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August 4, 2011
by Salim Bhaloo, DO
Health News
Allergies During the Summer Too?
People can suffer
from allergies year-round. Although Spring
and Fall seem to affect most allergy sufferers, many types of environmental
triggers can also exist in the summer.
The excessive heat of summer can also make dealing with allergy symptoms
even more miserable.
Approximately 50 million individuals in the United States
suffer from some form of allergies, and that number is growing. The cause of an allergy is not always known,
but a family history of allergies is thought to be a primary risk factor.
An
allergy is a reaction by your body’s immune system to something that does not
typically bother other people, according to the National Institutes of Health. Simply put, your body’s defense system sees a
certain substance – called an allergen – as a threat, and releases antibodies
to fight it. Usually, people who have
allergies have increased sensitivity to more than one allergen or group of
allergens, such as certain types of grass and trees, dust and lint, pollen and
mold, and animal fur.
When antibodies
are released to attack allergens, the process releases histamines which cause
the runny nose, itchy eyes, and other symptoms.
The higher the pollen count, the more miserable an allergy sufferer
feels. To know what you might be up
against, you can search sites like www.pollen.com
to get an allergy forecast. The site shows
the predominant allergens present, the level of exposure to pollen, and several
days of allergy forecast. You can
specify by location – Granbury or your favorite vacation destination. If you or your loved ones suffer from
airborne allergies, this is a useful tool so you can prepare accordingly.
Pollen counts
measure the level of particular allergens in the air in grains per cubic
meter. Spring allergies can be mainly
attributed to trees pollinating. During
summer, grasses and weeds are the biggest sources of airborne allergens.
Weeds
Ragweed,
Cockleweed, Pigweed, Russian Thistle, Sagebrush & Tumbleweed
Grasses
Bermuda, Blue Grass, Orchard, Red Top, Sweet Vernal & Timothy
Even if these summer, allergy-inducing plants aren’t in your yard, you
can still suffer. Pollen can travel for
hundreds of miles on the wind so it can cause allergic reactions from great
distances. When airborne allergens are
combined with summer’s heat, calm winds, and high ozone levels, allergy
sufferers can really become miserable.
Another summer allergy trigger is found indoors – dust mites. These microscopic, spider-like insects peak
in hot, humid temperatures. As they nest
in beds, carpets, and other household fabrics, dust mites leave behind residue
that set off a histamine reaction when inhaled.
No matter the time of year, allergy symptoms can include runny nose,
watery eyes, sneezing, wheezing, coughing, itchy eyes and nose, and dark
circles under the eyes. If these
symptoms linger, interfere with your life, or lead to frequent sinus infections,
your family physician can refer you to a specialist. Both Ear/Nose/Throat (ENT) physicians and allergists
can treat allergy and sinus disease. If recommended, testing can
be done to determine the nature and severity of an allergy, and develop a treatment
plan.
A variety
of options are available for treating allergies: over-the-counter remedies
(oral medication, topical creams or nasal sprays) prescription medication, or
allergy shots. The right course of
treatment depends on the severity and frequency of your symptoms. Allergy shots
work like a vaccine, by exposing you to a small dose of the allergen, to build
your resistance. Allergy shots are usually reserved for more severe, recurrent
symptoms that do not respond to other treatment.
Remember
that this information is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor, but
rather to increase awareness and help equip patients with information to
facilitate conversations with their physician.
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