{"id":2717,"date":"2017-02-14T15:38:48","date_gmt":"2017-02-14T23:38:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fuelvet.com\/~sacent\/?p=702"},"modified":"2024-01-17T12:29:12","modified_gmt":"2024-01-17T20:29:12","slug":"spring-action-take-control-seasonal-allergies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sacent.com\/spring-action-take-control-seasonal-allergies\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring into Action and Take Control of Your Seasonal Allergies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spring is in the Air<\/h2>\n

\"SpringI always think of spring as an exciting time of the year.\u00a0 As the weather warms and the rains subside, we see people all across the Sacramento region getting outside and enjoying what makes Northern California a fabulous place to live.<\/p>\n

But the mere mention of \u201cSpring\u201d will elicit a completely different reaction in some people.\u00a0 For those who suffer from springtime allergies, it can be a time of dread. They can experience uncontrolled sneezing, nasal stuffiness, runny nose and itching of the nose and eyes.\u00a0 Some will even experience respiratory symptoms like cough, wheeze and asthma attacks.<\/p>\n

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What Are Seasonal Allergies?<\/h2>\n

Allergies are abnormal immune reactions to things we normally don\u2019t react do.\u00a0 Triggers include foods, chemicals and vegetative matter.\u00a0 These abnormal immune reactions are mediated by immune cells that release histamine and a variety of other chemical mediators.<\/p>\n

These mediators cause itch, swelling, mucus production and lead to the typical allergy symptoms mentioned above.\u00a0 If these reactions occur in the lungs, they can also cause asthma symptoms like wheeze, cough, chest tightness and shortness of breath.\u00a0 Sometimes asthma symptoms can be so severe that they are life-threatening.<\/p>\n

During the warmer months of the year, pollens tend to be the most common trigger for nasal, sinus and lung symptoms even though indoor allergens like animals or dust mites can contribute.\u00a0 While each year is a little different, we typically see tree pollens from February to June, grass pollens from April to July and weed pollens from July to November.\u00a0 So if a patient tells me that there symptoms occur primarily in May through June, then I would suspect a grass pollen allergy.\u00a0 Many times, people can have multiple allergies.<\/p>\n

During the wet & cold times of the year, we can also be exposed to mold spores, either in the air or on the ground associated with dying organic material like leaves during the fall, as well as indoor allergens like animal dander, bedding feathers and dust mites.<\/p>\n

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How Do We Diagnose Seasonal Allergies?<\/h2>\n

If a patient comes into The Allergy Center at SacENT, we first take a full history and perform a physical examination.\u00a0 We learn about the patients symptoms including triggers, timing, duration, severity and whether the patient has used any medications for their symptoms.\u00a0 We also learn about their environmental exposures.\u00a0 For example, it is important to know whether our patients have pets, what type of work they do, their family history of allergies, etc.<\/p>\n

Then the fun begins.\u00a0 We often use allergy testing either via skin tests or blood work to confirm our suspicions about what the patient is allergic to.\u00a0 The skin testing exposes the allergy cells in the skin to a small amount of allergen, like pollen or dander, leading to a temporary itchy spot (hive) if positive.\u00a0 In that way, we can give personalized advice to our patient regarding avoidance of proven triggers and come up with a treatment plan tailored to the patient\u2019s individuals experience and needs.<\/p>\n

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How are Seasonal Allergies Treated?<\/h2>\n

There are three ways to treat seasonal allergies.\u00a0 The first is to avoid what the patient is allergic to, where possible.\u00a0 Most indoor allergen exposures can be modified, such as keeping your pet out of the bedroom at night, using air cleaners, switching out the down pillows for synthetic ones and\/or remediating mold damage in the home.\u00a0 Even showering after being out all day can cut down on the pollens or dust on your skin.\u00a0 But when it comes to outdoor triggers like pollens, it is next to impossible to completely avoid them.\u00a0 We cannot enclose people in a hypoallergenic bubble.<\/p>\n

Second, we use a variety of medications to mask the symptoms of seasonal allergies.\u00a0 Many of these are now available over-the-counter and are safe to use even long term if necessary.\u00a0 Medication classes we common utilize include nasal steroid sprays (Flonase, Nasacort, Rhinocort, etc), antihistamines (Zyrtec, Allegra, etc), leukotriene inhibitors (Singulair), nasal steroids (Astelin, Patanase), allergy eye drops, etc.\u00a0 Often we will prescribe a combination of medications to gain control of the symptoms and wean down as tolerated once patients are feeling better.\u00a0 One can expect to see results relatively quickly.<\/p>\n

The third and best way that we treat allergies is through immunotherapy.\u00a0 There are two main forms of this available in the United States.\u00a0 The first is subcutaneous immunotherapy or SCIT.\u00a0 In SCIT, we make a mixture of the triggers shown to be positive of allergy tests and inject a dilute amount of that mixture into the skin on the upper arm.\u00a0 Over time, we increase the concentration of that mixture.\u00a0 This leads to the immune system responding to allergens in a more normal fashion and come off of their allergy medications.\u00a0 Eventually, after several years, we stop the shots and sometimes patients will experience benefit for even up to a decade after stopping the shots.<\/p>\n

Another form of immunotherapy is to use sublingual tablets (SLIT) to induce immune tolerance.\u00a0 There are currently SLIT tablets for grass pollen, ragweed and dust mite approved by the US Food & Drug Administration.\u00a0 These tablets can be taken primarily at home so they offer patients more flexibility than the allergy shots, which need to be administered under observation in the clinic.<\/p>\n

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Take Home on Season Allergies<\/h2>\n

You should not have to suffer from your seasonal allergies.\u00a0 Visit a board-certified allergist-immunologist to get a comprehensive evaluation and receive a personalized plan of treatment geared specifically to the things that you are allergic to.\u00a0 We at The Allergy Center want people outside and enjoying the beauty of what Northern California has to offer.<\/p>\n

Please call our office at\u00a0(916) 736-6644<\/a>\u00a0to schedule your allergy appointment<\/p>\n

If you are not in the Sacramento area, you can find local board-certified allergist-immunologist at the following links:<\/em><\/p>\n