{"id":1973,"date":"2019-12-06T10:22:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-06T15:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/?p=1973"},"modified":"2019-12-13T16:55:57","modified_gmt":"2019-12-13T21:55:57","slug":"tis-the-season-to-be-sneezy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/tis-the-season-to-be-sneezy\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Tis the Season to be Sneezy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For many people in Athens, this is the hap-happiest season of all. While the holidays bring laughter and joy, they can also cause <a href=\"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/allergy-sinus\/allergy\/allergy-symptoms\/\">coughing, sneezing, runny nose and congestion<\/a>. That\u2019s enough to dampen anybody\u2019s spirit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wait\u2026Allergies Can Occur in the Winter, Too?\n<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/relaxing-winter.jpeg\" alt=\"feet propped on ottoman in front of fire clothed in plaid pajamas \n\" class=\"wp-image-1975\" width=\"491\" height=\"336\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a common perception that allergies are confined to the spring and summer months, when trees, grasses and plants release pollen into. But this isn\u2019t true, as anybody in Athens who is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/allergies\/winter-allergies#1\" title=\"Winter Allergies | WebMD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"sniffling and sneezing through winter (opens in a new tab)\">sniffling and sneezing through winter<\/a> during the coldest and darkest months of the year can attest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why the sudden spike in allergies around the holidays? Indoor allergens are mostly to blame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"> Common Winter allergy triggers:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong><h3>Food allergens are everywhere<\/h3><\/strong>The holidays are more like the high-calorie days. Between cookies, pie, cake,      candy\u2014not to mention turkey, ham, stuffing, and rolls (is your mouth      watering yet?), those with food allergies are more likely to come across      something they are allergic to this time of year. Choose your <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"foods (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/food-allergy\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20355095\" target=\"_blank\">foods<\/a>      wisely, no matter how tempting, to prevent an allergic reaction.<\/li><li><strong><h3>Mold is more common in damp months<\/h3><\/strong> Damp,      cool weather\u2014common during the holiday season in many parts of the country\u2014is      ideal for mold and mildew growth. Mold is frequently found in evergreens      (think Christmas trees and wreaths) and decaying autumn leaves. Raking may      feel like a chore, but getting rid of those leaves can spare you from      misery later on. <\/li><li><strong><h3>Pets spend more time indoors when it&#8217;s cold<\/h3><\/strong> Dogs      and cats tend to spend more time indoors during the holidays\u2014Fluffy      doesn\u2019t like the cold any more than you do! We\u2019re grateful for the company      of our furry friends, but their dander can trigger allergies in many people.      Vacuum frequently, bathe your pets often and keep them out of your bedroom      and off the furniture to help spare your sinuses. <\/li><li><strong><h3>Fireplaces spread ash even when you can&#8217;t see it<\/h3><\/strong> There\u2019s      nothing cozier than a crackling fire on a cold winter evening, but      wood-burning fireplaces produce particulates that can irritate the sinuses      and worsen allergy symptoms. Limit fires to the coldest nights (and be      sure the flue is open before lighting the log!). A High Efficiency      Particulate Air (HEPA) filter can remove particles as fine as 0.3 microns,      helping you to breathe more easily. \u00a0<\/li><li><strong><h3>Evergreen trees make for sneeze inducing decorations<\/h3><\/strong> <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/allergies\/features\/allergies-during-the-holidays\" target=\"_blank\">Live trees<\/a> and holiday wreaths are      festive and bring the scent of the forest indoors, but mold spores are      attracted to evergreen decorations and may cause you misery. If you\u2019re      sensitive, stick to an artificial tree and a few pine-scented candles or      air diffusers.<\/li><li><strong><h3>Dust mites love your winter blankets<\/h3><\/strong>      These microscopic allergens make themselves at home in blankets and sheets\u2026exactly      what we turn to when the weather turns cold. If your allergies flare up      during the winter months, try allergen-resistant pillow and mattress      covers and wash your bedding in hot water frequently in order to      discourage dust mites from taking up long-term residence. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For more tips on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/allergy-sinus\/allergy\/allergy-treatments\/\">preventing allergies<\/a> from dampening your holiday spirit, talk to an ENT specialist in Athens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Learn more about allergies:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/how-allergies-affect-your-hearing\/\">How allergies affect your hearing<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For many people in Athens, this is the hap-happiest season of all. While the holidays bring laughter and joy, they can also cause coughing, sneezing, runny nose and congestion. That\u2019s enough to dampen anybody\u2019s spirit. Wait\u2026Allergies Can Occur in the Winter, Too? There\u2019s a common perception that allergies are confined to the spring and summer&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1975,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"(706) 546-7908 | While the holidays bring laughter and joy, they can also cause coughing, sneezing, runny nose and congestion.","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":""},"categories":[16,12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1973"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1973\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.entofathens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}