It is spring/summer and many of you
will start to do a bit more traveling. I used to travel all
over the country as a management consultant and learned how
to control my allergies
on the road. Have you arrived at a holiday cottage or beach
motel and when you smell all those mold
and musty odors wonder whether you will survive the vacation?
I have written a survival guide for traveling. If you plan to
travel this summer, you will find a host of good tips.
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INFO LINKS |
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Mold Solution Guide a quick buyers guide of the best recommended products for mold cleaning and prevention sold by AllergyBuyersClub.com
Virus Guide a quick buyers guide of the best recommended products for virus prevention sold by AllergyBuyersClub.com
Pollen and Hayfever Solution Guide - a quick buyers guide of
the best recommended products to solve airborne allergen problems
Dust Mite Solution Guide - a quick buyers guide of
the best recommended products for dust mite control
Cat Allergy Solution Guide - a quick buyers guide of
the best recommended products for pet allergy relief |
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More info may be found in our Traveling FAQ.
Traveling with allergies
can be challenging, even at the best of times. As a former
management consultant who spent her life on planes, and sleeping
in badly ventilated hotel rooms, I know all about it. Waking-up
congested, and with a headache is not the way any consultant
wants to start the day. I am often asked how best to travel
with allergies. Here are my battle-worn ways of making
the most of a situation, that otherwise, is nearly guaranteed
to make you sick.
Surviving an Airplane Trip with
Allergies, Asthma, and Sinus
1. The air quality on airlines is drier, and therefore, can affect
those with allergies or asthma. While all domestic flights are now
smoke-free, many international flights are not. If traveling abroad,
sit as far away from the smoking section as possible.
2. Those with food allergies should call ahead and order a special
meal. Most airlines are very helpful in providing special dietary
requirements.
3. The higher the altitudes, the less oxygen, so always carry your
ingestible epinephrine. This is no time to leave it behind.
4. Avoid drinking caffeine, colas, and alcohol, as they dry out
your nasal passages and can cause sinus pain.
5. Use a natural saline solution nasal spray on an hourly
basis to keep nasal passages moist and sinus pain at bay.
I recommend Breathe-Ease.
6. Severe asthma
sufferers may need additional oxygen, and should call the
airline ahead of time so they are prepared with oxygen paraphernalia.
Be sure to keep your inhaler within easy reach in your carry-on
bag.
7. For sinus
control, drink lots of water for hydration. Sit in an aisle
seat if this means more frequent trips to the bathroom.
8. Take along all medication you think you might need. If you're
susceptible to spontaneous sinus attacks, remember your nasal irrigator.
For a review of the Dr. Grossan nasal irrigator, click here.
9. Suck on papaya enzymes or Clear-Ease.
Your Allergy friendly Car
I often start sneezing upon entering a car, especially when the
air conditioner blows out dust or mold allergens into the air. Here
are some tips for an allergy-friendly automobile.
1. Have your car detailed with all natural products.
2. Use a hepa
vacuum to remove pollen, mite and pet allergens. Allergy
Buyers Club recommends using the attachments to the Miele
vacuum cleaner for this job.
3. Use a steam
cleaner to steam-clean the upholstery and carpets. This
gets rid of mold and dust mite allergen.
4. Air
conditioners are a repository for all sorts of allergens.
Spray your air conditioner with a dust and mold allergy removal
spray. Filter Plus is available at Home Depot.
5. Keep your car windows closed in pollen and allergy season, and
use your air conditioner, not an open window to cool down. Travel
in "off hours" when exhaust fumes in the air are lower,
and air quality is better.
6. When renting a car, specify a non-smoking car. This is helpful
for asthma sufferers.
7. If you have asthma, get a portable nebulizer that plugs into
your car battery.
Hotel Rooms - Make them Allergy free
1. Very few hotels have "green rooms" but it's worth
asking. Green rooms carry less allergen than traditional rooms.
They are specially equipped with hardwood floors rather than
carpets, blinds rather than drapes, hypoallergenic bedding,
and allergy free dust
mite covers.
2. Get a non-smoking room and if you are allergic to pets, a room
that has not had pets stay in it.
3. Take a spray along to kill the mold and remove the dust in the
air conditioning system. I recommend "Filter Plus", available
at Home Depot.
4. Ask that the air conditioner filter be changed before you arrive.
5. Hotel room a little dry? Throw a few wet towels around, or turn
on the shower to fill-up the room with steam and keep your sinuses
moist. Keep using your saline spray frequently. We don't recommend
asking the hotel for a humidifier - many of them only spray around
ugly bacteria.
6. Allergic to dust mites? Take your own dust
mite pillow covers with you. You might try taking your
own allergy
free pillow if you travel by car.
7. If you are allergic to mold, do not get a room near the swimming
pool- it is likely to have a higher concentration of mold spores.
8. Ask the hotel to provide you with a hypoallergenic, feather
free pillow.
9. Ask that the room not be sprayed with scented air freshening
sprays before you arrive.
Vacation Homes and the Allergy sufferer
1.When getting away to the beach house, take all your natural
cleaning materials along with you, plus your hepa vacuum,
vapor steam cleaner, and air
cleaner; beach houses are notoriously moldy. Beach houses
are terrible places for those of us allergic to mold. Clean
as soon as you arrive, the rest of your vacation will be much
more comfortable.
2. Take a complete set of dust
mite covers, your own pillows, and hypoallergenic
blankets. Vacation homes frequently have bedding which
should not see the light of day.
General Advice to live by for Allergy, Asthma,
and Sinus sufferers who travel
1. If you are receiving immunotherapy shots for your allergies,
get them before leaving, especially if you will be away for an extended
period of time.
2. Remember to take allergy and asthma medications with you, and
regularize them across different time zones.
Have a healthy time away from home!
First Published: April 2000
Updated: April 2007
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