Dr. Byron Carlson, a family physician in Mason City, IA, says in globegazette.com that the key word in allergy relief is "avoid."

"I can’t emphasize that enough,” says Dr. Carlson, of the Forest City Mercy Family Clinic. "If you’re allergic to dust mites, avoid them. If you’re allergic to grasses, find someone else to mow the lawn. If you’re allergic to the dog, then get rid of Fido."

Or, if you're like many of our customers who can't stand the thought of giving up Fido, bathe him frequently with anti-allergenic pet shampoo and capture pet dander with a HEPA vacuum cleaner and air purifier.

"I’ve seen people who have developed allergies in almost every stage of life," Dr. Carlson says. "For those people, it’s a real eye-opener because maybe they weren’t as empathetic to those who had allergies and all of a sudden they find out what it’s like."