If you’re one of the lucky people who don’t suffer from allergies, count your blessings. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, over 18 million American adults are diagnosed with hay fever over the course of a year, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases cites a national survey that found that “more than half of all U.S. citizens test positive for at least one allergen.”
Mild to Moderate Allergies
Of course, testing positive for an allergen doesn’t necessarily mean that you are afflicted with allergic symptoms. But for those of us who have mild to moderate allergies (the kind that aren’t life-threatening), the symptoms can be miserable. A runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, and coughing are uncomfortable and annoying signs that our bodies are reacting to our environment. Indeed, some experts postulate that the rising rate of allergies – and asthma in particular – is attributable to the deteriorating air quality in ever more energy efficient buildings or to the “cleaner” life we lead as a result of using antibacterial and antiviral soaps, lotions, and hand cleansers....