Allergy season is coming soon, 3 ways to help combat seasonal allergies

BPT - If you regularly experience the symptoms of seasonal allergies, you know how miserable they can make you. The congestion, sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes can really disrupt your daily routine. During the months when pollen counts are high for common allergens you are sensitive to, it's a good idea to take some proactive steps to help reduce the presence of those allergens in your home, as well as your exposure to them.


Photo: sweetlouise/Pixabay

Here are simple steps you can take that can make a big difference for your symptoms.

Stay updated on current pollen counts

Checking on the daily pollen counts in your area can help you make smart decisions around exposure for you and anyone else in your household who has allergies. On days when the counts are high, you may want to limit the time you spend outdoors, or wear an N95 mask if you do need to be outside for a while. This can help reduce your direct exposure to the pollen that's floating in the air.

You'll also want to make sure to keep all your windows closed on high pollen count days, and let the filter in your HVAC system (and any free-standing air purifiers you may use at home) get to work on keeping your home's air as clean as possible. Regularly replacing filters is also a good idea - and even more frequently than manufacturers' recommendations, if your allergies are severe.

Keep clothes and other items free from allergens

Did you know that you can help remove allergens from clothes and fabrics in your own home? With LG Styler® Steam Closet with TrueSteam® Technology and Exclusive Moving Hangers, you can keep all your clothing and any other items clean, refreshed and deodorized while also helping remove airborne allergens like pollen, pet dander and dust - without using any harsh chemicals.

The LG Styler Steam Closet is easy to install - all you need is a standard outlet - and has a slim design, so it's easy to find a place to use it in your laundry room, bedroom or elsewhere in your home. TrueSteam Technology is a chemical-free steam-generating powerhouse that uses hot vaporized water to penetrate all kinds of fabrics. As the hot steam circulates, the hangers included will vibrate side to side to help shake out dust, allergens and odors.

Because of its effectiveness in helping remove airborne allergens, the LG Styler Steam Closet is certified by the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). You can even use it for cleaning and removing pollen from hard-to-wash items including backpacks, stuffed toys, gloves, jackets and towels.

Even better, you can pair the LG Styler Steam Closet with Alexa or Google Assistant, or use the ThinQ App to download specialty care options, remotely check on remaining cycle time and more. Visit LG.com to learn more.

Reduce pollen, dander and dust on floors

It's all too easy for allergens to settle on the floors throughout your home, so it's best to keep them as clean as possible. If you can replace carpets with flooring that's easier to keep clean, that is one recommended tactic. If not, use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to keep carpets clean, at least once or twice a week. Consider shampooing your carpet every two to three months to keep it as clean as possible, or you could hire a professional carpet cleaning service.

For hard surfaces, regular vacuuming and mopping can help keep airborne allergens from accumulating. Make sure to wear an N95 mask while you're vacuuming to help protect yourself from dust, dander or pollen that gets kicked up while you're cleaning.

You don't have to be at the mercy of allergens, even on days when the pollen count is high. Following these strategies should help you reduce your allergy symptoms this season - and throughout the year.


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Editorial |
Enemies of the state


Op-Ed |
Where did all our local newspapers go?

Photo: Zo Willibrord/Pexels


from Jim Hightower

I no longer receive my local newspaper, the Austin-American Statesman.

Oh, the paper still comes, but it’s just paper, minus the news part — news that our community once counted on to keep up with local government doings, corporate shenanigans, citizen actions, and other critical features of our city’s democratic life.

What happened? Wall Street profiteers swept in a few years ago to conglomeratize, homogenize, and financialize the Statesman.

Jim Hightower
It’s now a money cog in the Gannett/USA Today chain of some 200 major dailies that the syndicate seized. Indeed, Gannett itself is wholly owned by SoftBank, a Japanese hedge fund. Those distant bankers are not interested in local news, but in slashing news staffs to fatten their profits. In Austin alone, Softbank has cut two-thirds of the paper’s journalists since taking over — and coverage of local stories has also plunged by two-thirds.

Interestingly, the Statesman recently ran a front-page piece about a local union protest by flight attendants demanding fair wages. On that same day, the paper also reported that Uber and Lyft drivers were striking in Austin.

But at the same time, the Statesman journalists were picketing right in front of the paper’s office, protesting the greed of SoftBank/Gannett and the demise of local news. Curiously, Statesman editors did not consider this local news about our newspaper to be news, so they cravenly kept this important information from the people.

Austin was not alone in this news blackout by the chain’s managers. Journalists at a dozen other Gannett papers — from Akron, Ohio to South Bend, Indiana — were picketing, yet, none of those papers ran a peep about their journalists’ defense of local news. Nor did Gannett’s flagship paper, USA Today, mention this nationwide union rebellion by its own journalists.

To support journalists and real journalism, go to newsguild.org.


About the author ~
OtherWords columnist Jim Hightower is a radio commentator, writer, and public speaker. This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org.


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