistamines, antidepressants, cholesterol-lowering drugs, beta-blockers, birth control pills, and others can all cause eye dryness, whereas certain antibiotics, diuretics, and NSAIDs can result in sensitivity to light.

Other medications, e.g. asthma medications, Parkinson’s, and depression medications can increase the risk of glaucoma. If you are experiencing any eye or vision problems after starting a new medication, talk to your doctor to seek alternative treatments.

13. Overusing Eye Drops

If you need to resort to anti-redness or allergy drops more than the directions suggest or use it for prolonged periods of time, you might be actually suffering from another eye problem, most commonly dry eye, and to feel better, you'll need to address that problem with an eye doctor.

Over the counter eye drops are a fix for a brief problem, but prolonged use can do more harm that good, as your eyes get accustomed to the extra help and you might become addicted to the drops.

14. Poor Diet and Vitamin B Deficiency

Dietary deficiencies, the most common one being a vitamin B12 deficiency, can cause vision problems as well. Vitamin B12 deficiencies are common among vegetarians and vegans, and these can even cause blindness, in some cases. Instead, enjoy foods that your eyes will appreciate, such as:

• Salmon, tuna, and nuts, high in omega 3 fatty acids
• Eggs, high in B vitamins and protein
• Leafy greens, e.g. kale and spinach, rich in lutein
• Orange fruit and veggies, such as mango or carrots, which contain a lot of carotenoids.

15. Using Cheap Sunglasses

The fact that a pair of sunglasses are darkened doesn't mean they offer any or enough sun protection. Reputable brands will typically make UV reflection tests before selling a product to make sure your eyes are protected from the sun, as they should be. That's why we recommend you invest in a pair of sunglasses that offer proven UV protection to preserve your eye health and eyesight.

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

Wear sunglasses to avoid common eye disease

If your job leads to spending most of the time outdoors, do not forget to wear sunglasses as it can save you from developing a common eye disease.

According to a study, residential geography, time spent in the sun and whether or not sunglasses are worn may help explain why some people develop exfoliation syndrome (XFS), an eye condition that is a leading cause of secondary open-angle glaucoma and can lead to an increased risk of cataract.

“Lifetime outdoor activities may contribute to XFS so a more widespread use of UV-blocking eyewear can help prevent XFS,” said lead study author Louis Pasquale, as associate professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School (HMS).

Researchers conducted a clinic-based, case-control study in the US and Israel, involving XFS cases and control individuals.

They measured weighted lifetime average latitude of residence and average number of hours per week spent outdoors as determined by validated questionnaires.

They found that genetic or environmental factors also contribute to XFS.

Previous studies have shown that residential (geographic) history and extent of solar exposure may be important risk factors for XFS.

The study appeared in the journal Ophthalmology.


THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.

PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-

HTTP:GSEASYRECIPES.BLOGSPOT.COM/

FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-

HTTP://KNEE REPLACEMENT-STICK CLUB.BLOGSPOT.COM/

FOR CROCHET DESIGNS

HTTP://MY CROCHET CREATIONS.BLOGSPOT.COM

How to prevent and manage dry eyes

The surface of eye is always covered with a thin layer of liquid known as the tear film which is essential for health of eye.

Dry eye condition caused by cold winds of winter season evaporates the tears leaving eye with disruption of vision. Here are a few tips on how to prevent and manage dry eyes in winter.

- Wear sunglasses to protect eyes from cold wind and excess light

- Artificial tears also known as tear substitutes should be applied at least four times a day. It may be used as often as necessary - only once or twice a day, or as often as several times an hour.

- If the condition aggravates, use lubricating ointment at bedtime.

- Run a humidifier to put moisture back into the air.

- Lay a warm, damp washcloth across your eyelids for a couple of minutes.

- Add more omega-3 fatty acids or fish oil supplements to your diet.

- Keep the home environment humid, between 30 and 50 percent. During winter a humidifier may be used to add moisture to dry indoor air. Additional humidity can be created by wearing special glasses that form a moisture chamber around the eye.

- Drink extra fluids and use a hot- or cold-air humidifier

- Eat plenty of fish and foods with vitamin A,C,E and Omega-3 fatty acids

- Drink lots of water and get plenty of rest

- Green tea and chrysanthemum tea are beneficial for eyes and prevent eyes fatigue

- Turn down the heat at homes which dries out the eyes. Use a humidifier.

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

ps- those interested in recipes are free to view my blog-

http://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/

for info about knee replacement, you can view my blog-

http://Knee replacement-stick club.blogspot.com/

for crochet designs

http://My Crochet Creations.blogspot.com