Spring: warm weather, leaves growing, flowers blooming, sniffling, sneezing and itchy eyes. It’s allergy season again.
Connor Jeffrey, freshman, suffers from allergies, especially in the spring. Jeffrey said his pollen and ragweed allergies not only cause sneezing and coughing, but also aggravate his asthma. Although Jeffrey can control his symptoms with prescribed medications, his allergies still interfere with his day-to-day life.
“I can’t go outside if it’s really bad outside,” Jeffrey said. “I can’t exercise as much as some other people.”
Jordan Wildermuth, program manager of the St. Louis chapter of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation, said changing seasons can irritate allergies and asthma.
“Springtime is when everything starts to bloom, so there is more pollen in the air,” Wildermuth said. “Mold and dust are more prevalent in the springtime, and these are your big three asthma triggers.”
The St. Louis area is one of the worst places for seasonal allergies because of its location between two rivers and its high humidity, Wildermuth said.
Common symptoms of seasonal allergies include sneezing, runny nose, headache, wheezing, difficulty breathing, tiredness and itchy eyes, Wildermuth said. Additionally, those with asthma find it more difficult to control their symptoms during allergy season.
Wildermuth said it’s hard to say whether seasonal allergies will go away for people over time. People might find that their symptoms improve or that they are allergic to something else.
“Every person is different, so it is hard to determine what type of aller
gies a person might have, and they could change as the person gets older,” Wildermuth said.
Dr. Brad Becker, professor pediatrics in the allergy and immunology division at St. Louis University (SLU) School of Medicine, said seasonal allergies may trigger nose and eye allergies (commonly called hay fever) and allergic asthma.
“Seasonal allergies are caused when the body makes the allergic antibody IgE,” Becker said. “They are triggered by proteins. In the spring, these proteins are found in mold spores, as well as tree and grass pollen.”
The most important action people can take is to reduce their allergic exposures in their home especially in their bedroom because that is where people spend most of their time, Becker said. Besides keeping the windows closed, using heat and air conditioning and changing the furnace filters frequently, there are various medications available to ease the symptoms of seasonal allergies.
These medications include antihistamines like Claritin, Zyrtec and Allegra, as well as their generic versions, that work longer than medications like Benadryl and have fewer side effects. Nose sprays and eye drops can be used to control nose and eye allergy symptoms.
“The most effective medicine for nasal allergies is steroid nose spray such as fluticasone or Nasonex,” Becker said.
If a person’s allergy symptoms become so severe that they begin to interfere with their ability to function or sleep, their doctor may consider using allergy shots, which work very well, Becker said.
Those with allergic asthma also may use preventative and quick relief inhalers in addition to what they already use. Allergic asthma often coexists with nose and eye allergies, Becker said.
It’s important to treat asthma because it also can interfere with daytime function, activity, sleep and it can sometimes be fatal. Teens and young adults have the highest risk of dying from asthma, Becker said.
Allergies are not preventable, but they are manageable. With keeping the inside of the house as clean as possible and using over-the-counter or prescribed medications, those with allergies can avoid having them interfere with their lives.
