Prevent Your Allergies Spending $0

Medicines help treat allergy symptoms once they strike, but there are several steps you can take to prevent allergy symptoms altogether. The following recommendations can help you avoid allergy triggers whether you're at home, outdoors, or out on the town.
Allergy-Proof Your At Home

* Keep windows closed and use air conditioning if you're allergic to pollen. Don't use fans since they can stir up dust.
* Filter the air. Cover air conditioning vents with cheesecloth to filter pollen and use high efficiency particulate air filters. Clean air filters frequently and air ducts at least once a year.
* Keep the humidity in your house below 50% to prevent mold growth.
* If you have pets, consider keeping them outside or perhaps ask someone else to take care of them. Animal dander and saliva are common allergens for many people. If you must keep your pets indoors, do not allow them in the bedroom and be sure to bathe them often.
* Avoid areas where molds may collect, including basements, garages, crawl spaces, barns, and compost heaps. Have someone else clean these areas often.
Keep reading at webmd.com

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Is your child really sick? 4 tips for suspicious parents.

It's the height of cold and flu season, so you're not surprised when your school-age child wakes up sniffling, coughing, and moaning that he just doesn't feel well enough to go to school. At some point during their school days, up to 10% of kids try to dupe their parents into letting them stay home by feigning illness, experts estimate. WebMD asked three experts who've seen their share of faking -- a pediatrician, a child and adolescent psychologist, and a former school nurse -- to clue us in on how clueless parents can decide: Does your baby need chicken soup, or marching orders to get to school? Of course, if your child looks and acts truly sick, it's time to call the doctor or take them to urgent care.