Whether it's because of a cold or allergies, coughing at night is not only annoying, it prevents you from getting the sleep you need to stay healthy. Before you down cough medicine (which often just masks the cough), you might want to relieve your nighttime cough with one of these natural remedies. Steam up: Before hitting the hay, create a steam room in the bathroom. Shut the door, don't turn Read more

Whether it's a nasty cold or allergies causing your congestion, it may be time to give a neti pot a whirl. This teapot-looking device may seem a little odd at first glance, but it's recommended by ear, nose, and throat doctors to relieve nasal congestion and pain. To a newbie, using a neti pot may seem torturous, but with a few helpful hints, you'll be a neti-pot know-it-all in no time. Watch Read more

If you suffer from allergies to dander, dust mites, or mold, it's time to take a closer look at the place where you spend one-third of your day — your bedroom. Here are some things you can do to reduce your allergy symptoms. Evict the Offenders Looked under your bed lately? To prevent a colony of dust mites from becoming squatters in the apartment below where you sleep, vacuum under your bed Read more

Autumn may not officially begin for another couple of weeks, but Fall allergy season kicked off back in mid-August. The bummer is that this season lasts until the first frost. Spring sneezes are usually set off by pollen in trees, plants, and weeds, but the main Fall culprit is ragweed, although mold and dust mites may be tickling your nose too. And thanks to climate change, ragweed season is Read more

DrSugar is in the house! This week she's tackling a reader suffering from an allergic reaction to exercise. Dear Dr. Sugar, I work out regularly, but I have had a sort of reaction during my last two intense cardio workouts. My face turns bright red; I wheeze slightly, cough, and my eyes and nose itch. I have to stop and rest, but the symptoms go away after about 30 minutes. The symptoms seem to Read more

Food allergies can be hard to live with. Between reading every ingredient list at the supermarket and being extra careful at restaurants, eating can get complicated. FitSugar reader Mandygm tells us how life has changed since she first found out she had food allergies on her OnSugar blog Allergy A-Go-Go. I am watching and listening to the rain fall and wind gust between claps of thunder right Read more

If you read labels to steer clear from any sketchy sounding ingredients, you've probably come across xanthan gum in random items from ice cream to salad dressings, from toothpaste to gluten-free desserts. Xanthan gum sounds artificial, but what is it really, and why is it in so many products? Without getting too scientific, xanthan gum is a carbohydrate created through fermentation. The process Read more

In the last two months alone, we've learned that firstborn children are more likely to suffer from food allergies, and those born in the Spring and Summer months are more likely to have celiac disease. So what happens if you are a firstborn and you were born in July? Are you predisposed to other health conditions as well? Interestingly enough, this isn't the first time we've heard of such Read more