8 Can’t-Miss Tips for Surviving Spring Allergies in Tennessee

Spring in Tennessee means budding flowers, warmer weather and more often than not, sneezing and sniffling. With all of the state’s major cities ranked in the top 25 of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s nationwide list of “Allergy Capitals,” Tennessee is one of the most challenging places to live if you’re susceptible to spring allergies.

Pollen released from grass, trees, and plants as they are budding usually causes spring allergies, also called seasonal allergies. But allergies in Tennessee can drag on longer because of its relatively long growing season, according to The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.

This handy guide can help you with what to do before and during allergy season to avoid — or at least minimize — all the sniffling, coughing and sneezing.

How to Prepare for Allergy Season

Before the season hits this year, these tips can help you reduce your risk of a major allergy attack:

• Enact a year-round “no shoes in the house” policy to keep dirt, dust and pollen from shoes out of the house.
• Plan your gardening projects for early spring after the last frost but before budding begins.
• Delegate lawn-mowing jobs to someone with no seasonal allergies.
• Invest in a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to remove pollen and other allergens from your house.
• Invest in a vacuum cleaner that accommodates a HEPA filter to trap allergens from floors and surfaces in the canister.
• Make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your allergy symptoms and get help.

 

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What to Ask Your Doctor About Your Allergies

When you see your doctor about your allergies, you’ll want to ask these questions, as suggested by the National Institutes of Health:

• Should I take an allergy test?
• What recommendation do you have for treatment?
• Should I use any over-the-counter medications such as nasal spray?
• Does the medication cause any side effects that could make me feel worse?
• How effective are allergy shots? What are the side effects?
• Should I avoid exercising outdoors?

How to Manage the Day-to-Day Allergy Battle

These tips will help you deal with the daily struggle.

• Avoid air-drying laundry outside during pollen season as it can stick to bedding and clothing.
• Check your local weather for the pollen count and any weather specifics such as wind that can whip up allergies.
• Keep doors and windows closed during high pollen counts and instead rely on an air-conditioning system with high-efficiency filters to circulate and clean indoor air.
• If exercising outdoors, try it at night when pollen counts are lowest.
• Wear a face mask if you have to be outdoors during high pollen counts.
• Vacuum often using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter and be sure to have someone else empty the canister.
• During spring, rinse your nose daily with a saline spray to remove mucus and allergens from your nose, so you don’t continue to breathe them in.
• Drink lots of water to keep mucous membranes around your mouth, nose and eyes properly lubricated to reduce irritation from rubbing, sniffling, coughing and sneezing.

While spring allergies might be inevitable, a few steps can make the springtime more enjoyable for those most susceptible.

Naomi Mannino is a health and personal finance journalist who specializes in helping consumers get the most from their health and financial choices. She enjoys sharing her personal experiences and never writes about anything she has not tried herself. You can follow Naomi on Twitter @naomimannino.

Advice or recommendations are for informational or educational purposes only, not a substitute for a visit or consultation with your doctor.

Three Tips for Caring for Aging Parents

As the lifespan of the average American increases, so does the number of children caring for their aging parents. According to the Centers for Disease Control, life expectancy in the United States has hit a record high at 78.7 years.

New research from the Pew Research Center shows families in the United States are the primary caretakers for their aging parents.  Among Americans with an elderly parent, 58 percent have helped with errands, housework or home repairs.

The following are some ways to keep your stress to a minimum and act with compassion when caring for aging parents:

Don’t Ignore Small Changes

Changes happen gradually as parents age, so you might not notice anything unusual at first. However, if and when you do notice a change, don’t ignore it. According to AARP, some of these behavioral changes might include past-due notices for regular bills, not adhering to medication schedules, a change in personal hygiene and a change or avoidance of prior interests, friends or even family occasions.

You might also notice signs of disrepair in the house or laundry and dishes piling up. These are all signals that your parent may need help with home repairs, shopping, cooking or cleaning. When these instances happen, they don’t always signal a serious decline or danger, but you do want to be proactive and ask questions to determine whether help is needed, what type of help is needed and how you can make it happen.

Keep Conversations Open and Honest

Your role in a healthy relationship with your parent should be as an adult to an adult. While you want to be honest, you never want to treat your parent like a child. According to SageMinder, your role as a grown child is to effectively help your aging parents deal with any changes. Your parents’ role is to acknowledge when they need help and ask for it.

AARP offers a useful checklist of questions to ask your parents to get an honest assessment of how they feel about their living arrangements and daily life, so you may be able to talk openly about where and when they need help.

Know When YOU Need More Help

When parents fall or injure themselves, the need for help is clear. This might include finding professional help for personal care such as bathing, medication adherence and physical therapy. If you notice weight changes, your parent may need help with shopping and cooking. If you notice memory changes such as the inability to follow directions or forgetting how to do daily tasks, that is a sign of mental decline and may mean that they need more permanent assistance.

Naomi Mannino is a health and personal finance journalist who specializes in helping consumers get the most from their health and financial choices. She enjoys sharing her personal experiences and never writes about anything she has not tried herself. You can follow Naomi on Twitter @naomimannino.

Advice or recommendations are for informational or educational purposes only, not a substitute for a visit or consultation with your doctor.

Five Beauty Products You Can Make at Home

Your kitchen doesn’t have to be reserved just for cooking family dinners or whipping up your favorite dessert. With a few ingredients and some ingenuity, you can make your own homemade beauty products while saving money and exposure to harsh chemicals in the process.

Ready to cook up some kitchen cosmetics? Here are five common kitchen ingredients that can be added to your beauty routine.

Sea Salt Hair Spray

For tousled “I spent the day at the beach” hair, add six teaspoons of sea salt to six ounces of hot water. Stir until the salt has fully dissolved, then let the mixture cool and pour it into a clean spray bottle. Spa Index recommends a drop of tea tree oil and a teaspoon of any conditioner before shaking up the bottle to finish your solution. Spritz a little throughout wet or dry hair and scrunch it up, squeezing handfuls of hair to remove the excess to get enviable beach waves.

Honey Cornmeal Facial

To give your face a little pampering, combine just a tablespoon of honey with a tablespoon of finely ground cornmeal in a small bowl and mix into a paste. Smooth over your face and leave it for 15 minutes as a mask. Or, for a gentle exfoliator, massage in a circular motion with your fingertips. Rinse with warm water once you’re done.

Sugar Lip Scrub

In a small bowl, combine a teaspoon of any granular sugar with a few drops of a light cooking oil to make a thick paste. Apply just a dab to your lips and rub together gently to smooth the chapped skin around the edges of your mouth. If you’d like, add a drop or two of peppermint essential oil (or liquid extract) for added fresh scent. When you’re done, simply lick your lips clean!

Lemon Skin-Brightening Toner

Combine a half cup of lemon juice, one cup of water and two-thirds cup of witch hazel in a plastic bottle to keep in the fridge. After cleansing and rinsing, apply this toner in an upward, outward motion over your face and neck with a soft cotton ball or pad for a cleanse that will brighten your skin.

Coconut Oil Hair Mask

Smooth a small amount of coconut oil into hair and scalp and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove it by massaging it out with shampoo and rinsing to dissolve the oil, leaving you with healthier, shiner hair. Coconut oil also makes a great body moisturizer.

Using natural ingredients can be better for your skin and the environment. By making your own beauty products, you avoid unknown chemicals that may irritate your skin. Instead of heading to the spa or salon, look to Mother Nature for your next beauty treatment.

Share your own DIY home beauty treatments below!

Naomi Mannino is a health and personal finance journalist who specializes in helping consumers get the most from their health and financial choices. She enjoys sharing her personal experiences and never writes about anything she has not tried herself. You can follow Naomi on Twitter @naomimannino.

Sleeping Tips for New Moms

Having a baby is one of life’s most joyful experiences, but adjusting to your baby’s schedule and taking care of a newborn can be stressful. Plus, most babies don’t sleep a full eight hours until three months of age. To get you through those tough nights, check out these sleeping tips for new moms.

Share Your Room With the Baby

This will make it easier to doze off when your baby goes to sleep, particularly as you quiet and darken the room. Keep in mind this doesn’t mean having baby sleep in bed with you, which can become counterproductive. For nighttime breast-feedings, sharing the room also eliminates walking around the house, waking you further.

Power Down Your Devices

Your smartphone, tablet and TV all have a stimulating effect on your brain, as flashing lights and sounds direct you to constantly check your devices when you should be winding down for the evening. The National Sleep Foundation finds most Americans have several electronics in their bedroom at any one time, and when these devices are left on, they can interrupt your sleep.

Make Sleep a Priority

Create and follow a nighttime routine. Turn off the TV at a set time every night, take a warm bath, and climb into bed. Power down your mind, too, by reading, journaling or practicing a similar activity that helps you relax.

Reduce Your Caffeine Intake

The National Sleep Foundation reports the effects of caffeine can last up to six hours in your body. Cut out the coffee, soda and other caffeinated drinks by early afternoon, and it will be easier winding down before bedtime.

According to a study in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, it’s not the amount of sleep time lost that affects new moms most, but rather how often they wake up. When your sleep is interrupted every night for months, you miss out on the typical rhythms that give you energy, causing you to feel irritable, forgetful and unable to concentrate. To keep your routine while raising an infant, try any of these five sleeping tips to get better sleep when you need it the most.

Naomi Mannino is a health and personal finance journalist who specializes in helping consumers get the most from their health and financial choices. She enjoys sharing her personal experiences and never writes about anything she has not tried herself. You can follow Naomi on Twitter @naomimannino.

Advice or recommendations are for informational or educational purposes only, not a substitute for a visit or consultation with your doctor.