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You would think that smoking outdoors would cause the fumes from cigarette smoke to dissipate and be harmless to passers by.  The truth is that whether you are sitting down wind of a smoker, or even exposed to slight amounts of cigarette smoke in a picnic area or outdoor cafe, the risks can add up quickly.  Research shows that a non smoker doesn't have to stand too close to a smouldering cigarette to inhale the same carcinogens that a smoker does.

For more information, watch this video:

One of the many unpleasant side effects of smoking is severe pain- most often, this pain is felt throughout the legs and feet.  The cause of what is described as intense aching, tiredness or discomfort is a condition called Peripheral Vascular Disease (PAD) and is caused by the narrowing or hardening of the arteries in your legs.

Some of the symptoms of Peripheral Vascular Disease include:

• Severe pain or aching in the legs during physical exersion (like climbing stairs or walking) or at night.
• Numbness or tingling sensation in legs or feet.
• Burning or aching in toes while resting
• Sores or open wounds on the feet that will not heal due to lack of blood flow
• One or both legs/feet feeling cold or changing color (pale, blue or reddish toned) due to lack of blood flow

Watch this video about how a PAD sufferer changed his life and eliminated the pain associated with this dibilitating disease:

This video offers several alternative methods to treating allergies.  Through the use of vitamins, supplements and other therapies, you can find relief from the unpleasant symptoms of allergies.

Watch this video for more details:

So the supplements that can help alleviate allergies symptoms are quercetin, fish oil and vitamin C.  Alternative therapies that can offer relief are acupuncture and hydrotherapy.  Just remember to consult a doctor allergist before you start any new treatments or supplements to be sure that they will not interact with your current allergy treatment regimen.

What did you think of this video?  Please leave your feedback here.

This time of year is when most people begin planning their summer vacation.  If you are one of the 22.2 million people who have asthma in the United States, then this video may help you or your allergic family members when it comes to planning your next vacation.  Take a look:

Do you have any tips for other asthma sufferers?  Please feel free to share them here.

It is especially hard for children to have pollen allergies.  When the weather is warm, pollen-producing plants and trees are flooding the air with allergens, making it difficult for kids with seasonal allergies who want to go outside.

The most effective method of lessening children's spring time allergies without taking away their outdoor play time is visiting an allergist.  An allergist can prescribe an allergy medication regimen that will cut down on the number of allergy attacks your child has each year.

The allergist in this video recommends two different medications that have proven effective at reducing allergy symptoms in kids.

Did you find  this video to be helpful?  Please share your thoughts here.

How can you tell if you or your child's symptoms are from a cold or from early seasonal allergies?  Here's a video that offers some extremely helpful clues for telling the two apart.

Clue #1:  Fever.  If you have a fever, it is more likely that you have a cold.  Though seasonal allergies are called "hay fever", you will not have a raised temperature.

Clue #2:  Symptoms Show Up Gradually.  Allergy attacks often appear suddenly, whereas cold symptoms show up gradually, one after another.

Clue #3:  Sick for More Than 2 Weeks.  Most all cold will clear up within a week or so - but allergy symtpoms will go on for months.

Clue #4:  You are Sick in March.  If you suddenly find yourself with a naggin cold in March, it most likely is seasonal allergies caused by early pollenating plants.

Do you have any tips you'd like to shar about how to tell allergies apart from a cold?  Please leave your comments here.

Though you will never see what smoking does to your lungs, now you can see what it will do to your face.  Using age progression software, The American Lung Association shows some teenage smokers how they will look after a lifetime of smoking cigarettes - and the images are disturbing!

What can you expect to look like if you smoke year after year?  Here are a few of the symptoms of a condition called "smoker's face":

What did you think of this video?  Please leave your comments here!

Here's a trick to ridding your clothing of that cigarette smoke smell.  Check it out:

Just keep in mind that this quick fix for smoky clothing works best for those who aren't living in a house where someone smokes.  if you live with a smoker, you need to clean up the air before you can target freshening up the clothing in your closet.  Otherwise, right after you try the trick from this video and hang your clothes back up, they will smell like smoke again in a matter of minutes!

If you live with a smoker, consider investing in a smoke eater like Dynamic Air Quality Solution's CT500 and strategically place it in your bedroom, or wherever you store your extra clothes.

Have you tried this trick for removing smoke from your clothing?  What's your reaction?  Please share your thoughts here.

This video demonstrates the impact that one cigarette has on your lungs.  Look at the color of the cloth used to filter the smoke out of those two holding containers.  That is what ends up in your lungs after one cigarette!

You can try this experiement for yourself - all you need is a cigarette and a handkerchief or tissue.

1.  Take a puff of smoke and hold it in your mouth. Do not inhale it into your lungs. 

2.  Take a white handkerchief and hold it up to your mouth. 

3.  Exhale the smoke through the material of the handkerchief and you will be able to see the tar that is usually deposited in your lungs with every inhalation of cigarette smoke.  Imagine how all that residue adds up over the months and years!

What did you think of this experiment?  Please leave your comments here.