In With Spring, Out With Allergies

You may think that blooming tulips and freshly mowed lawns that come with springtime are what`s making you sneeze, but the culprits might actually be lurking inside your home. Shape Magazine's Senior Associate Health Editor, Bahar Takhtehchian, will be here to fill us in on things we need to know that may be preventing us from achieving your optimal health - from right inside your home!

• ROLL OUT A WELCOME MAT
After trudging around all day, you can pick up dirt, pollen, and chemicals on your shoes, and you don`t want to bring these things into your home.

Wage a two-pronged attack: Put a scraper-style doormat down at your entrance and start a shoes-off policy - This combination could reduce the amount of dust and chemicals inside your house by about 60 percent.

• BECOME GREENER CLEANERS
Every time you spray a cleaning product onto a surface, you breathe it in. There are some dangerous ingredients in cleaners - such as formaldehyde and chlorine - that, if inhaled, can affect your respiratory system and irritate your lungs.

Make your own cleaner by mixing equal parts water and vinegar. This blend gets rid of dirt and kills germs without affecting your air quality. Or stick to environmentally-safe brands that don`t have harsh chemicals

• REMAKE THE BED
Your mattress and pillows are probably teeming with dust mites -- microscopic organisms that feed on human skin.

To stop breathing in the leftovers of that dust mites leave behind, encase your pillow, mattress, and box spring in dust mite-impermeable coverings. Look for the word 'breathable'

• SMELL REAL ROSES
Smell real roses. Candles, diffusers, and plug-ins all bill themselves as an effective way to zap odors in your home, and they do—but they could also be doing your health some harm.

• GET HIGH-TECH HELP
Get high-tech help. Purifiers are good for everyone—anyone can develop a bad reaction if they`re exposed to allergens over time. Rabbit Air`s BioGS 582A Air Purifier ($259; rabbitair.com) removes more than 99 percent of dust, pollen, and more.

For other ways to survive allergy season and more healthy living tips, check out the latest issue of Shape Magazine or visit www.shape.com.