Seasonal Allergies (Hay Fever)
Posted on: 04/14/2010
By Terry Arnold, PA-C and John J. Condemi, M.D.
The folks who suffer from seasonal allergies may have noticed they're suffering more than ever this spring. Earlier than normal warm temperatures has resulted in trees flowering and more pollen in the air. More pollen results in more sneezing, sniffling and itchy eyes in those sensitive to it. If you cough you may have a mild form of asthma.
Trees that normally blossom weeks apart this year have flowered simultaneously, sending a large amount of pollen into the air all at once. The early, heavy pollen is expected to last a little longer and is predict to be one of the worst tree seasons in the last 10 to 15 years. If weather conditions are good for grass to grow we may see a heavier than normal grass season. The number of pollen particles in the air drops on cool, rainy weather and rises on hot, dry days.
We can't control Mother Nature but we can take steps to limit our reaction to these allergens.
- Control exposure to outdoor allergens. Limit the time you spend outside during allergy season. This may be the best, but least desirable approach to controlling your symptoms.
- If you exercise outdoors avoid early morning and evening hours when pollen is at its highest.
- Keep your doors and windows to your house and car closed. This is especially true at night. Use a room air conditioner in the bedroom to prevent pollen from entering the room by keeping windows and doors closed for a good night’s sleep. If you have central air conditioning, keep the fan running all through the pollen season to remove pollen and mold from the air.
- Wearing a pollen or dust mask will reduce lung and nose exposure to pollen, but not eyes.
- Rinse your eyes with cool water and use saline eye drops after you come indoors to remove pollen.
Many over-the-counter medicines are available to control symptoms of allergies
- Antihistamines reduce or prevent sneezing, runny noses, and itching. Examples of over-the-counter antihistamines include chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), or newer, nonsedating ("second-generation") antihistamine such as loratadine (Claritin) and citerazine (Zyrtec). The older antihistamines often make you feel sleepy or tired and can cause dry mouth. Don't give antihistamines to your child unless you've checked with your doctor first.
- Decongestants clear up a stuffy, congested nose. They come in nasal spray or pill form. Possible problems with nasal sprays include irritation, burning or itching of nasal passages, and sneezing. Oral decongestants can cause you to feel nervous or shaky, have a rapid heart rate, or trouble sleeping. If you have high blood pressure, oral decongestants may make it worse. Examples of nonprescription oral decongestants include pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine.
- Antihistamine/decongestant combinations may work better, but may can cause both sets of side effects and include products such as Allerest and Actifed.
-Antihistamine and Decongestant eye drops are available to reduce itching and watery eyes. If your eyes are painful or light bothers your eyes, do not use these drops, but see your eye doctor.
If over-the-counter medicines do not improve your symptoms, or if they cause bothersome side effects, such as drowsiness, talk with your doctor about prescription medicines.
Fact or Fiction
Question: Hay Fever- Does this name indicate that patients may have fever with seasonal allergic rhinitis?
Answer: When hay fever was first described in England in the late 1800’s it was noted that subjects developed a runny nose and tearing, with itching of nose, eyes, throat, cough and wheezing on exposure to hay. The fever was added because they also felt ill like they had a cold or fever. It is now used to describe seasonal allergic symptoms to all pollen. We are currently exposed to tree pollen in the spring; in mid-summer it will be grass and weeds and in the fall ragweed plus other weeds. Allergic reactions do not include fever so this is false.
Question: Rose fever-Are allergic symptoms due to rose pollen?
Answer: All flowers have pollen. If it is recognized as a flower or smells, the pollen is not airborne, but insect borne. When it is insect borne it cannot cause symptoms. The answer is false since rose pollen is insect borne. The symptoms are due to the grass under the rose bush.
Question: Is Ragweed season always our most severe allergy season?
Answer: The pollen production of all plants varies from season to season depending on the weather. In the south trees are usually the most severe both in amount of pollen production and season duration. In the northeast, trees are the most variable in both amount and duration. Ragweed is the most consistent in onset date and duration, but the amount of pollen varies with growing conditions. When growing conditions are good there are fewer ragweed plants and less pollen. Ragweed grows where there is nothing else growing. Therefore, the answer to this is false.