woman sneezing seasonal allergies
What are allergies?
“An allergy is an inappropriate immune response to an ordinarily harmless substance,” explains Dr. Ron Purcell, a board certified physician specializing in allergic disease. Some allergic reactions to foods, medicines, or insect stings, can be life-threatening. In the case of seasonal allergies, the body thinks that pollens that are released into the air are dangerous invaders. The body’s immune system fights off these “invaders” by releasing histamine where the exposure occurs. Histamine is the chemical responsible for the majority of allergy symptoms including itching of the nose or eyes, sneezing, nasal congestion, postnasal drip, and runny nose. It is also responsible for causing increased symptoms for those who have allergic asthma.
Your overall health is a definite factor impacting the severity of your allergy symptoms. When your immune system is fatigued due to a virus or chronic disease you will most likely experience a worsening of allergy symptoms. Although seasonal allergies are often viewed as a nuisance rather than a major problem, for some they can cause significant impairment in overall quality of life. Even mild to moderate allergies can adversely affect school or work performance directly from the symptoms themselves or indirectly because of disrupted sleep or use of sedating medication.
Airborne pollen is the most common cause of seasonal allergies. Also known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis, the most active allergens in Naples during the spring are cypress, oak and bayberry trees. The major grass pollens include Bahia, Johnson, and Timothy grass. These begin to appear in early spring and extend through the summer. Weed pollen appears in the summer and continues through the fall or early winter. Some major weed pollens are ragweed, pigweed, and mugwort. Airborne molds are present at some level throughout the year but can exist in very high levels during the rainy season here in Naples.
Allergies and Children
While a specific allergy is not inherited, the tendency towards having allergies is. Children with one allergic parent have a 33% chance of developing one or more allergies, while a child with two allergic parents has a 70% chance of developing allergies. Some allergy sufferers can outgrow their seasonal allergies and adults can develop allergies that they did not have as children.
“Younger children may not know how to communicate their discomfort to parents,” says Dr. Purcell. “In addition to the ‘classic’ allergy symptoms of sneezing, runny nose, and itching, signs of allergy in children include dark circles under the eyes and/or constant nose rubbing (the “allergic salute”). Daytime sleepiness, irritability, or a decrease in school performance may be due to allergies interfering with sleep. These patients often snore or mouth- breathe at night during allergy season.”
Allergy Treatment
While there is no cure for allergies, they can be managed with proper prevention and treatment. The two treatment options are to limit exposure and treat the symptoms.
Limiting Exposure
Avoiding allergens can be difficult but you can limit your exposure on high pollen count days by staying indoors and keeping doors and windows tightly closed. You can check local pollen levels at www.pollen.com or www.aaaai.org. Pollen counts tend to be highest in the morning between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. so plan your outdoor activities for later in the afternoon or evening.
Other tips for avoiding exposure include:
- Use anti-allergen protectors for pillows, mattresses, and box springs to help keep the dust mites away.
- Keep pets out of bedrooms and bathe all pets weekly to reduce pet dander.
- Wash your hair every night if you have been outside.
- Don’t hang freshly washed clothes outdoors to dry.
- Don’t ride in the car with the windows or top down.
- Don’t smoke or allow smoking in or near your home. Even second hand smoke on clothing can be an irritant.
Treating the Symptoms
The next line of defense for most allergy sufferers will be at-home remedies that may lessen the severity of symptoms.
These include:
1. Flushing it out. Keep the nasal passages irrigated through use of saline sprays or steam inhaler. Keeping the nasal passages as clean and moist as possible will facilitate the movement of allergens and lessen congestion.
2. Diet. There is some evidence that dietary changes can have an impact. The addition of probiotic yogurt to your diet may help balance your digestive system and may prevent the immune system from overreacting to allergens.
3. Exercise. Exercise naturally soothes some allergy symptoms by diverting blood away from the parts of your body not being taxed to body parts in use. This means that blood vessels in your nose will constrict, lessening the congestion. The impact may be felt for several hours after. Be sure to avoid exercise during peak pollen hours.
4. Over-the-counter medications. According to Dr. Purcell, over-the-counter medications are often effective for mild seasonal allergy symptoms. His recommendations include: “Non-sedating antihistamines such as cetirizine, fexofenadine, or loratadine to control itching, sneezing, and runny nose associated with seasonal allergies. Decongestants such as pseudoephedrine can be helpful for nasal congestion, but should be used with caution in patients with high blood pressure, heart problems, or prostate issues.” He recommends checking with your primary care physician before using pseudoephedrine.
Dr. Purcell adds that triamcinolone nasal spray has become available over-the-counter and is a very effective treatment for nasal allergies. He cautions that it must be used regularly for at least one to two weeks for its effect to become evident.
Medical Intervention
If you or your child is suffering from allergies and at-home treatments aren’t providing enough relief or if your allergies are associated with more serious problems such as asthma or recurrent infections, it’s time for specialized medical help. An allergy specialist can tailor treatment to minimize or eliminate allergy symptoms, and help prevent more serious problems associated with allergies. For those patients with more severe allergies, an allergy specialist may recommend a series of shots, called immunotherapy, that is very effective for treating allergies and can often eliminate allergies.
Seasonal allergies don’t have to derail your enjoyment of spring! With the right combination of at-home strategies and medical interventions you can be breathing easier this year.