I heard an interesting segment on a morning show the other day. It was about stress and how it makes what we’ve got, our ailments, worse. The focus was that in our present economy, many of us are under more stress than usual and we need to consciously take better care of ourselves because stress effects the body as well as the mind.

In worrying about money and jobs, paying bills, and all of the other things on our minds every day, our bodies take a toll. The show focused on skin, for instance if you are prone to breakouts, you may see more see more of them. If your skin is normally dry, stress can make it drier. I think the same goes for allergies.

We know that with a healthier diet and lots of sleep, our allergies, though they may not be absent, may be less prevalent. On the other hand, if we are stressed out and skimping on our own well being, for whatever reason, allergies may tend to manifest in worse symptoms. So what to do for this?

First, be aware of it. It’s normal to worry during tough times, but don’t be too hard on yourself. Take the time to take care of yourself and your family. Try to get enough sleep and eat well. Drink lots of water and stay away from the bad stuff. It only makes us feel even worse to have allergies flair up, so try to keep this in mind to keep everything under control.

Keep taking allergy meds if that’s what you do, and maintain whatever else you do to control seasonal allergies. If you are having skin flair ups (could be allergy and/or stress related) take care of those, too. Use good moisturizers for your skin and treat blemishes as needed. The segment I saw said don’t be embarrassed to buy those same creams and washes you bought as a teenager.

So many things are cyclical, if you are under stress and your allergies flare up, it stresses you out more and they get worse. If you can control them, it’s one less thing to worry about and you can focus on other things. It’s a tough time out there, we’re all seeing it. Take a deep breath (but not where there’s too much pollen), think about what you can do and stay in control.