If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? Allergies, and apparently a number of other health problems as well. Searches for allergies have risen just a little bit each week for the last two months -- about 12 percent a week.
This is probably not connected to the warmer weather, but food allergies have also been gaining in popularity over the past few weeks. The term now gets four times as many searches as it did just three weeks ago. A springtime epidemic of bad shellfish, perhaps? Or are allergic fans having more peanuts at the ballpark without knowing that they should just stick to the hot dogs?
Allergies aren't the only health problems which crop up during springtime. If you enjoy a day hiking through the forest, you are bound to one day encounter that friend to man known as poison ivy. Poison ivy searches have risen at a level of 25 percent a week, steadily over the past seven weeks. Last week poison ivy was as popular as the New York Yankees, and just as annoying. Lycos users also did about one-fourth as many searches for the plant's woodier cousin, poison oak.
Speaking of skin, searches have been on the rise for both acne and eczema. Acne searches are probably related to people wanting to look their best as the temperature goes up and the clothes come off. Perhaps they are even connected to all the prom queries; got to have that clear skin to impress the big date. Searches for acne doubled over the past month.
Eczema is a more serious problem. It's a manageable but incurable chronic disease that results in dry, inflamed skin. We're not sure if warmer temperatures bring out the rashes or make them more itchy, but eczema searches have tripled over the past month. Lycos has a number of links to eczema support and treatment. The best is the Eczema Association of Australia which has, for no discernable reason, a cute bumblebee mascot.
According to Lycos Health, acne and eczema can sometimes be triggered by food allergies. See how it all comes together? The Lycos 50: it's the circle of life (and pimples).
Lycos Health (powered by WebMD) is available for your health needs all year round, by the way.
MONDAY: What we're watching.
