Reading Time: 2 minutes Statistically, seasonal allergies (technically known as allergic rhinitis) affect about one in four Canadians, although many more individuals may be affected; they just don’t seek treatment. Also known as hay fever, seasonal allergies occur when plant pollen is breathed in and the body’s immune system is activated to fend off the foreign particles or allergens. […] Read more
Guide Health: Nasal sprays and allergies — just a squirt!
Nasal sprays are good options as they deliver medication directly to nasal tissues
Guide Health: Be prepared for allergies
Depending on your destination, winter travel can mean allergy season lasts all year
Reading Time: 2 minutes Whether you suffer from hay fever or have “bug” bites, you will certainly know the symptoms of an allergy. Allergies are caused when a foreign substance — think plant pollen or insect venom — enters your body and your body’s immune system reacts to that substance or allergen. With today’s travel, such allergies aren’t confined […] Read more
Guide Health: Dietary supplements —should you or shouldn’t you?
A Consumer Reports panel has identified 15 supplements to avoid. Check the ingredient lists on the products you take. Toxicities can be significant
Reading Time: 3 minutes Dietary supplements provide additional nutrition to your diet. Most often, the term may make you think of vitamins and minerals, but natural products and herbal remedies are also part of this category. Should you buy them? Vitamins are organic substances from plants or animals that your body needs in small amounts. Minerals are needed in […] Read more
Guide Health: The increasing problem of allergies
Guide Health with Marie Berry
Reading Time: 3 minutes There does seem to be an increase in allergies, with about 30 per cent of adults and 40 per cent of children affected in Canada. This trend is thought to be due to several factors, including the fact that today we are able to diagnose allergies that previously may have been dismissed as a sensitive […] Read more
Guide Health: Breathing easier with asthma
Guide Health
Reading Time: 3 minutes More than three million Canadians have asthma, and the number seems to be increasing. This increase may come from improved diagnosis, or perhaps people are more likely to seek help for their breathing symptoms these days. An increase in our exposure to allergens or airborne particles may also be to blame, however, triggering more asthma […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
