Mold, Mildew, Pollen, and the joy of running? Allergy sufferers may hate spring, one of the most wonderful times of the year to run. An article in Runners World Magazine offers some helpful tips for running in the spring. Below is the article however, there are a couple of tips most runners will appreciate which are more natural than work and work well. Before your run, take Nettle, which is an herb. Nettle seems to act as a natural antihistamine and it is very effective without leaving you with the drugged-out speeding feeling of Sudafed or the dried out feeling of many other over the counter and prescription solutions. Read more about that here. Blocked sinuses can also be helped with certain chiropractic methods such as sinus technique and many patients do report improvements in the way they feel after being adjusted a few times. Neurologically, getting adjusted can be helpful. In my own experience, I was very allergic to feather pillows before going to chiropractic school and after my first adjustment, I experienced a marked improvement insensitivity. Another product in the same article referred to above is the allergen block. These small tubes of salve can be found through Amazon.com and eBay, and literally block the allergens from getting in and causing their chaos. Nothing to Sneeze At As a trail runner, it's hard to escape trees, grasses, weeds, and even mold. Here are some strategic tips for coping with—and minimizing exposure to—allergy symptoms, without having to take your run indoors. By Lisa Jhung Published May 15, 2012 Stephen Klemawesch runs a doctor's office as an allergist with his son, Patrick, in St. Petersburg, Florida. But he also runs outside, almost daily, and he knows that trail runners spend a lot of time running in allergen-rich air. "Trees are the most prolific of pollen producers," he says. Most deciduous trees—the main sources of allergens—pollinate in the spring, but others in various seasons can give athletes with allergy issues potential year-round trouble. Plus, he explains, people can suffer from allergies from other parts of the natural world, like grasses, weeds, and the mold growing in the forests through which we run. Klemawesch offers these tips to trail runners to keep you running outside comfortably, even while dealing with allergies in high-pollen season and through areas thick with mold-covered rocks and trees. Know What's Ailing You Klemawesch advises to take note of when, and where, you have allergy flare-ups—such as a runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, congestion, and so on. Pay attention to what trails, with what types of trees, weeds, and grasses, seem to give you symptoms, and what trails don't. And know that, aside from trees, mold spores found mostly in shaded, wooded areas can also cause allergy symptoms. To be sure, "You can get tested by an allergist, even if you don't want treatment," he says. "An allergist can tell you if you're allergic to aspen or maple trees, for instance, and you can pick a trail that doesn't have the allergen that you're allergic to. You can make an informed decision." read more