PERSONAL HEALTH; Allergy Season Is Off to Early Start
By Jane E. Brody
Published: March 24, 1998
FOR some 40 million Americans with nasal allergies, the legacy of El Nino is expected to last well beyond the mild temperatures that graced the North and the torrential rains that afflicted the South and West this winter.
In the Northeast, many people allergic to tree pollen are already plagued with their annual torment of sneezes, itchy eyes and stuffy or runny noses. The mild temperatures have pushed the tree pollen season forward about a month, which will prolong the exposure to these allergens and increase the number of people who develop symptoms. And in places like California, Florida and Alabama, where winter rains broke records and caused serious flooding, abundant vegetation will join a bumper crop of mold spores to produce a potent allergenic arsenal.
The National Allergy Bureau, a program of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, says the unusual amount of precipitation may also promote the growth of pollen-producing grasses and weeds, which will add to the load of airborne allergens through the fall.
So, those with nasal allergies should do what they can to avoid undue exposure to airborne allergens and arm themselves with effective treatments.
When nasal allergies are ignored, possible consequences include sinusitis, ear infections, nasal polyps and a worsening of asthma. Getting the upper hand on airborne allergens is especially important for people with asthma, who can suffer a potentially fatal respiratory crisis touched off by an allergen overload.
The vast majority of sufferers do little or nothing to relieve their misery. Dr. Bryan L. Martin, vice president of the American Osteopathic College of Allergy and Immunology, points out that medical care is sought by only 12 percent of patients with allergic rhinitis, as nasal allergies are officially called.
''Many suffer, but few go to physicians,'' Dr. Martin said. ''The rest suffer in silence, or they attempt to control their symptoms with over-the-counter medications,'' often choosing inappropriate drugs that do not bring the desired relief and sometimes cause side effects that make matters worse.
Part of the problem of inaction, Dr. Martin believes, might be the insidious nature of allergy symptoms, which often develop gradually and get progressively worse as the season wears on. For some people allergy symptoms are perennial, and they become so accustomed to the way they feel that they do not realize they could feel much better.
In the best of all possible worlds, those with a history of extreme reactions to allergens from trees, grasses and weeds would have started a desensitization program many months ago, getting weekly injections administered by a doctor who specializes in allergy and immunology. These shots expose the immune system to tiny, gradually increased doses of the allergens that contribute to symptoms. When the amount of allergen in the shot approaches the level a person would be exposed to in the environment, there is unlikely to be a noticeable reaction to real-life exposure.
Many people, though, have not been desensitized or usually have symptoms that are not severe enough to warrant the expense and inconvenience of weekly trips to an allergist. This does not mean they are doomed to suffer. These are some ways to minimize symptoms:
KEEP WINDOWS CLOSED -- Both in the car and at home, use the air-conditioner (on ''recirculate'' if you have that setting) and have it serviced regularly to remove accumulated molds and dust. Try to avoid congested roadways; pollutants can aggravate nasal allergies. In the bedroom and in other rooms in which you spend much time, cleanse the air with a HEPA air cleaner (HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate accumulator), a plug-in device about the size of a large soup pot.
RESCHEDULE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES -- To minimize exposure to pollen, the best time to be out is during the night. Alternatively, try to do outdoor activities just before or at daybreak when plants are still covered with dew, during or just after a steady rain, midafternoon when pollen tends to ride high in the air or after sundown when the wind dies and pollen settles to the ground.
EXERCISE WISELY -- Avoid exercise locations loaded with pollen or pollutants like fields of weeds and grasses and heavily trafficked areas. Consider wearing goggles or wrap-around glasses and a pollen-filtering nasal mask during the activity. Reduce the amount of pollen you bring indoors by removing outer garments and shaking them out before going inside. Do warm-up and cool-down exercises indoors. Or, on the worst days (sunny with a light wind), consider moving the workout indoors.
AVOID IRRITANTS -- Inhalants like tobacco smoke, hair sprays, air fresheners, potpourris, perfumes, colognes and scented lotions, soaps and laundry detergents can aggravate nasal allergy symptoms. Instead of a scented deodorizer, use a lighted match to cleanse the bathroom air and choose unscented cosmetic items and laundry products.
CONTROL MOLDS AND DUST -- Even someone who is mainly sensitive to pollen may also react to molds and dust, which can aggravate seasonal symptoms. Assume that anything that has been damp is riddled with mold spores: garages, basements, crawl spaces, barns, compost heaps, woodpiles, mats of fallen leaves and cabins that have been shut all winter. If you cannot avoid exposure to molds, at least wear a face mask. As for dust, avoid decorating with knickknacks and other dust collectors, use dustproof covers on mattresses and pillows, cover windows with blinds or shades instead of curtains and clean often and well.
If these measures fail to keep allergy symptoms at bay, a doctor can prescribe a long-acting antihistamine that will not make you groggy. There are now about half a dozen different products on the market, so if one does not do the job, try another. Antihistamines must be taken preventively; once symptoms have blossomed, the medication is useless. Remedies are also available for itchy eyes and runny noses. If you are determined to fight nature with nature, you might try daily doses of stinging nettles, an herbal remedy reputed to tame pollen allergies if taken preventively, starting now.
Diagram: ''When Allergies Strike'' Allergy attacks occur when the immune system overreacts and produces antibodies to fight substances like pollen, mold, dander and house mites. 1. Allergens Both indoors and outdoors, people are exposed to allergens, substances that can trigger allergies, as well as substances that aggravate them. In allergic rhinitis or hay fever,certain cells in the nose, sinuses and eyes are prompted by allergens to release histamine, which causes most symptoms. OUTDOORS ALLERGENS Pollen Mold spores INDOORS ALLERGENS House dust mites Moldspores Pet dander 2. The Immune System The body identifies allergens as intruders and produces antibodies called IgE's to fight them. IgE's bind to certain cells in tissues and in blood. The next time allergens enter the body, they attach to the IgE's. The cells then break apart and release histamine, which causes the irritation in the nose, eyes and throat. Diagram illustrates the interaction of allergens and IgE's. (Source: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology)