Annually, allergies and asthma strike one out of every four Americans, causing untold suffering, sneezing and wheezing, as well as $6 billion in doctor visits and medication.

However, putting the right air treatment and cleaning strategies in place throughout your home can create a healthier living environment and help avoid allergy suffering.

Spring has sprung and warmer weather is on the way, bringing with it signs of the season such as tree blossoms and green grass. While most welcome the opportunity to tuck away winter clothes and spend more time outdoors, the turn of the season can pose challenges for the more than 35 million Americans who suffer from allergies. With predictions of an intensified allergy season this year, experts at Northwestern Memorial Hospital offer suggestions for helping allergy sufferers find relief.

Allergies and asthma affect six times more Americans than cancer, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. As the fifth leading chronic disease, allergies, along with asthma, strike one out of every four Americans.

"There are many pro-active measures you can take to prevent or treat allergies and asthma," said Peggy Fleming, Olympic figure skating champion and HealthSaver spokesperson, "especially during spring, the main allergy season."

Pollen, mold, dust and other allergens cause allergies in some people and not others because the immune system of allergy sufferers identifies these substances as harmful. The immune system's defense results in symptoms such as congestion, sneezing and watery eyes.

"To take control of your allergies, prevent exposure to irritants in your home and be sure to follow the advice of your physician," said Brad Eggleston, vice president of HealthSaver. An active approach is the best approach in the fight against allergies.

If allergies seem to be a bigger problem than usual, you are not imagining things. Results of a national report, Allergies Across America™, note that while sensitization to numerous allergens has increased, the rise in allergies is due mostly to ragweed and mold.

Allergen increase linked to climate change

Allergies Across America, a Quest Diagnostics Health Trends™ Report, is the largest cross-sectional study of allergies ever conducted in the United States. The findings are based on the results of nearly 14 million blood tests for 11 common allergens (ragweed, mold, two house dust mites, cats, dogs, and five foods) and involved more than 2 million patient visits.

Patient information included in the study came from individuals ranging in age from infancy to 70 years and from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The allergy test used was the ImmunoCAP® specific IgE blood test. IgE is an antibody that the body produces in response to the presence of an allergen, such as ragweed pollen.

Researchers have found that more than 50 percent of the current asthma cases in the country can be attributed to allergies, with approximately 30 percent of those cases attributed to cat allergy.

"It has long been debated whether people who develop asthma have a genetic propensity to develop allergies, or atopy," said Darryl C. Zeldin, M.D., a senior investigator at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). "This new research shows that 56.3 percent of asthma cases are attributed to atopy." Atopy is a condition that results from gene-environment interactions and can be measured by a positive skin test to allergens (or allergy causing substances in the environment).

With spring just around the corner, and trees and plants beginning to bloom, are you ready for the sneezing, wheezing, and itchy eyes? While there are a lot of factors that can’t be controlled, Pollen.com and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation have tips that can make the season more bearable.

More than 35 million Americans suffer from allergy symptoms. An allergy is a heightened sensitivity to a foreign substance, called an allergen. Normally, the immune system wouldn’t react to a harmless substance, such as pollen, dust, or mold. However, in those with seasonal allergies (commonly called “hay fever”), the immune system overreacts and produces histamines and other chemicals to fight the invader.

With experts predicting that the 2012 allergy season may be the worst of the decade, anything an allergy sufferer can do to relieve symptoms will be essential. In fact, you may be unwittingly doing things to make your seasonal allergies worse. Dr. Myron Zitt MD, the past president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, suggests five areas of your life to look at if you are one of the 35 million Americans who suffer.

Some experts are predicting that spring of 2012 has the potential to be the worst allergy season in 10 years. Because of a relatively mild winter nationwide, an early allergy season has developed causing many allergy sufferers to begin taking medications earlier than normal.

According to weather experts, nationally, January this year was almost 6 degrees warmer than normal. The typical overall national temperature for January is 30.8 degrees F. However this year it was 36.3 degrees F causing many plants including weeds to begin blooming ahead of Mother Nature’s normal schedule and thereby give birth to an early allergy season.

The millions of people coughing, sneezing and sniffling their way through what some experts predict could be the worst allergy season in years may not know about some of the more unusual ways to lessen their symptoms.

Here are some ways you may not have considered to get allergy relief:

Use Special Filters in Heating and Air Cooling Systems

The American Lung Association reports that controlling allergies and asthma begins at home. The EPA statistics show that levels of many airborne pollutants can be 100 to 500 percent higher indoors than outdoors. 50% percent of all illnesses are caused by or aggravated by polluted indoor air. By reducing the allergens around your home that trigger attacks, you can breathe easier and reduce your susceptibility to future episodes.

Spring isn't the only rough time for allergy-sufferers. Here's how you can avoid allergy symptoms in the fall season as well.