Ever get itchy, watery eyes and a constantly running nose, and of course, a scratchy throat caused by seasonal (fall and spring) allergies?
You’re not alone.
My husband, who worked on a farm as a youngster and later in the excavating business for 43 years surrounded by soil, is definitely one of the estimated 50 million Americans suffering from nasal allergies. Many of our fellow citizens are allergic to pollen in general and ragweed (which blossoms in the fall) in particular. So for Sun Citians afflicted with this nuisance, what can you do if autumn allergies make you miserable?
In WebMD (September, 2016), Dr. David Hong, MD (a staff physician in the division of rheumatology, immunology, and allergy at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital) suggests seeing an allergist to find out exactly what you’re allergic to, whether it be weeds, grasses, trees, or all three. If you have a heightened skin sensitivity to a scratch test, as was my daughter’s case recently, a blood workup can be executed (although often not as efficient in its findings).
Next, your specialist may have you take a selected over-the-counter (OTC) med when pollen levels peak in your geographic area.
Hong advises that you should “Let your symptoms be your guide for taking the OTC allergy medicationā¦If you have a lot of nasal congestion, a nasal steroid, such as Flonase, Nasacort, or Rhinocort would be best, or a combination of antihistamine and nasal spray.”
Two years ago, the FDA approved the first sublingual pills (to be absorbed from under the tongue) for grass and ragweed allergies. But Dr. Beth Corn (professor of clinical immunology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City) explains, “They’re really for someone who’s sensitized to just one allergen – and a lot of people aren’t.”
She adds, on the other hand, “Allergy shots can address multiple allergies at once.”
Hong comments, “If you have a lot of sneezing or itchy skin, an antihistamine is probably going to be the best medication for that. Long acting antihistamines, such as Allegra, Zyrtec, or Claritin, won’t make you drowsy – and for watery and itchy eyes, an OTC antihistamine eye drop, like Zaditor.”
Hong highly suggests keeping allergens outside and out of your bedroom. He suggests the following tips:
1. Sleep with windows closed there, even in good weather. 2. Take a shower before you go to sleep, removing as many allergens as possible from your skin.
3. If really suffering, ask your sleeping partner to take a shower before going to bed, as well.
4. Ban your pets (who may be tracking in additional allergens) from the bedroom.
Health.com in its April, 2016 issue adds these tips to beat allergens in your sleeping quarters and elsewhere in the house:
1. Dry your hair before bed to prevent pillow mold.
2. Use a pillow cover under your pillowcase, wash your pillow every three months, and replace your pillow yearly.
3. Declutter shelves, dresser tops, and closets/use a wet cloth or paper towel for dusting frequently – all are vital household tasks to be done by someone controlling dust mites and/or suffering from asthma.
4. Use washable area rugs as a better option than a carpet. But if you have to keep your carpet flooring, vacuum at least once a week with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate arrestance) filtered and bagged machine.
5. If you can, wash curtains, throw pillows, area rugs, and shower curtains at least once a month in 140 degree water to kill off 100 percent of dust mites and pollen.
What about house plants’ usage? Researchers in Belgium have found that “78 percent of allergy sufferers with plants at home were allergic to at least one, most frequently ficus.”
The hibiscus and many flowering plants, however, produce little to no airborne pollen. NASA research has even discovered that some houseplants, like the corn plant, may actually scrub air of contaminants. One study at NASA revealed that in a small office, plants reduced dust by up to 20 percent! If you are desperate for a dog or a cat and suffer from mild to moderate allergies, choose a short-haired one that might capture fewer grains of pollen in its fur.
Finally, Dr. Ogden of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunogoly, recommends the time of day and weather for pollen-free outdoor exercise to be “in the evening after a rainstorm.”
Bernice Mirrilees, of Wheaton, IL has her own method for effective allergy treatment.
“I run a HEPA air filter to clean the air in my home.ā She added, “I use a steroid nasal spray and a neti pot (a container designed to rinse debris or mucus from your nasal cavity). But more than anything else, I take an OTC, non-sedating allergy medication every day. And that has made all the difference.”
