Spring is a beautiful time. The weather finally gets warm and the snow melts. Everything starts to grow and blossom. For many, this is one of the best times of the year. But for allergy sufferers, it means being allergic to almost anything and everything in the air and on the ground.
Rhinitis, commonly called hay fever, is irritation of the nasal passages due to pollen or pets. The symptoms are nasal congestion, sneezing,runny nose, itchy nose and itchy, watery eyes. It is estimated that about 50 million people in the United States suffer from rhinitis. It is especially bad in the spring and summer when the amount of pollen in the air is high. Pollen can remain in the air for up to twenty minutes. Pet dander, mold, dust and feathers can also cause allergic reactions.
Allergy sufferers know the symptoms all too well. Once that first sneeze hits, it’s all over. It happens like this: a little allergen enters your nose. It triggers histamines, which makes the blood vessels in your nose dilate and leak fluid into surrounding tissues. Because of this fluid, the nose becomes irritated and inflamed, resulting in a sneeze. This leads to an itchy nose and throat, especially on the roof of the mouth. The eyes also get irritated and release histamines. All of these together lead to nasal and sinus congestion and sometimes headaches, because the nasal passages are so irritated and inflamed.
Here in New England there are many plants that contain allergens and pollen. Trees, like maple, birch, oak, cedar and pine trees, all produce pollen. Orchard, Timothy, Redtop, Tescue and Bermuda grass all contain pollen. Weeds such as Pigweed, Lamb’s-Quarter, and the ever famous Ragweed, also produce allergens that make spring a nasal passage nightmare.
There are a couple things that allergy sufferers can do to minimize allergens. Air conditioning helps clean and cool the air. Keeping the car windows up while driving minimizes the amount of pollen. Avoid the outdoors on humid days, and windy days when the pollen and dust are more likely to be in the air. Also, minimizing time outside between the hours often in the morning to four at night is helpful because that is when pollen counts are at their highest. Pollen counts fall dramatically after it rains, so that is a good time for allergy sufferers to be outside. If you are outside, take a shower at rinse off any pollen that has collected on your skin or in your hair. If pet dander is a problem, keep pets off the furniture and beds to help minimize allergens.
I suffer from horrible rhinitis, especially in the spring and summer. It becomes increasingly hard for me to be around my horses, dust and hay. I visited www.claritin.com and it came up with an allergy profile for me that said I was allergic to pretty much everything. All of the plants mentioned above are problems for me. Spring is hard because of trees and other plants, and summer is hard because of all of the grass. I take an antihistamine for my allergies, which is one choice for allergy sufferers like myself.
There are many different allergy products available through a prescription or over-the-counter. Over-the-counter medications work okay for those with occasional of mild seasonal allergies, but many people need prescribed medications. An exception to this is Claritin, which is now available without a prescription. Claritin is an example of an antihistamine, which blocks histamines and helps reduce annoying symptoms. The only drawback to antihistamines is that they do not help with nasal or sinus congestion.
Other antihistamines include Clarinex, Zyrtec and Allegra. Some antihistamines are available with a decongestant, but may cause drowsiness where most without one do not. Their side effects are generally headache, dry mouth, sore throat and fatigue. A doctor can prescribe an antihistamine that is right for you, since there are many out on the market.
Leukotriene modifiers are another way to control allergies. They block leukotrienes, which are responsible for inflammation and airway contraction. They are also a good choice for people that have allergy induced asthma, because they help the airways stay open. An example of a leukotriene is Singulair, which is available through prescription. Its side effects include headache, ear infection and sore throat. The advantages of leukotrienes is that they block early responses to allergens like itching and sneezing and help delay congestion. One disadvantage is that they haven’t been used that long and may only work for certain people.
Other choices for allergy sufferers are nasal sprays, allergy shots and steroids. Depending upon your symptoms and degree of allergies, you may need one of the above medicines with a nasal spray or decongestant. Allergy shots and steroids are for people with chronic allergies, since many people respond well to one of the above medications.
Allergies are annoying and frustrating, but they are a part of life. Thankfully, there are things that allergy sufferers can do to make it possible to be outside and enjoy the spring and summer months.