How many times have you suffered from an allergy attack after cleaning the house or mowing the lawn? I guess, a good number of people have at least suffered from an allergy attack at one point or another.

The symptoms of an allergy attack can range anywhere from annoying to life threatening. At the very least, the symptoms can be as mild as a runny nose or red itchy eyes. A full allergy attack may be more discomforting with all that sneezing, coughing and teary eyes. However, there are also allergy attacks which can be life threatening!

Dealing with allergies can be such a daunting task. It requires special attention, a deliberate avoidance of the factors, which may cause an allergy attack and the right medication. It renders even the simplest of tasks such as cleaning the house complicated enough.

However, there are ways to reduce or eliminate the onset of an allergy attack when going about your daily household tasks. Consider following these simple suggestions and see the difference.

. Tips when vacuuming. Canister type vacuums have exhaust ports, which allow fine particles of dust to be blown back into the air as you vacuum. Fitting a filter on your vacuum helps solve this problem. If dust is a major problem for you and you have enough money to spare, you can opt to purchase an industrial-strength vacuuming system for a dust-free cleaning.

. Tips when dusting. Dusting can spread the dust, which may in turn initiate an allergy attack or aggravate respiratory allergies. So, whenever possible, delegate this task to another member of the family. If this cannot be done, try using a damp cloth instead of feather dusters since these tend to spread the dust around. Don’t use dusting sprays either. These can give off odors which may worsen your allergies.

. Tips when mowing the lawn. As with dusting, it is better to let someone else do the mowing for you. This is especially true if you are allergic to grass and during the pollen season. If you can’t find someone to mow the lawn for you, try finding out when the pollen season is and don’t do any mowing during those periods.

. Tips when cooking. For most people with respiratory allergies, wood smoke poses a grave threat. This presents an ever greater problem when using a wood stove. Not only does it emit offending wood smoke, it also gives off irritating toxins in the air.

. Tips in washing clothes. Contrary to manufacturers’ claims, there really is no “mild detergent”. So be sure to rinse off the very last trace of laundry products in your clothes. These can be a major source of irritants which can initiate or worsen skin irritations.

. Tips in washing your pet. Dog and cat hair are listed as among the most common allergy triggers. So, if you are allergic to animal hair but can’t seem to part ways with your pets, consider bathing them frequently. Scientific studies present strong evidence that bathing animals in warm water considerably lowers the amount of allergens in the animals’ fur. And don’t forget to wash your hands with soap and water after you’ve had direct contact with your beloved pet.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Allergies