So... I live in the Middle East, and it's dust storm and allergy season right now. Some people get affected, and some don't — you can tell who they are, the ones with streaming eyes and noses, who talk like lifelong smokers, even though they have never touched a cigarette. It doesn't matter if you are inside or outside, air conditioning or not. For me, it's the same symptoms as when I lived in Texas and "cedar fever" came around in the spring. Not just the respiratory symptoms, but general lethargy and lack of energy.

So does anyone have any tips for keeping up my exercise? Some days I feel like I can barely get off the sofa and drag myself in to work (let's say my teaching has not been very inspired the last few weeks). Normally I can do my cardio for 45-50 minutes, now I can barely drag myself through 25. This is all switched to indoors of course -- treadmill and elliptical -- given that it's already 80 degrees at 8 a.m. And my back and shoulders are sore even though I've reduced my weights -- WTF?? I feel such mental relief when I decide to give up a day at the gym, but also guilty.

I take generic Claritin, and in the evenings switch to Benadryl. On work days I sometimes take Sudafed when it's really bad, but it tends to make me nervous and anxious so I only do it when I really have to. Also saline rinse for my nose.

Hi there, I have lots of pollen/dust/animal allergies and have had them since I was born (in the UK). When I moved to the USA they didn't seem to bother me but we moved to the deep south which is where ALL of my allergies came out and I even got asthma. I had a really really bad reaction for a few weeks after I cut the grass (there's tons of it here) one day, so I decided to go see my sons allergist and hope they could do something for me.

After having 26 scratch tests on each arm they found I was allergic to mostly everything out side and my lovely animals and their dander and dust. They recommended shots which really sucked so every 2 weeks I have 3 shots which can be nasty if they are given together. I was also tested for asthma which I have and have an emergency inhaler and was taken off a daily one as they think the asthma is related to my weight (which is a lot). My Dr has told me to go exercise as this will bring the weight down and my breathing will get better...its doing pretty good so far, I use the elliptical and I do spinning/rpm classes and weight training. I dont have any bad symptoms or feel like I'm draging

Ive been on the shots for 5 yrs, and as I'm allergic to a lot of stuff they are recommending 1 more year. So that's what I'm doing.