How Your Asthma and Allergies Change Over Time

Most recently updated July 7th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 18 minutes

If you live in the South, you know all about the annual yellow haze that hangs in the air and the yellow dust that covers every surface in the Spring. 

This year we’ve had an especially prolonged pine pollen season.  It started in February, and was still going strong in early April.

If you’re lucky, it’s just annoying.

Author, out standing in a field - full of bees!
Author, out standing in a field – full of bees!

Other people spend weeks this time every year wheezing and sneezing and taking LOTS of allergy meds.

Still another group of people (who never used to wheeze or sneeze in the Spring) find that they suddenly HAVE become allergic to the pervasive yellow dust….or something else, like, say bee stings.

How can that be?  What happened?

The truth is that allergies and asthma, including what your triggers are, can change over time and strike without warning.

Bee Legends, Folklore, and Mythology
A busy bee doing it’s thing.

I experienced an unexpected new allergy earlier this year, with frightening and nearly deadly results!

Read on to learn more about my death-defying experience, plus how allergies change, and what you can do about it.

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Asthma and COVID-19: Are You at Higher Risk?

Most recently updated July 7th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 20 minutes

If you have asthma, like I do, you may be extra concerned about how COVID-19 could affect your health. 

COVID-19, after all, is a respiratory disease and those of us with asthma have had bad experiences with those.

And by “concerned” I might also mean frightened, anxious, panicky… 😉

The COVID-19 virus is known to cause problems in the respiratory tract (nose, throat and lungs). 

Courtyard at Fort Macon State Park
Courtyard at Fort Macon State Park

Because asthma is also a respiratory disease,  it’s been assumed that people with asthma have a greater chance of catching the virus and getting very sick from it than other people.

It’s a reasonable assumption, and asthmatics have been classified as “high risk” since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But I’m here to tell you, I’ve done the research, and at this point – maybe for the first time ever – asthmatics are just like everyone else 🙂

It’s important to know that currently there’s no evidence of increased COVID-19 infection rates in those with asthma.

And now, after months of studying this new disease,  medical and infectious disease experts have been able to create a more exact picture of the risk to asthmatics.

Since the release of the vaccines, there have also been questions about the possible risk to people with allergic reactions.  I’ll tell you what I found about the current CDC advice.

(I’ve included photos of my garden and places I’ve traveled, as a reminder both that while there is beauty to be found at home, the world is still full of amazing places waiting for us to find them!)

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How to Decorate for An Allergy-Free Holiday Season

Most recently updated January 3rd, 2024

It’s that time!  Time to get ready for your Fall & Winter holiday gatherings.

Yay!!! And also:  Oh, no!!

Everyone loves to decorate and make their home feel festive for the winter holidays, but before you can decorate, you also need to clean.   (This is the worst part, honestly.)

Lighted Christmas trees in the snow in Big Bear, CA
Lighted trees in the snow in Big Bear, CA

And not only do you have to clean your house, but you might also need to freshen up your stored holiday decorations!

Unfortunately, some of our traditional decorations can harbor allergens that may irritate allergy-and-asthma-prone family or guests.

Some people are even allergic to Christmas trees – which is a point in favor of having an artificial tree.

Are you allergic to your Christmas tree?
Are you allergic to your Christmas tree?

And just think about all of the other decorations you put up, where you put them, and how long they stay there.

The key to avoiding hosting allergens (along with your guests) is to prep your home well in advance of your first holiday event, and choose your decorations carefully.   

Read on to learn how!

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