• You can develop allergies at anytime in your life, although they most commonly begin in childhood.

• If your parents have allergies, your chances of developing allergies are 50%. If only one parent has allergies, the risk is 30% and if neither of your parents have allergies, you have a 10% chance of developing it yourself. You don't inherit the tendency to be allergic to the same things though.

• Ragweed, a weed that blooms in the fall is the most common cause of allergy in North America.

The culprit(s) that starts the ball rolling in allergic reactions are allergens. Allergens are anything to which a person becomes allergic.

They include pollen (weeds, grass, trees), dust mites, mold, spores, animal dander, feathers, cereal grains, air-borne chemical pollutants etc.). Treating allergies include complete avoidance of the allergen; skin testing to determine the exact source of the allergy and allergy shots.

Medications such as antihistamines are used to prevent or relieve the symptoms of allergic rhinitis and other allergies. They work by preventing histamine- a substance produced by the body during an allergic reaction. Antihistamines come in tablet, capsule, liquid, or injection form and are available both over-thecounter and by prescription.

Decongestants are often helpful in treating nasal congestion and other symptoms associated with colds and allergies. They work by narrowing blood vessels, leading to clearing of nasal congestion. As with any medication, decongestants can cause side effects like nervousness, sleeplessness or elevation in blood pressure. By talking to your PharmAssist pharmacist, he/she will determine what's best for you.

If you used any allergy medication last season, now may a good time to reach into your medicine cabinet and take quick look at the product's expiry date before using it once again. If the product has expired, just bring it into your local IDA pharmacist and he/she will safely dispose of it for you. But, before you purchase another allergy product, talk to our IDA pharmacists about our new Rexall Allergy line of products.

The savings and effectiveness will certainly give something not sneeze about!!

Contributed by Sam Rafla, proprietor of Sproule's IDA Drug Stre in Orangeville.