Seminole County Florida-I have lived here for 20 years and as a kid I have never had a severe allergy problem. In the past 3 years me and my whole family have been extremly sick during the months of Dec-March. With one cold after another, I believe there is something that is new or worse in the air in these months. My brother lives only a mile a way and his whole family is the same way. If you can give me any insight on this problem, which allergies are worse this time of year here in this area, I would greatly appreciate it, or if any one else experience this change too. — N.H., Florida

Travel, food, and festivities are an important part of Christmas and holiday celebrations. Here are some helps for those with food allergies:

Food allergy travelers on their own — If you’re travelling by plane, “dig…for stray nuts…wipe off the tray and arm rests,” says the President of the Illinois Food Allergy Education Association.

Allergy Allert Cards — This site allows you to print Allergy Cards to use while travelling or eating out. AllergyCards.com provides this service for free. Tip: Send allergy cards ahead of your visit to family and friends. Ask them to prepare food or scout out restaurants with your allergy needs in mind.

Maneuvering through the allergy obstacle course — Here’s how restaurants in one local town work to make sure their customers with food allergies have a safe dining experience.

Holiday Baking for Kids with Food Allergies — If you’re baking your own goodies, you’ll love these “easy substitutes for allergy-friendly holiday baking.”

Monthly Recipes — The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network’s December recipe column gives instructions for “Traditional Holiday Sugar Cookies,” “Chanukah Fudge Layer Cake,” and more. Or you can purchase their “Food Allergy News Holiday Cookbook” here.

Just when you thought seasonal allergies were gone for the winter, here come the holidays. Christmas trees and holiday decorations can be a source of woe for the allergy sufferer. I’ve gathered some goodies to help you fight back:

Christmas Trees - Mountain Cedar — One in 10 people is allergic to mountain cedar which begins releasing pollen in late November. Most other evergreen trees pollinate during the spring.

While Scotch pines and Douglas firs may be a safer choice, any live Christmas tree can be trouble for mold allergy sufferers.

Washing Off Christmas Tree Helps Curb Allergies according to one story. But just rinsing the tree was not enough. Read the story to see how a fruit and vegetable cleaner was used to clean the tree.

Don’t think just because you have an artificial tree you’re allergy-free, though. Artificial trees and holiday decorations often gather mold and dust during storage. When you bring them out during the dry winter months, the dust and mold spores can easily be dispersed in the air.

To prevent this, wipe dusty items with a wet cloth. Launder cloth items and discard any moldy decorations that cannot easily be cleaned. Dry thoroughly before storage and store covered in a dry area to prevent mold growth and dust accumulation.

Avoiding Allergens During the Holidays — Want more ideas? Here’s a host of holiday tips for allergy sufferers from Discovery Health.

I will be taking some time off for more eye surgery during the remainder of December. I’m expecting the surgery to go well, and to be much better by Christmas. I’ve shared more at my Eyes Apart website.

May you be blessed during this Christmas season, and I plan to be back here soon after the first of the year.

Update 12-7-06: My surgery has been postponed until January, 2006, so I plan to post here again soon.