Sneezin’ season arrives

Sat, May 17 2008

— By CARMEN LINDSEY
carmen.lindsey@gaflnews.com

CORDELE — Welcome, fellow sneezers, to spring—one of the most beautiful times of the year. For allergy sufferers, it can also be miserable and frustrating. But you already knew that.
Pollen. It’s on your car and in your nose. And it isn’t over yet. Trees are just starting to project yellow dust into the air. For Crisp County, oak, cedar, juniper and birch trees are the culprits right now. Next, it will be green grasses in April, and then weeds. A late blooming tree that causes problems in this area are pecans. Pine and silver maple trees are others.
Common signs of seasonal allergies are a stuffy or runny nose and itchy or watery eyes.
So what can allergy sufferers do besides crawling in bed and laying there in misery?
“If you are a person with seasonal allergies and you have problems with a particular outdoor tree pollen, you might want to avoid exposing yourself to that allergy trigger during the height of the pollen season,” says Sandra McKinney, Crisp County Extension coordinator. “As long as things are blooming and pollens are out there, it can cause problems.
“Only a minority of people are affected, but it’s a significant enough number that we need to be aware of it. Outdoor conditions can also affect indoor air quality. People who are susceptible to allergies should be aware of their indoor air quality. Many of those triggers are indoors,” she explains.
Seasonal allergy symptoms are caused by an allergic response to mold, pollen, or any tiny microscopic substances.
• Ragweed. Found along roadsides and in vacant lots, fields, and other sunny spots, this common weed with finely divided leaves and tiny, greenish-white, down-turned blossoms is one of the leading causes of allergy symptoms.
•Mold. Indoor and outdoor mold counts peak in the humid months of late summer and early autumn and are especially problematic for people with asthma and allergies. Outdoor molds are found in falling leaves, soil, vegetation, and rotting wood. Indoor molds flourish in damp household areas such as basements, shower stalls, and near washing machines and dryers.
•Dust mites. Although present year round, dust mites thrive in humidity and can cause problems when they're stirred up by dirty ventilation systems.
“This time of the year is a good time for spring cleaning,” says McKinney. “We can’t do much about outdoor allergies, but we can work on the inside by conducting a thorough cleaning.”
She also suggests avoiding heavy upholstery or carpeted rooms in bedrooms which collect dander.
“You would be better off with wooden or vinyl blinds rather than heavy fabrics,” she advises. “Washing bed coverings can also get rid of mite dander. Coverings for your pillows and mattress can help.”
Still buying tissue paper in bulk?
There are plenty of good medicines over-the-counter these days, particularly “non-sidating antihistamines that have been prescription over the last couple of years,” says Dr. Lois March, an otoloryngologist in Cordele. “That’s good news.”
Another effective medicine is NasalCrom, which can be used as a preventative before leaving indoors.
“You start it in the morning and use it about every 6 hours,” says Dr. March.
However, a few over-the-counter medicines which have been most effective at treating allergy symptoms are no longer on the market.
Take for instance, phenylpropanolamine.
Phenylpropanolamine was once an ingredient used in prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drug products as a nasal decongestant to relieve stuffy nose or sinus congestion and in weight control drug products to control appetite.
A study conducted by the Yale scientists in 2000 showed an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding of the brain) in people who were taking this product. As a result, the FDA asked firms that market pharmaceutical or drug products containing it to voluntarily discontinue marketing them.
“Another effective product which may be hard to find is Sudafed. This drug contains sudafedrin, which is the main ingredient used to make methamphetamine,” says Dr. March, who has been a physician for nearly 20 years. “The bottom line is that if you are really miserable in the peak of pollen season, steroids will wipe out symptoms, but you have to get this from a doctor.”