If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you are definitely not alone. When it comes to dreadful times, the phrase “allergy season” is up there with “tax season”, “finals week”, and “the yearly visit with the in laws”. Allergies affect millions of Americans every year. Although there is no way to eliminate allergies altogether, there are some things you can do to avoid some of the most common allergens.
The main allergens include pollen from trees, grass and weeds, mold, animal dander, and dust. Allergies that occur in the spring often arise from tree pollen. Allergies in the summer are often from grass and weed pollen, and allergies in the fall are often from ragweed. Mold allergies are usually worse during humid and rainy weather because mold is more common where water collects. Proteins found in the skin, saliva, and urine of furry pets such as cats and dogs are allergens. Many allergens, such as dust mites, are in dust. They live on dead skin cells and other things found in house dust.
There are some things you can do to help avoid these common allergens. To avoid pollens, it’s good to shower at bedtime in order to wash off pollen in your skin or hair. Staying indoors as much as possible on dry or windy days may also reduce your allergies. You can minimize the amount of mold in your house by frequently washing shower curtains, windows, and other places where mold may grow. Opening doors and windows and using fans can increase air movement and prevent mold. Unfortunately the only way to avoid pet dander is to give away your pets, or stay away from other people’s as much as possible. No matter how cute Rover and Trixy are, they won’t help your allergies. As for dust mites, frequently cleaning carpets and curtains, and dusting appliances and other surfaces will reduce your allergies.
Also, remember that allergies can make you more susceptible to a catching a cold. Be sure to get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, avoid touching your eyes and nose, and wash your hands often.
If you are one of the many people suffering from these seasonal allergies, there are things you can do to lessen the severity of your symptoms. Follow these simple tips as best you can and the term “allergy season” won’t give you that sick feeling in your stomach anymore!
Archive
Posts Tagged ‘Seasonal Allergies’
Jan
23
Sep
11
Treating your allergies or asthma properly can be expensive. Statistics from the American Academy of Allergy have estimated the cost of treating allergic rhinitis (seasonal allergies or hayfever) and asthma is on the order of many billions of dollars per year in the U.S. The costs that patients face are both direct (medications, doctor visits, hospital stays etc…) and indirect (missed work or school, decreased productivity on the job etc…). Both add up rapidly to become a big part of health care costs for patients and insurance companies. As a practicing allergist, I have put together some suggestions for patients who are interested in saving money on their prescription medications. Working with your doctor is the best way to find ways to control spiraling prescription medication costs.
5 Ways to Save on Allergy and Asthma Medications
1. Take the medications as directed by your doctor. This may seem obvious, but it is probably the best long term way to save money. Many medications such as nasal steroid sprays (Flonase, Nasonex, Veramyst, Rhinocort AQ, Nasacort AQ) and inhaled steroids (Flovent, Asmanex, Qvar, Azmacort, Advair, Symbicort) and Leukotriene blockers (Singulair or Accolate) work best as “Controller Medications”. Controller means that taking the medicine daily prevents symptoms and illness. If you can prevent allergy symptoms, or a flare of asthma, you save health care dollars and money out of your pocket by not needing additional medications such as antibiotics, or incurring co-pays for sick visits. You and your kids will also miss less work and school, which makes you more productive in the long run.
2. Check with your insurance plan to see if ordering medication in bulk will be cheaper. Many insurance plans come with pharmacy benefits that offer discounts if you order ninety day supplies of medications. Since many allergy and asthma medications need to be taken on a preventative basis (“controller”), having several months supply of medication on hand makes sense, may allow for discounts, and will save you several trips to the pharmacy.
3. Research which medications are covered best by your insurance plan. Physicians have a difficult time keeping up with which medications are covered best by your insurance plan. Do your homework to see if your insurance plan has a list of medications, or formulary, which outlines which medications they cover at lower, or generic, co-pays and discuss this with your physician during a visit. Often times, physicians are happy to switch a patient to a medication that is covered well by their plan as long as it is safe and provides equal benefits.
4. Don’t just ask for samples. Ask your doctor if his office has any coupons for you medications. There is a trend now for pharmaceutical companies to provide fewer samples and more coupons or discount cards for their medications. Often these coupons will lower or totally eliminate the entire co-pay. Many coupon offers provide you a month’s free supply of medications and enroll you in future discount programs.
5. Research on the internet discount offers for medications. The website www.allergymedsites.com compiles many allergy and asthma medication coupon offers to help patients. Google coupons or discount offers for your allergy or asthma medications. A good place to start is the website of the pharmaceutical company that makes your medication or try typing in nameofyourmedication.com (e.g. advair.com). Often these coupons are not quite as good as what you can find at your doctor’s office, but they can save you a great deal of money and are easy to use.
Mar
27
Every year millions of Americans suffer from seasonal allergy. However, a certain percentage of those who suffer from seasonal allergies dismiss it as chronic cold. To better understand this, we need to define and differentiate it from the common cold.
Unlike colds that occur during winter or usually when there is a sudden change in temperature, allergies are caused by allergens. This causes an allergic reaction on the bodily function of a human sensitive to that particular allergen which is not experienced by the average individual.
Allergic rhinitis can be classified as perennial and seasonal. Perennial allergies happen any time of the year as long as the individual is exposed to the allergen such as house dust mites and pet dander. Seasonal allergies on the other hand happen at the same time every year or during particular seasons, hence the term. These are caused by pollens of flowering plants which are transported thru the air during the process of pollination.
When a person has colds, he starts to sneeze then later begins to have runny and congested nose. Sneezing is less common after the initial phase. If one has allergies, symptoms happen at the same time. Sneezing is more frequent coupled with runny nose and watery eyes. Itching of the nose and eyes are particularly bothersome in allergies. In several cases though, this develops into allergic rhinitis and asthma. And unlike colds that usually last from 7 to 10 days, allergies continue until the person is no longer exposed to the allergen.
Ragweed allergy, also known as fall allergy or hay fever, is the most common seasonal allergy. This occurs from mid August until October. About 75% of allergic individuals develop become allergic to ragweed pollen. Ragweed thrives in vacant lots and roadsides. Studies also mentioned that that most of those allergic to ragweed also develop allergic reactions to other pollens. Thus it is not surprising that they develop allergic symptoms during spring and summer when pollen grains from flowering trees and grasses are present in the air.
The nasal discharge of people who have colds is usually yellowish which means that it is caused by an infection. Sometimes colds are also accompanied by fever. Those who suffer from seasonal allergies do not usually have fever, and since it is not caused by any viral or bacterial infection, the nasal discharge is clear and watery.
Whether the sickness is caused by a cold or is a sesonal allergy, it still takes a toll on one’s health. In both cases there is a loss in appetite and sleeping problems also occur that disrupts how a person conducts his normal activities. Prevention is still the cure. Proper information too helps in the diagnosis of the ailment so that the appropriate medication can be taken.
Mar
04
As fall kicks off, the statistics for allergic reactions go sky high. About 50 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergy caused by ragweed, mold, pollen, and other substances. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology plots 20% of the U.S. population need to combat allergies symptoms on a regular occurrence while another 20% deal with hypersensitivity to food, stimuli, or environmental stuffs.
Ragweed allergy may look so simple but a lot of people cannot sleep, work, and do their daily routines because of coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes.
Here are some tips which can help you breathe more comfortably during the allergy season:
1. Eat healthy. Make sure that your diet will be rich in Vitamin C which can boost your immune system and acts as a naturally antihistamine. You can also take about 1000 mg of Vitamin C on a daily basis to shield yourself from ragweed allergy and other seasonal allergies. Omega-3 rich food like flaxseed, salmon, and walnuts will also help.
2. Magnesium can also help to ease your breathing. About 400 mg is ideal according to immunologists. You can also try to irrigate your nostrils with a squirt or two of salt water to help remove trapped allergens and excess mucus. Horseradish, hot mustard, and chili pepper on your favorite dish can also serve as temporary decongestants.
3. Wear sunglasses when you go out. Hay fever or allergic rhinitis brings with it some photosensitivity. The sunglasses can help protect your eyes from the sun and prevent excessive watering and itchiness.
4. Cold packs will be useful when engage in sports or other outdoor activities. Apply the cold pack to your eyes and your face and it can help a lot in reducing the inflammation.
5. Drink a lot of water. Re-hydrating your body throughout the day will help you cool down and relieve you of the allergic symptoms.
6. Stay away from dairy products. As much as they are really enjoyable, dairy products will trigger your body to produce more phlegm and just worsen your symptoms.
7. When taking a shower, use the bathroom exhaust fan to prevent the growth of molds. It is also advisable to replace your shower liner every month especially when you have mold allergies or if you have asthma.
8. Make sure to regularly clean the dryer vents which often accumulate dust. Regular cleaning of surfaces in your house will help decrease allergic reactions. Getting rid of clutter is also another key to prevent seasonal allergy.
9. Consult your doctor so you can be tested for any food allergies. Most often than not, people who have allergies are also sensitive to some foods that they usually take. Some people who are allergic to birch pollen, for example, also react to potatoes, carrots, and apples. Ragweed allergy is also aggravated if you do not react well to a glass of milk.
10. Get an air purifier good enough to filter particles which are about 20 microns or smaller. Pollens and allergens are about that big so making sure that you have clean air passing through your system will be a big help. Running the air conditioner just to decrease humidity may also reduce allergy symptoms.
Every allergic reaction stresses our immune system. Find out what allergens cause you trouble so you can avoid them, modify your lifestyle, and protect yourself from these seasonal allergies.
Jan
06
In this brief article, we will define an allergy symptom and discuss some specific systems and what they mean to you as an allergy sufferer. An allergy symptom is any symptom associated with allergies such as a running nose, itchy eyes, watery eyes, sneezing, itchy skin, and more. We will go into some detail about where a symptom comes from and why they appear as well as a brief discussion about how to cure those symptoms if time permits.
What are some of the symptoms?
Some of the most common allergy symptoms occur for the seasonal allergies such as hay fever and include the itchy watery eyes, runny nose, and sneezing aspects of allergenic symptoms. Other cases of allergies feature more serious symptoms that can be more harmful and troublesome such as absentmindedness, dizziness, trouble swallowing, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, skin rashes, vertigo, vomiting, and other serious cases of health issues that may spring from how the body deals with the allergen itself.
Airborne allergies are, however, the most common form of allergies and tend to feature the most common form of an allergy symptom as well. Most of these symptoms are related to the sinuses as the hay fever and other allergies like hay fever tend to affect those systems of the body. Sneezing, a clogged and runny nose, itchiness in the eyes and throat, coughing, postnasal drip, and swollen eyes (a symptom called “conjunctivitis”) are all parts of the airborne allergy symptom repertoire.
Why do these symptoms occur?
Most times, the allergic reaction is coupled with a portion of the allergen. In other words, if the allergen is known for entering the lungs it will likely attack portions of the body related to the lungs and to breathing. An airborne allergy, thus, will likely attach itself to the breathing apparatus and my cause coughing or the nose to run because of the way it affects the system directly. There are other reasons for this that scientists studying allergy immunology are aware of, but the basics of most allergies are that they are “system attackers” in general.
How are the symptoms cured?
An allergy symptom can be cured in a number of ways depending on the actual system it affects and how drastically the body is affected. Many people can simply take, for example, an antihistamine for a hay fever type allergy and go about their day while others simply will not respond to the antihistamine. It is essentially a matter of the biological makeup of the allergy sufferer in terms of how they react to certain medications and how much medication is needed to cure the allergy symptom.