What’s Making You Sneeze?

You may think you have the cold that just won’t quit. But if you’ve been blowing your nose, rubbing your eyes, or suffering from congestion for more than two weeks, it’s time to consider a different diagnosis: allergies. They seem to be on the rise, a survey of more than 10,000 households found, and not just among kids — you can develop a nasal allergy for the first time as a grown-up.

“That surprises many of my patients. I hear ‘At my age?’ all the time,” says Jennifer Namazy, M.D., an allergy specialist at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, CA. Also, allergies you had in the past can suddenly get worse. In fact, adults between the ages of 35 and 49 are the group most likely to suffer, the survey found.
Beyond the annoying sneezing and drippy nose, people with allergies often have trouble sleeping, which can make them irritable. Worse, an out-of-control allergy ups the chances you’ll develop asthma — an inflammatory disease of the lower airways.

The only surefire way to protect yourself is to try to avoid the offending allergens. Reducing your exposure to them “can make your symptoms milder — and make it easier for you to get good relief from allergy medicines, at lower doses,” says Beth Corn, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
Start by recording your symptoms for a week or more — when they flare up or settle down. The info will help pinpoint your triggers (more on these coming up) and assist your doctor in helping you get them under control.

5 Surprising Triggers
• Ragweed – Even if it’s nowhere in sight, this yellow flowering plant can still cause your sniffles. Ragweed pollen can travel for hundreds of miles on the wind.
• Dust – It’s not just the bunnies themselves, but also bits trapped in the dust that set off allergies. Especially bothersome dust mites, creepy microscopic insects that live by the gazillions in the fibers of bedding, upholstered furniture and carpets.
• Pets – You probably know it’s not the fur of your dog or cat that makes you sneeze, it’s the dander — dandruff-like scales that are shed from the animal’s skin into the air — and saliva.
• Bugs – In case you didn’t already think cockroaches were repellent: When their saliva, feces, cast-off skins and dead bodies dry up, the bits become airborne and you can inhale them, triggering allergies.
• Mold – Bathrooms and damp basements are the most common places for mold to lurk in your home, but not the only hideouts. The dirt of indoor potted plants can breed the stuff too, and even grocery-store mushrooms, if you’re supersensitive, could make trouble, spreading spores throughout your kitchen.