Information and opinions on health from Conway at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/1517/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/1517/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/1517/index http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/1517/5134/home-air-filters Fri, 16 Feb 2007 12:31:00 -0500 Conway During spring and fall, I change our HVAC air filters once every six weeks, and the rest of the year once every two months.  I get the highest rated (for allergen filtering) 3M filters -- usually available at Home Depot.  They cost about $4 more per filter than the store brand, but are worth the difference.  It's important to replace them more frequently, my HVAC service company tells me, because if you let them get clogged... http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/1517/5134/home-air-filters http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/1517/5133/shellfish-allergy Fri, 16 Feb 2007 12:28:00 -0500 Conway I have a shellfish allergy -- not terminal, but not pretty either.  I always make sure at a restaurant, when ordering a fish dish, or even meat with a sauce on it to tell the waiter I have an allergy and to ask that my dish not be cooked in any pan that has also been used to cook shellfish. http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/1517/5133/shellfish-allergy http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/1517/5132/teen-years-adult Fri, 16 Feb 2007 12:27:00 -0500 Conway I took allergy shots for two years when I lived in the South, when I was about 13-15.  They worked very well for grass and weed allergies.  I took them again about two years ago when I was in my mid-30's, but this time they did not work nearly so well -- against dust and grass allergies.  http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/1517/5132/teen-years-adult