How Your Allergies Have Evolved over the Years - and When They’ll Strike Next

Wheezing, sniffling, and snotting can strike at any age, sometimes disappear for a while, then return with a vengeance later in life. So why do you feel lousy one decade, only to have your symptoms ease up the next?

Here’s how hay fever and similar allergic conditions evolve over the course of a lifetime—and what you can do to put them into a more permanent remission.

Why Do You Get Allergies Anyway?

No one’s born with allergies, says Donna Sharpe, M.D., of Duke Otolaryngology in Durham, North Carolina. But mom and dad do pass down a trait called atopy, or the genetic tendency to develop allergies.

A Better Way to Drink Tequila

The problem with tequila is that most people are drinking it wrong. They knock it back in a shot glass, and then wonder why they feel so terrible the next day. (Go here to find out The Truth about Tequila and Your Hangover.) But tequila is one of those alcohols which should sipped rather than slammed. Not just to avoid that post-shot grimace, but because sipping tequila might actually be good for you.

“A single tequila drink consumed slowly over an hour can have great benefits if consumed several times a week,” says Eric B. Rimm, a Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. “It benefits your good cholesterol as well as reducing your body’s insulin resistance and also the propensity for your blood to clot, which ultimately is what causes a heart attack and most strokes.”

The Right Way to Wear Boots in Warm Weather

Boots can definitely be worn year-round, says Men’s Health Associate Fashion Editor Dan Michel. The trick is picking a pair that remains comfortable when the warmer temperatures roll around.

“Where your insulated winter boots will look strange, a simple leather pair will come off as cool and rugged,” says Michel.

Good examples would be a waterproof pair, like Timberland’s rugged Chestnut Ridge 6-Inch Waterproof Boots, to keep your feet dry during summer storms or Chippewa’s clean, uncomplicated Crazy Horse General Utility Service Boots, which will work with most outfits. Lighter colored leather automatically looks more seasonally appropriate than dark browns and black.

Hats Don't Protect You from the Sun as Well as You May Think

It’s that time of the year again—hats have officially transitioned from a fashion statement to a weapon in the war against UV rays. But do they really offer much in the way of protection from the sun’s damaging effects?

A little bit—but definitely not enough for you to forgo using SPF on your face and any exposed areas of your body. "Wearing a hat provides instant shade, which increases your cumulative total sun protection factor by at least 10,” says Ava Shamban, M.D., a dermatologist in Beverly Hills. "Regardless of whether [or not] you wear a hat, you need to apply a sunscreen of at least SPF 30 because ultraviolet light is reflected off of surfaces." Remember to stick to this rule: Apply about a shot glass worth of SPF to your entire body, and reapply every two hours.

It Only Takes 5 Days of Indulging in Fatty Foods to Mess with Your Muscle Function

No matter how much you try to eat healthy, things happen—you indulge in daily bacon cheeseburgers with a side of piña colada on vacation or end up ordering takeout a lot in one week.

We’ve all been there, which is why we’re filing this news under “terrifying”: A new study from Virginia Tech has discovered that eating a high-fat diet for just five days can change the way your body’s muscles processes nutrients. That can lead to weight gain, obesity, and diabetes, among other long-term health issues.

How to Recreate Spa Water at Home

Ever notice how the water at spas always tastes so much better than...just about any other attempt at flavored H2O? The secret, says Cecelia McKibben, spa manager with the Hotel Jerome's Auberge Spa in Aspen, is filling your water dispenser with all of your ingredients the night before you want to drink up to really let the flavors seep in (she notes that the Auberge Spa uses filtered water and organic ingredients, which could also help with the flavor). Here's the super simple recipe McKibben's spa uses most often if you want to whip up your own batch at home:

HOT GIRL ASKS 100 GUYS IF THEY WANT TO HAVE SEX AND YOU’LL NEVER GUESS HOW MANY SAY NO

It Only Takes 5 Days of Indulging in Fatty Foods to Mess with Your Muscle Function

No matter how much you try to eat healthy, things happen—you indulge in daily bacon cheeseburgers with a side of piña colada on vacation or end up ordering takeout a lot in one week.

We’ve all been there, which is why we’re filing this news under “terrifying”: A new study from Virginia Tech has discovered that eating a high-fat diet for just five days can change the way your body’s muscles processes nutrients. That can lead to weight gain, obesity, and diabetes, among other long-term health issues.