If you're one of the millions for whom spring is allergy season, you've come to expect physical symptoms such as sniffling, sneezing, and itchy, watery eyes. But you may be surprised to learn that allergies can affect you mentally as well as physically.

Published clinical studies have shown that untreated allergies can make it difficult to stay alert and focused and thus think clearly. Results from a recent study, known as the Cognitive Effects of Loratadine: Effect on Allergy Response study, confirmed these findings and have now gone a step further. The study, also known as CLEAR, found that taking Claritin, a non-sedating, over-the-counter allergy medicine, makes allergy sufferers as mentally alert and focused as healthy people who do not have allergies.

Jeffrey A. Wilken, Ph.D., director of the Washington Neuropsychology Research Group in Washington, D.C. and one of the leading researchers of this study, explained that a battery of seven tests was used to measure attention, focus, and alertness. In all seven tests, allergy sufferers who took Claritin performed no differently from healthy people without allergies.

"Only Claritin has been clinically proven to make you as alert and focused as someone without allergies," Wilken said. "If you look at the findings of this study in real-world terms, they mean that people who treat their allergies with Claritin will have an easier time focusing on any given task that requires concentration and sustained attention-like proofreading, working on an assembly line, or driving."

Not absent, but not fully present either

Allergies affect more than 50 million Americans and cause an estimated 3.6 million workdays to be lost each year.

Allergies contribute not only to absenteeism, but also to presenteeism-the phenomenon of being on the job but, because of illness or other medical conditions, not fully functioning. According to a recent Harvard Business Review article, researchers consider seasonal allergies to be a serious cause of this workplace problem.

"When allergies affect people's mental functioning, the quality and quantity of their work declines," said workplace specialist Kent Peterson, M.D., president of Occupational Health Strategies. "The more severe their allergies are, the greater the toll on their performance."

How to minimize the toll allergies take

If you're suffering from seasonal allergies this spring, take the following steps to help you stay alert and focused:

- Get moving. If you sit at a desk for long stretches, get up and take a brisk walk around the office every couple of hours.

- Cut down on distractions. Keep your attention on the task at hand by filtering out distractions-close the door or wear earplugs if necessary.

- Get enough rest. It's hard to stay alert and focused when you're struggling to just stay awake. Make sure you get enough sleep to wake up feeling well rested.

- Take the right treatment. Choose a non-drowsy allergy product, such as Claritin Tablets, for effective non-drowsy 24-hour relief of itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, and runny nose -it works on indoor, outdoor and pet allergies.

Allergic rhinitis, the most common type of allergy, affects approximately 40 million Americans. Seasonal allergic rhinitis describes nasal allergies that change with the seasons due to pollen from plants. Perennial (or chronic) rhinitis describes nasal allergies that can occur any time of the year, which are caused by substances like dust mites, mold spores, and pet dander. To learn more about allergies, visit www.claritin.com.

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