Strangely, even though I've been writing for achoo! ALLERGY for a few years, I don't have allergies – or I didn't until now. (Not having allergies hasn't stopped me from using allergy relief bedding, HEPA vacuum cleaners, and other allergy relief products to keep my family healthy, though; after all, how can you know that ‘The weight of the average mattress doubles after ten years due to dust mite infestation, and the weight of the average pillow increases 10 percent after one year’ and not use allergy relief bedding?).

But now I'm expecting my second child and allergy season has me reeling with non-stop sneezes, itchy and watery eyes, and a constant tickle in my throat. Of course I'd rather not take any medication while expecting, so I'm grateful for products like the neti pot, which cleanses my sinuses of pollen, and my Dyson, which I gushed about last week. An allergy mask is also helpful as we do our spring gardening.

I'm not alone in experiencing an increase in allergies during pregnancy. Dr. Marjorie Greenfield in Allergies in Pregnancy as featured on Dr. Spock.com, explains, ‘It's not unusual for women who did not previously have allergies to suffer with nasal congestion while pregnant, as the hormones of pregnancy can cause swelling of the nasal passages and increased mucus production. In these cases, symptoms typically are worst in the second trimester and resolve within a few days after childbirth.’

So while I don't enjoy allergy symptoms at all, I do have a newfound sympathy for allergy sufferers whose attacks are not pregnancy-related, but year after year, even day after day. But with the relief I've experienced by practicing allergen avoideance, I know there is help, right here on AchooAllergy.com, for all of us.