January flew by and February is already here! It's time to put some of these asthma and allergy tasks on your to-do list for this month:

Avoid Valentine's Day Stress

1. Show your #TealLove to someone with asthma or allergies this Valentine's Day. Help your loved ones have a safe and enjoyable holiday with gifts and activities that won't trigger their asthma or allergies.
   
   

Plan Ahead

2. Start planning for summer camp. Many summer camps open registration in February. If you plan to send your child with asthma or allergies to camp this summer, start the registration process early. This will give you time to work with the camp coordinators to make sure they can accommodate your child's needs safely.
   
   
3. Start the asthma and food allergy accommodation process for kindergarten or other school transitions. In many school systems, kindergarten registration starts this month. When you register your child, ask for an evaluation meeting with school administration to start the process to set up a school health care plan, such as a 504 plan. It will be easier to set it up now instead of over the summer when office staff might be on a limited schedule.
   
   
4. Prepare for spring pollen season now. Spring may not be here yet, but tree and grass pollen have already started to appear in many Southern states. Talk to your doctor now before spring is in full swing to see if you need to update your treatment plan to keep your allergic asthma and allergies under control. 
   
   

Protect Yourself and Your Family

5. Get the flu shot, if you haven't already. This flu season is turning out to be a bad one, so it's not too late to get the flu shot if you haven't gotten one already. The flu usually peaks around February, but it can continue through May. Those with asthma are at a high risk for dangerous flu complications which can lead to hospital stays or even death. 
   
   

Get Ready for Taxes

6. Gather medical receipts for income taxes. Some of your asthma and allergy expenses may be deductible for the 2017 tax year. If you itemize and qualify to take the medical deduction, make sure you have all of your medical receipts. To find out what medical expenses you can deduct, talk to a tax professional or visit irs.gov.