Every fall, I convince myself that my allergies will be laid to rest until the spring season returns. I actually believe that I'll get to enjoy my Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and that the stuffing will be inside the turkey and not inside my head, but every year is the same. I still get SLAMMED!

Seasonal allergies are sneaky because they can very easily be confused with a cold, and if you are not a chronic allergy sufferer or you develop them later in life, you might not realize what you're in for.

How do I know if it's a cold or seasonal allergies?

I've suffered with allergies my whole life, so I'm well versed when it comes to differentiating colds from allergies. A lot of confusion centers on this subject, so how do you know if your symptoms are here for a season or a week?

When it's a cold:

• Symptoms typically appear individually ie: sneezing, then a runny nose which eventually follows into your chest, etc.

• A cold generally lasts between 7 to 10 days depending on the individual

• The mucus generated from a cold is typically yellow sometimes indicating an infection

• Less frequent sneezing

• Sometimes accompanied by a fever

When its seasonal allergies:

• Symptoms will hit you all at once

• They continue for as long as you are exposed to the allergen.

• Mucus is clear, thin and watery

• More frequent sneezing fits

• Not usually associated with fevers

Minimize your exposure to allergens:

As fall and winter approach, you spend more time indoors. Forced air heating systems can kick up dust spores in the carpet, on shelves, ceiling fans etc, causing your allergy symptoms to flare up. Here are a few things that I do to make my life easier during the fall and winter:

• Change air filters regularly to keep your airflow clean

• Vacuum more frequently with Hepa (high energy particulate air) filters and wear a face mask when dusting and cleaning

• Use an air purifier to help remove any air born pollutants

You don't have to sleepwalk through the holidays!

Prescription drugs and medicines containing antihistamines and decongestants can make you feel drowsy and lousy. The laundry list of side effects can be longer than Santa Claus's naughty or nice list, and having tried just about every medicine out there, I STRONGLY suggest using medicines with all natural ingredients.

All natural products can give you the relief you need without nasty side effects. And since you're treating your symptoms without decongestants or antihistamines, you feel alert and awake, not sluggish and tired. Sinol allergy nasal spray along with a hot cup of tea with honey is my favorite defense during my allergy seasons; the Sinol, because it works wonders on my sinuses, and the tea, well….just because I love it and it always makes me feel good.

Don't let your holidays be ruined by sneezing and wheezing your way through them. Find the all natural solution that works for you and have an enjoyable holiday season.