ACHOO!...Minimizing the Affect of Seasonal Allergies
by Roberta Lee, MD (topic expert: health) Seasonal allergies, allergic reactions triggered by pollens, affect 40 million Americans and cost more than $1 billion dollars in treatment costs. The symptoms, though not life threatening, are aggravating for any sufferer. Typical symptoms include: watery itchy eyes, sneezing, sinus congestion, a sore throat, a dry cough, and a runny nose. What causes seasonal allergies? Pollens and mold spores released from plants and fungi become airborne and make contact with our nasal, ocular (eye), and respiratory cavities. The pollens and mold spores - also known as allergens - create an allergic response. The body identifies the allergens as "foreign" and mounts an inflammatory response releasing histamines and other substances as a fighting strategy. Every season has common plants that produce unwanted symptoms in those who are allergic. Typical plants for each season include: - Spring (Jan- April): Trees such as oak, olive, elm, birch, ash, hickory, poplar, sycamore, maple, cypress, and walnut.
- Summer: Grasses are the most common culprits and include timothy, rye, orchard, sweet vernal, red top and blue grasses, and bermuda grass.
- Fall: Plants like ragweed, sagebrush, pigweed, tumbleweed (Russian thistle), and cockleburn
Avoiding allergens is sometimes the best strategy for prevention. This can be accomplished by:- Keeping windows closed to prevent pollens from drifting into your home
- Minimizing early morning activity when pollen is usually emitted - between 5 and 10 a.m.
- Keeping your car windows closed when traveling
- Staying indoors when the pollen count is reported to be high, and on windy days when pollen may be present in higher amounts in the air
- Taking a vacation during the height of the pollen season to a more pollen-free area, such as the beach or sea
- Avoiding mowing the lawn and freshly cut grass
- Machine drying bedding and clothing
Of course there are allergy shots and the more common over-the-counter allergy medicines to stave off symptoms. But there are also a host of alternative strategies for fighting allergic reactions such as:- Acupuncture to decompress and release swelling
- Use of a neti pot to irrigate nasal passages with a saline solution. A neti pot looks like small tea pot. The spout of water is directed to the nasal cavities and irrigation washes away the allergens from the mucus membranes (and you spit out the water rather than swallow it). A standard recipe for the saline solution is a cup of tepid water with a pinch of salt.
- Use of botanicals such as stinging nettle, butterbur, or a flavonoid as an anti-histamine alternative. The doses are:
- Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica ): 300 mg three times a day
- Butterbur (Petasites hybridus ): 50 mg twice a day
- Quercetin: 400-500 mg three times a day
Of course in adding any of these alternative strategies to fight allergies, it is always a good idea to discuss changes with your healthcare practitioner to avoid "over-treatment" or unwanted side effects. |