Use a mix of water and chlorine bleach to kill mold. Don't carpet bathrooms or other damp rooms and use mold-proof paint instead of wallpaper. If your allergies are severe, you may need to give your pets away or at least keep them outside. Cat or dog dander is often in house dust and takes 4 weeks or more to die down, so a short-term trial of removing your pet from your home may not help. You can reduce dust mites by following the tips on the next page .
Antihistamines help reduce the sneezing, runny nose and itchiness of allergies.
They're more useful if you use them before you're exposed to allergens. You can buy some antihistamines without a prescription. These relieve symptoms just as well as prescription medicines do, but they tend to cause drowsiness and dry mouth. This often improves after 1 to 2 weeks of regular use. Antihistamines that require a prescription from your doctor are less likely to cause tiredness or dry mouth.