How to Treat Seasonal Allergy

According to the FDA, as many as 26 million Americans suffer from chronic, seasonal allergy. This is defined as allergy to seasonal pollens that occurs each year during the bloom time of the allergen-causing plant.

While many people blame their seasonal allergies on the neighbor’s flower garden, the truth is most allergy causing plants are common grasses, trees, and weeds. The allergy season usually begins in spring with trees, continues on through summer with grasses, and ends in autumn with the ragweeds. The flowers that are commonly grown in gardens are not generally the culprits. These plants are prized for their showy blooms, which attract bees and wasps for pollination.

Allergy causing plants depend on the wind to disperse their pollens. They have not evolved with strategies (such as pretty flowers and sweet scents) to attract the flying insects they need for pollination. So it is more likely to be your neighbors Bahia or rye grass than the roses or irises in the garden.

Common strategies for treating seasonal allergy depend on avoidance of the pollen as much as possible and medication to control the symptoms of allergic reaction. The allergy symptoms of runny nose; itchy watery eyes; sneezing; wheezing; hives or eczema; and coughing are caused when a person’s immune system does not correctly recognize the harmless plant pollen protein as harmless. Instead the immune system senses the body is under attack and prompts the mast cells to produce histamine. It is this histamine that results in the symptoms.

Strategies for pollen avoidance include staying indoors when the allergy causing plants are producing their pollen. Many local newspapers and weather services provide pollen counts. In addition, the website www.pollen.com provides pollen counts and pollen forecasts by ZIP code for the United States. I

f you must be outdoors when pollen counts are high, wear a protective mask such as the Q-Mask or the µ2 Mask. A HEPA particle respirator is not necessary for pollens, since pollens are 20 microns or larger. Also, if you must be outside for an extended period of time, when you come inside be sure to take a shower, wash your hair, and change your clothes. Your hair, clothing, and skin can become quickly loaded with pollen and it is important not to spread it around your home. For that reason, don’t throw those pollen-laden clothes on your bed! Try to stay indoors on windy days.

Pollen counts are lowest after a rainfall, so that is a great time to get outside. When you are indoors, keep all windows and doors closed. If you must have a window open for air circulation, install a pollen filtering MicroAirScreen window screens. These special screens repel particles as small as 8 microns. Because this is a repellent screen, it will not need to be washed as often as a filtering screen. If you have a good quality HEPA air cleaner (such as the Austin Air, Healthway, or AirPura) run this machine on the highest setting. If you have pets, keep them inside on high pollen count days also. The animal’s fur can quickly become loaded with pollen and when they come inside it will be spread throughout the house.

If despite your best efforts you are still suffering from seasonal allergy symptoms then it is time to turn to over the counter medication. The most commonly used medications are loratadine (the active ingredient in Claratin) and diphenhydramine (the active ingredient in Benadryl). The diphenhydramine can cause drowsiness, so you might want to save that for nighttime treatment. The loratadine does not cause drowsiness and is also available with pseudoephedrine sulfate if a decongestant is needed.

In addition, keep your immune system healthy by getting plenty of sleep, drinking water to stay properly hydrated, eating a healthful diet, and keeping active even if it is indoor activity during pollen season.
 

How to Treat Seasonal Allergy / allergy store /articles/mdk/2008

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