Why You Should Regularly Replace Your Furnace Filter

Have you ever wondered if or why your furnace filter needs replacing? Do you even know what a furnace filter is? According to a furnace repair company, a furnace filter is very necessary and can either increase or decrease your…

Understanding Coronavirus and What You Can Do to Help Stop the Spread

About Coronavirus COVID-19: The overwhelming need for us to understand more about and continue to protect ourselves from Coronavirus is still ever-present. Health organizations and government agencies worldwide are continuing to study, understand, and inform the public with all they’ve…

Check Your Filters – Spring To-Do List

Spring allergy season is in full swing. How do I know this, you ask? Easy. When the sneezing around the office sounds like a veritable spring symphony. When the tissue box is always empty. When the gunk coming out of…

Spring Allergies Arrive… Just in Time for Easter!

As the weather begins to warm again, that most joyous time of year is nearly upon us – spring! Sunshine, warm temperatures, daffodils, and blooming plants of all varieties. It’s official, spring allergies arrive… and just in time for Easter!…

News and Notes in Allergies, Asthma, & MCS

Last week, we took a little time off from posting. As you may have noticed, Miele is completely renaming their entire line of HEPA vacuum cleaners, and it’s been created a lot of new work for us. But it’s Tuesday,…

Ask an Allergist – Dr. Mardiney – Spring 2015

Though we’ve taken a bit of a hiatus, our favorite allergist, Dr. Mardiney, is back to answer some of your allergy and asthma related questions. Up today for Ask an Allergist are some questions regarding hidden allergens and triggers in…

Extreme Cold Spells Trouble for Asthmatics

The last few days have been like a sucker punch to much of the country. Extreme cold, and in some places heavy snow, have ushered in the new year in a way most of us would rather just forget. In…

Cold Weather Faucet – Red Nose in Winter

If you spend any amount of time outdoors like when you’re in Barrie, particularly during the winter when the temperatures and dip to around or below freezing, you may notice your nose changes. Normally our noses range in function (or…

Relieve a Nagging Cough, Naturally

For about a week now, my cough has escalated to the point where I feel as if I’m about to cough up a lung on my desk. And while I want to run outside and enjoy the crisp late fall…

Humidity and Fall: A Lesson in Flip-Flopping

A comedian I greatly enjoy once described fall like this, …the weather is completely nonsense. You don

Studies Reinforce Link Between Corticosteroids & Height

Back in 2012, I highlighted a study that was presented at the European Respiratory Society conference that focused on the link between the use of common asthma treatments and a child's height. In this study, researchers examined the use of…

MERS, Microbes and My Growing Fear of People and the Bugs They Carry

I cannot deny, that the older I get, the more I become a bit of a germaphobe. It is not something I

Vogmask – New Allergy Masks

Since 2012, Vogmasks have offered a more stylish, comfortable way to block allergens, dust and air pollution. The original mask, the Classic Microfiber Vogmask, is lightweight, offers three layer filtration and comes in a variety of colors. After just a…

AprilAire Whole Home Dehumidifiers – Back in Stock

Well, they're back – AprilAire whole house dehumidifiers. Powerful, these dehumidifiers can help reduce moisture throughout your home by using your existing ductwork. Locate them in your basement and duct them directly into your HVAC to dry air while you…

Study Tightens Link Between Asthma and Allergies in Adults

One aspect of my job here at Achoo puts me in touch with people with little to no knowledge of environmental control, allergy bedding or how specific things inside the house can be causing certain symptoms. One piece of information…

Environmental Control for Asthma

I have to say, I always enjoy reading or hearing stories like the one a friend of mine passed me yesterday (thank you Cordelia!). A very similar story was part of the broadcast on NPR this morning as well. The…

Stressed Infants More Prone to Allergies

We've previously discussed factors that influence the development of allergies and asthma in children. For instance, children born by c-sections and aren't exposed to as much bacteria during their birth are more likely to develop allergies. Those whose mothers take…

Holiday Allergy Conundrums

Deciding to implement allergen avoidance routines makes a huge difference in many allergy sufferers' lives. Certain measures are no-brainers: using allergy relief bedding, keeping pets out of the bedroom, putting air purifiers in bedrooms, and using a HEPA vacuum cleaner.…

Christmas Lead Dangers

The Soft Landing Safe Living Guide's article, Top 5 Ways to Avoid Lead this Christmas, expands on the topic of Christmas lights lead exposure risks, which we talked about on Monday. Although it is not as prevalent as it once…

China’s Elite Enjoy Pure Air While Under-Reporting Pollution

In Toxic Indoor Air in Nail Salon: Part One and Two, we touched on the politics that can be involved in the accessibility of healthy indoor air. A recent NY Times article, The Privileges of China's Elite Include Purified Air,…

Antibiotics, Probiotics, Obesity, and Allergies

A recent article on ABC News, Antibiotics Could be Driving Up Obesity discusses a topic highlighted by Dr. Greg Sharon in our latest allergist interview. We've discussed the hygiene hypothesis before: the theory, simply stated, that posits that the cleaner…

Interior Brick Walls and Allergies

I’m in Cambridge visiting my sister who’s in graduate school at Harvard. This is my first ‘real’ time being in the Boston area (I can’t really count the three-hour stop I made here almost a decade ago) and I’m enjoying…

How to Keep Your Food Safe

The recent listeria outbreak makes it clear that being allergic to a food is not the only reason ordinary food might pose a severe health hazard. Below is a summary of food safety tips from the Centers for Disease control,…

Dust Is Toxic Too

I often go TheSoftLanding.com to research safe, non-toxic products for my children. Especially when it comes to plastic items, navigating what's safe and what could contain hormone-disrupting or neurotoxic chemicals is particularly difficult; it helps to have a guide for…

New Study Links Prenatal Pet Exposure, Birth Type, and Race to Childhood Allergies

Three key factors play a significant role in the development of early childhood allergy risk, reports Medical News Today in Prenatal Pet Exposure, Delivery Mode, Race Are Key Factors In Early Allergy Risk. Henry Ford Hospital researchers ‘found that babies…

Dry Cleaning Chemical Labelled Toxic and Carcinogenic by EPA

Indoor air quality affects everyone's health, but the repercussions of poor indoor air quality can be especially pronounced in individuals with asthma and allergies. While we may think of our homes as a haven from outdoor pollution like that from…

Formaldehyde Danger for Hair Stylists, Embalmers, and Others

Formaldehyde, only recently officially declared as a carcinogen, has long been considered a health risk. Formaldehyde can trigger asthma and exacerbate symptoms of chemical sensitivity, including itchy eyes, sore throats, nosebleeds, and more. Even if symptoms are not apparent, formaldehyde…

Germs Help Allergies More than Cause Them

Getting to the bottom of why allergies are on the rise involves consideration of several theories. One major theory is the hygiene hypothesis, which basically posits that our bodies are becoming more susceptible to harmless ‘invaders’

Jeep Enthusiasts Lament their Allergies

A conversation recently encountered on JK-Forum.com, ‘The Ultimate Jeep JK Wrangler Bulletin Board,’ reveals yet again just how much allergies affect quality of life. Below are some choice quotes from a comment thread entitled ‘Being a Jeeper with Seasonal Allergies…

Danby Dehumidifier to the Rescue

We just moved to Tallahassee, FL, and while I haven't verified this fact, it sure seems hotter and more humid than ‘Hotlanta’! We are temporarily living in an apartment, and with unpacking, setting up (and rearranging) furniture, and at least…

Pesticide Expsoure Triggers Allergies, Asthma

The FoxNews article, Pesticides on Playing Fields, discusses the effects of pesticides on playing fields used by children. Because spring and summer sporting activities are often more crowded than other times of year, pesticides used on playing fields pose an…

Deadly E. Coli Outbreak May be Caused by New Strain

A ‘super-toxic’ strain of E. coli that broke out in Europe has killed 18 people, sickened more than 1,600, and spread to more than 10 European countries. Raw tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce are believed to be the carriers of the…

Germiest Spots at Home

Staying allergy free is ultimately about keeping you and your family healthy. So when I saw Fox News's recent piece on the Germiest Places in Your House, I considered it perfect news to share with our allergic readers. Without further…

Furnace Filter Photo Contest on Facebook!

Do you need a year of cleaner air? Would you like to breathe better in your own home? 3M furnace filters are a must for your home HVAC system. Indoor Air Quality is a growing concern for everyone not just…

Five Springtime Asthma Facts

Medical News Today reports on Five Things You Don't Know About Springtime Asthma. The article highlights the fact that though 24 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma, ‘millions more’ may be at risk and not even know it. Allergists…

BPA Exposure During Early Pregnancy Linked to Infant Wheezing

We've been keeping a close eye on news about the relationship between BPA and asthma and allergies. We've talked about this subject before. (See BPA, Allergies, and Asthma and BPA, Triclosan Linked to Allergies.) A new study seems to provide…

Green Homes and Indoor Air Quality

I had the opportunity to speak with a builder last week. All of the houses he builds are certified green and Energy Star rated. This means that the materials he uses are low toxicity, such as low VOC paint and…

Summer Brings Stinging Insect Allergies

_My little girl has been enjoying playing out on our sun porch as the weather has gotten nicer. But last week, I noticed that wasps were buzzing around, looking perhaps for a place to build their nest. My husband promptly…