It was allergies, not a relapse, says Whitney Houston, who's now out of the hospital and eager to return to the stage.

"I'm feeling great," she told PEOPLE exclusively. "I'm just ready to move on and continue my world tour."

Hospitalized earlier this week for an upper respiratory infection, Houston postponed the first four shows of her European tour, fueling tabloid speculation that she's in a downward drug spiral.

Houston calls such reports "ridiculous" and said, "At this point, I just don't respond. I don't even read it."

Checking into a hospital in Paris was doctor's orders. "My health is terrific," said the singer, 46. "But this is a time when I get a lot of allergies."

Houston's tour will resume on April 13 in Birmingham, England, and will continue through June. "I'm doing what I love to do, which is singing," Houston said. "The best part is seeing all of my fans around the world."

Allergies huh? Well, I really hope that's all it was and she's ok..I suppose if you have heavy allergies it can affect you quite a bit..

PurpleColossus said:

I'll have to take her word on this. It's sad that, over time, "Whitney Houston" has become synonymous with "drugs", but it is what it is, I suppose. I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt on this one. If she relapsed, I would think she might have canceled all the dates of any tour.

With her voice not being what it used to be by any stretch of the imagination, I would think any little allergy flair up might really handicap her ability on the stage.

ernestsewell said:

Yeah, it's a little difficult to see someone who had probably one of the greatest/strongest female voice of all time being lowered to what she is now...People will get on her and say her voice is absolutely ruined but I really am hopeful that one day it recovers somewhat of what it used to be.

The girl was having respiratory problems, or sounded like it, in Australia. My question is why she didn't go get that checked while over there?

Timmy84 said:

Stick a fork in her - thethroat ahs been done for many years now, and continuing to smoke cigs does not help her. She should ask her cousin Dionne, and her godmother Aretha.

I never would have dreamed in a million years that little miss goodie two shoes' name would ever be used in the same sentence with drugs unless it was Flintstone's chewable vitamins.

vainandy said:

Andy, I agree. For years, I dismissed the drug rumors and just rumors. Once I saw the Dianne Sawyer interview when Whitney's body language wouldn't even let her open her eyes when she denied using drugs. I've never seen someone have such a physical reaction to lying as she did in that interview.