Runny nose, sneezing, itchy watery eyes. Allergies. The first culprits we think of are pollen and dust. We tear down our curtains, install hardwoods, burn little Billy's stuffed animals. Well, okay, we bag them up and put them in the basement. We are not monsters, are we? Our allergies don't subside. We begin to eye Fido and Fluffy suspiciously. But could it be a smaller culprit? Could it be Swimmy?

My 8-year-old was suffering terrible allergies. We took the above precautions. I even busted out my vacuum a couple of times a week. Really. But every night, ten minutes after bedtime, a vicious allergy attack sent us running for the Claritin and Visine-A. We finally realized that the act of feeding her pet aquatic frogs was wreaking havoc on her poor little system. After months of medicating her, it turned out that moving the tank out of her room, giving it a good cleaning, and taking over the feeding from her solved the problem. She hasn't had a sniffle in weeks.

We're not sure if it was the algae, or mold and mildew around the tank, or mold spores in the food. We're not even going to have her tested to find out at this point. Do your internet research and talk to your doctor, but moving the tank is a quick thing to check. Your child, Fluffy and Fido may all be thanking you tomorrow.

(I am not a doctor or medical professional of any kind. None of this advice is a substitute for professional medical advice.)

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