Ready or not, spring allergy season takes center stage

(ARA) - For the more than 50 million allergy sufferers in America, spring usually brings about sneezing, runny noses and itchy, watery eyes due to pollen from trees and grasses. Spring allergies affect people all across America, including Kara DioGuardi, a judge on TV's No.1 hit series. Like many sufferers, DioGuardi relies on allergy treatments to make sure the show goes on.

"For contestants on the hottest TV show in America, the stakes are high. They're sharing their talent and giving their best, so I owe it to them to focus on their performance, not my allergies," says DioGuardi. "That's why I choose Claritin to relieve my worst allergies without making me drowsy. If I miss a detail, someone could miss their big chance."

If you have an allergy story like DioGuardi, go to www.LivingClear.com to submit a video showing what you've been enabled to do - from the everyday to the extraordinary - when your allergies are relieved. Video submissions will be accepted from mid-March until April 20, 2010. Five finalists will be revealed on May 6, 2010, and America gets to vote for their favorite video on www.LivingClear.com. The grand prize winner gets $10,000 and a chance to star in an online Claritin commercial. No purchase necessary. Go to www.livingclear.com for Official Rules.

Managing allergy symptoms

When allergies attack, a non-drowsy antihistamine helps keep symptoms at bay, but what else can you do to avoid bothersome symptoms? Experts offer the following tips to help manage allergies this spring.

* After you've been outside, change your clothes and take a quick shower. Pollen from the air can collect on your clothes and hair.

* Keep your home and car windows closed to keep out pollen and other outdoor allergens. Instead, use air conditioning and change the filters often.

* Monitor pollen counts and adjust outdoor activities accordingly. Dry, windy days - especially after a rainy day - can be particularly high in pollen.

Additional allergy resources, including facts, tips and frequently asked allergy questions, can be found on the new Claritin Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Claritin.

Courtesy of ARAcontent