One of our most popular dehumidifiers last year will be back and ready for shipment next week. The Danby dehumidifier was one of our top selling units in 2009. Customers raved about their performance and durability. With all the wet weather around the country this spring, you can be one of the first to order your new dehumidifier. Pre-order now and we will ship your new Danby out next week.

For several years, Danby dehumidiers have been one of the best available dehumidifiers for removing excess moisture from the air in your home. Specializing in room and home dehumidification, these dehumidifiers have been recognized with national awards and accolades for being well built, affordable and versatile enough to meet most standard home applications.

With three different models and two distinct styles, our current offering of Danby dehumidifiers provides excellent dehumidification and convenience without breaking your budget. On our Danby page, there is a basic comparison of each of our Danby dehumidifier models.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us with your dehumidifier questions at 1-800-339-7123, or via email at cs@achooallergy.com.

Over the past two months, our crack website design team has been busily renovating and updating the air purifier pages on our website. We have one of the most extensive air purifier selections of anyone in the market place. You will find air purifiers for almost every environmental control problem, application, and price range.

Here are a few of our best selling air purifiers and a short description of each unit:

Austin Healthmate. Based on proven, reliable HEPA technology, the 360° progressive air intake of the Austin Air Healthmate HM-400 air filter cleans over 250 cubic feet of air every minute. By using a built-in pre-filter for large particles, an interior pre-filter for medium particles, and 15 pounds of activated carbon, the Austin Healthmate is a powerful air purifier for allergy sufferers.

Honeywell 50200. The Honeywell air purifier's glass-fiber HEPA material helps remove airborne particles, viruses and bacteria without the use of chemicals or other treatments. It also includes an activated carbon pre-filter to help remove larger airborne particles and reduce common household odors.

Blueair 270E. This Blueair Air Purifier comes with an easy-to-use remote control and digital display system that gives the user instant feedback of particle detection, air purifier speed, and timer operation.

AllerAir 6000. The powerful AllerAir 6000 series of air purifiers feature cylindrical shape for maximum air flow, casters for easy moving, a quiet fan, and effective four-stage HEPA filtration. This is the air purifier for someone seeking heavy-duty air purification at an affordable price.

IQAir HealthPro. Allergy sufferers love the popular IQAir HealthPro air purifiers for their superb control of mold spores, pet dander, dust mite allergen, and indoor air pollution. The large IQAir HyperHEPA filter captures airborne particles down to 0.003 microns with a guaranteed minimum 99.5% efficiency, which means that the IQAir air purifier can remove up to 100 times more allergens than standard air cleaners.

As the seasons change, you may wonder how different weather conditions affect your allergies. Weather.com offers an illuminating look into the role of weather in your allergy symptoms:

Wind is a big culprit in causing allergies to act up because it distributes pollen and mold. Those who suffer from hay fever or seasonal allergies are particularly affected by the wind because of the plant allergens it disburses throughout the air – as far as many miles.

Rain can be good news for allergy sufferers. While a light rain won't do much to help alleviate allergies, a heavier rain can clear the air of allergens for hours following the downpour. In spring, rains can reduce pollen counts, which is also good news for pollen allergic individuals. However, rains also cause grasses to grow, leading to more grass pollen in the late spring and early summer months. Rain in the fall and winter can also lead to greater amounts of tree pollen in the spring.

Smog, it comes as no surprise, is bad news for those with allergies or asthma. Interestingly, symptoms caused by pollution are not usually felt until one or two days after exposure. Recent research has demonstrated that ozone can cause chronic inflammation of the airways in asthma sufferers. In addition, even if acute symptoms from smog aren't apparent, some scientists believe that exposure to diesel engine exhaust can increase a person's sensitivity to pollen and dust mites.

Cold weather can exacerbate both asthma and eczema symptoms; the cold temperatures can trigger asthma attacks, and drier air can make eczema worse. Fluctuating temperatures, such as those undergone by skin that's exposed to freezing temperatures and then warmed, can also lead to cold-induced hives. The good news about cold weather, however, is that a late freeze can lessen tree pollen counts.

Heat in the form of mild winters can lead to an early spring, which means an early and longer pollen season. Mild winters are also a problem for allergy sufferers because of mold, which thrives when a combination of rain and mild weather increases spore counts. Lastly, a sudden rise in temperature can also trigger asthma attacks.

From March 1st through April 30th, Blueair is running a special promotion on replacement air purifier filters. If you need new filters to prepare for the spring allergy season, this is the perfect opportunity to stock up on filters at a great price.

If you have owned your Blueair air purifier for a few years, you also may want to consider upgrading from the regular Blueair particle filter to the Blueair smokestop filter. The Blueair smokestop filter provides better filtration for smoke and other odors.

Posted by Jamie on Thursday, March 04, 2010

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Miele has upgraded one our top selling vacuums to make it even more attractive to vacuum cleaner fans. The immensely popular Miele Callisto canister vacuum has received an upgraded power brush.

The Callisto now comes with the new SEB-228 Electro Plus. The Electro Plus is a more powerful brush that is recommended for use on medium pile carpeting and some high pile carpeting. The Miele Callisto still comes with the SBB-300 Parquet Twister, so it also works great on area rugs and all smooth flooring.

The new Miele Electro Plus (SEB-228) features:

• Automatic brush shut-off in the event of blockage to prevent damage
• A 5-step height adjustment for a variety of carpet types and densities
• A 14” power brush width for a maximum cleaning radius

The upgraded Miele Callisto is heavier and has a wider cleaning radius. This should make the vacuum better at handling carpeting. There is no headlight or protective bumper on the Electro Plus.

No one can argue that a good night's sleep is paramount to good health and feeling good. As any allergy sufferer knows, nights plagued by sneezing, itchy eyes, and a stuffy nose are anything but restful.

While allergy relief bedding goes a long way in helping to alleviate the disturbed sleep caused by allergies, what many don't know is that what's beneath the bedding could be causing problems as well.

Mattresses actually may contain components that make it hard for some people to get a good night's sleep - and may even be making some people sick. Allergy sufferers are often sensitive to chemicals, and some may experience a condition known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (which can affect non-allergic individuals as well). Typical mattresses contain many synthetic materials and chemicals, such as fire retardants, that are toxic.

Enter Royal-Pedic Mattresses, custom-made the old fashioned way out of the finest natural ingredients, including natural latex and lamb's wool, which act as dust mite repellants. Not only are Royal-Pedic mattresses hypoallergenic, but they also offer superior orthopedic support.

Organic Mattresses are also an excellent choice for those with allergies or Multiple Chemical Sensitivities - or anyone who desires a safe, non-toxic bed. Free of chemicals, synthetic fabrics, and other potentially harmful materials present in mainstream mattresses, our NAOMI (National Association of Organic Mattress Industry)-compliant organic mattresses are sure to give you countless nights of healthy, comfortable sleep.

Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjorgen, who won the bronze medal in the women's 10-kilometer race this week, has something in common with a surprising number of people – she has exercise-induced asthma. As far as Olympians go, CNN.com reports, half of cross-country skiers and a quarter of aspiring Olympic athletes in general have exercise-induced asthma, according to a 2000 study of 170 athletes conducted by the United States Olympic Committee.

But exercise-induced asthma isn't triggered only by such extreme athleticism. Any exercise in cold weather can trigger an asthma attack. As Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City puts it, "Any [exercise] outdoors on a mountaintop is a culprit, but just jogging in Central Park will do it as well.

Why does the combination of cold air and exercise trigger attacks? "Both cold air and exercise in and of themselves can trigger asthma symptoms, but doing them together is more likely to trigger an exacerbation," explains Dr. Thomas M. Leath, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine.

Dr. Horovitz adds, "The evaporative loss and cooling of the airways triggers the process of bronchial constriction. One sport you don't see exercise-induced asthma in so much is swimming. The humidity at water level is such that there isn't as much evaporation as in running or winter sports."

Exercise-induced asthma is characterized by bronchospams, which cause the victim to wheeze and have chest tightness, among other symptoms. The symptoms usually begin several minutes after exercise begins, but may start as late as after the exercise routine is completed. Though it's clear that brochospasms are responsible for the onset of exercise-induced asthma, it isn't certain why they occur. Some believe that increased blood flow caused by exertion forces the blood vessels in the airways to expand, leading to airway constriction. Others think that cold air activates inflammatory cells in the airways.

Fortunately, as many famous athletes have demonstrated, exercise-induced asthma doesn't have to slow you down. Bronchodilators, administered through inhalers, are effective at fighting symptoms by relaxing the muscles that line the airways to the lungs. Aside from inhalers, warming up for a few minutes before getting into full exercise mode, breathing through your nose, or wearing a scarf or mask around your mouth can go a long way in preventing symptoms.

For more information about asthma and cold weather, see our article Coping With Asthma During Winter.

Save 20% on all bedding during our annual "Winter White" sale! We do this every year during the month of February to give our loyal AchooAllergy.com fans the opportunity to purchase allergy bedding at a fraction of the normal cost.

The best part of this sale is that many of our most popular products rarely are on sale during the rest of the year. You have the opportunity to save on PrimaLoft bedding, Ogallala hypodown pillows, Royal-Pedic mattresses, and much more. You have less than three weeks to take advantage of this great opportunity.