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Allergy season not quite over yet

Sneezing, itchy nose and watery eyes — each a symptom of allergic rhinitis.

Coined “hay fever” after farmers would commonly experience these fever-type symptoms working out in the fields, seasonal allergies has symptoms country boy Craig Anderson has experienced all his life.

“We would play in the weeds until our eyes got so inflamed that we couldn’t even find our way home. It was kind of the question of the blind leading the blind, trying to find our way home," he said. "But we managed it.”

Johnnie Cook, M.D., said seasonal allergies are caused by pollens in the air: “What happens is that you breathe in that pollen and your body has a reaction because it thinks that’s a foreign thing.”

In the springtime, grass and tree pollens are high. Pollen from weeds trickle in as early as August and sticks around until the first hard frost," he explained. Symptoms include itchy nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and nasal congestion, and seasonal allergies can lead to irritability and trouble sleeping.

“There are studies where we see more allergies and more asthma now than we used to in the past.” Cook said although there are no official studies yet available, he suspects the reasoning may be attributed to more pollution and kids spending more time indoors than playing outside.

Cook added that allergies can come at any age, typically after you've been exposed for several years. Thirty to 40 percent of seasonal allergies can be treated with over-the-counter medications. The doctor urges reading labels closely and pay special attention to how long the medication lasts.

“Some studies show that Benadryl in a 25 mg. dose can be as impairing as alcohol at a legal limit,” Cook said. If symptoms persist, make an appointment with your doctor to explore the one of the many options for treatment. “There are some great solutions out there. (Allergy sufferers) should really seek a physician rather than be miserable and miss out on life. Life’s too precious.”

by United Allergy Services

Ragweed, not goldenrod, to blame for allergies

Goldenrod is a recognized sight this time of year with its showy yellow flowers held high on stems moving back and forth by autumn winds. A field full of these vivid yellow blossoms is a sight to see with a bright blue fall sky as a background. But too often this plant is blamed for the sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes that many people suffer while goldenrod is blooming.

The common culprit causing these allergy symptoms is ragweed, not goldenrod.

If there is a plant sitting back snickering while pulling a practical joke and letting someone else (goldenrod) take the blame, ragweed is it. Ragweed blooms at the same time as goldenrod, August to frost. Ragweed pollen is windborne. Goldenrod pollen is not.

Ragweed releases its billions of tiny, lightweight pollen grains into the air this time of year. This windborne pollen causes much of the hay fever problems. Goldenrod pollen is too large and heavy and sticky to be windborne. It relies on insects to carry its pollen. I suppose if you put your nose right up into a cluster of goldenrod flowers and took a big sniff, you might be bothered by the pollen. But otherwise, it is not going to get into your nose.

Goldenrod is an innocent bystander as ragweed remains camouflaged releasing its pollen. Ragweed visually blends in with other green plants. Despite the fact that common ragweed, an annual, can grow three to greater than six feet in height, it just does not get your attention. It is quite common along roadsides, vacant lots and abandoned fields. Its inconspicuous flowers start out as green, similar in color to the leaves, turn a yellowish green and finally dry to a brown color. They are never showy.

Goldenrod is in the plant genus Solidago of which there are more than 100 species. We have at least eight species native to Northwest Florida. Most are perennials. Many insects are attracted to and help pollinate goldenrod flowers, including numerous species of butterflies, bees, wasps and beetles.

Goldenrod can be grown in landscapes. But be careful because it can spread by seed and underground stems called rhizomes. It is best used in naturalized gardens where it has room to spread. Goldenrod is not difficult to transplant. Make sure you have permission to dig it on someone else’s property. Select plants when they are in bloom as individual plants differ in how attractive they are. Plants should transplant quite well If you keep them well-watered.

Enjoy the bright yellow flowers of goldenrod this fall. But please do not blame them for your allergies.

Contact Larry Williams at 689-5850 or 689-5050; or e-mail lwilliams@co.okaloosa.fl.us. He is the Extension horticulture agent with the Okaloosa County Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida.

by United Allergy Services

Allergy Sufferers Beware

by United Allergy Services

Fall Allergies Expected To Be In Full Force

Flowers are no longer blooming, but that doesn’t mean allergies aren’t still in the air.

If you’re sneezing more, a fall allergy might be triggering your problem.

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by United Allergy Services

8 Solutions For Miserable Mid-Workout Issues

Your nose outruns you

Just as you look at the weather forecast before exercising outside, allergy sufferers should get in the habit of checking the pollen count. (The Weather Channel, for example, routinely predicts this.) If an alert has been issued for your area, Frederick M. Schaffer, MD, chief medical officer of United Allergy Services in San Antonio, recommends adjusting your outdoor workouts accordingly. Pollen counts tend to peak between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., he says, so avoiding this time can reduce symptoms by up to 50%. If your nose is running all the time, you may have non-allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, or a virus, says Schaffer. To pinpoint the cause, ask your physician about having a simple skin-prick test done. If your symptoms are not allergy related, prescription medications such as nasal ipratropium bromide or nasal azelastine can help.

Full article link at Prevention.com

by United Allergy Services

5 ways to tame seasonal allergies

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, about 40 million Americans are afflicted with seasonal allergies. NurseWise, a national multilingual nurse triage and health education provider, has assembled a few helpful tips to help you proactively manage your exposure and response to allergens and allergy triggers.

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by United Allergy Services

Recent storms may cause a spike in allergy suffering

PHOENIX -- Like many people in the valley, Stephanie Rusden suffers from allergies.

"[I'm] always stuffed up, eyes are always red and so I have to worry about that," Rusden said.

To get by, she has to do a couple of different things.

"I try Claritin, but it doesn't really help, and then I take Benadryl for night and red eyes," she said.

With the recent storms dumping an enormous amount of rain, Rusden's allergies might spike as new plants start to sprout, grow and bloom.

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by United Allergy Services

Study finds thunderstorms worsen asthma, allergy symptoms

by United Allergy Services

Achoo: Seasonal allergies on the rise

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - The feeling of Autumn is already in the air…but so is pollen.

Seasonal allergies, otherwise known as "hay fever" has nothing to do with hay nor fever. Symptoms are similar to the common cold including sneezing, itchy throat and runny or stuffy nose.

According to Dr. Rajiv Arora of Family Allergy & Asthma in Lexington, ragweed pollen is the main culprit.

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by United Allergy Services

The Gross Truth About How Often You Should Replace Your Pillow

The question: How often should I replace my pillow?

The answer: Nearly 70 percent of people say a comfortable pillow is very important to a good night's sleep, but many of us make a crucial mistake when it comes to our favorite pillows: We're keeping them for way too long.

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by United Allergy Services

Heavy rains bring bad news for allergy sufferers

The heavy rains this monsoon season have been great for New Mexico. Putting a major league dent in the drought, along with making the state look greener, but it's been very bad for allergy sufferers.

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by United Allergy Services

Allergy Update: Preparing for your child for Back to School

UAS is in the news! UAS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Frederick Schaffer shares information on preparing children for back to school. The article is featured in the July/August 2014 issue of NSIDE magazine, a Texas-based business and healthcare magazine. See the PDF and online preview below.

NSIDE TXMD: July/August 2014

by United Allergy Services

Kids From Dairy Farms Have Lower Allergy Risk, Study Finds

TUESDAY, July 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Children raised on dairy farms are much less likely to develop allergies than other youngsters, a new study finds.

Researchers tracked children who lived in rural areas of Sweden, half of them on dairy farms, from birth until 3 years of age. Children on dairy farms had one-tenth the risk of developing allergies as other rural youngsters.

"Our study also demonstrated for the first time that delayed maturation of the immune system, specifically B-cells, is a risk factor for development of allergies," researcher Anna-Carin Lundell, of the University of Gothenburg, said in a university news release.

She and her colleagues found that children who had allergies at ages 18 to 36 months had higher levels of immature B-cells in their blood at birth and during the first month of life.

Further research is needed to learn more about the association between delayed B-cell maturation early in life and increased risk of developing allergies, the researchers said. While a link was found between fewer allergies and growing up on dairy farms, it didn't prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

"We need to identify the specific factors on dairy farms that strengthen protection against allergies and appear to promote maturation of the immune system as early as the fetal stage," Lundell said.

The study was recently published in the Journal of Immunology.

Allergy rates in Western nations have risen dramatically in recent years. One widely held explanation for this trend is that children are less exposed to microorganisms and have fewer infections, resulting in delayed maturation of their immune system, according to background information in the news release.

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By Robert Preidt
July 15, 2014
health.usnews.com

by United Allergy Services

Is Your Air Conditioning Causing Your Allergies?

Summer is back, and so are many peoples’ allergies.

While people often suffer from spring allergies related to pollen, it’s not uncommon for people to suffer from allergies related to dust, dust mites, and animal dander. These allergens aren’t necessarily coming from the spring and summer conditions, rather they can be originating from inside your own house.

In 2013, American News Report reported a potential cause of allergies that can be easily addressed. With children being especially susceptible to allergies, we believe the message is worth repeating during this allergy season. At most, it may help prevent some allergies. At least, you’ll breath easier knowing there may be some relatively inexpensive ways of improving the air quality within your house.

Originally posted on American News Report, May 21, 2013 –

Children are most susceptible to allergies, and spring is one of the worst times for plant pollen allergies. Some doctors call Spring and Summer, “peak allergy season.”

“Food and skin allergies are on the rise and respiratory allergies are the most common type of allergy affecting children,” according to a report from the CDC published on May 2, 2013. There was a greater number of food and respiratory allergies with increased income, according to co-author LaJeana Howie, from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC.

Allergens can be in the carpet and also in the heating and air-conditioning vents in the family home. In some cases the quality of the air outside is not as bad as the air inside the home.

Children’s immune systems are still developing and so when a child sneezes or coughs and it’s not a cold or a virus that’s a sign that dust and other allergens may have reached a critical point in your home. It can take adults longer to show the symptoms of dust, dander and pollen allergies.

“Allergy Moms” say that taking care of a child with allergies is always a challenge because they never feel sure footed, the sand is always shifting. Even if a child has severe allergies such as a food allergy to peanuts or dairy it’s not unusual for the child to be allergic to many other different things to varying degrees. Even though and allergy mom may have “allergy proofed” their own home there’s always a good chance that air with allergens is going to come into the home and then be spread through the heating and air conditioning ducts.

Mark Masters, president of a professional carpet and duct cleaning company, says that the most common items they find in the home duct system are leftovers from the construction process. This can include dust from drywall, sawdust, concrete dust, as well as pollens and air particulates that were deposited during construction. Many of these particulates could be an allergen for a child, adult, or senior.

After you’ve taken your children or yourself to your family doctor there are other steps you can take that will mitigate the effects of these allergens. One important action you can take is to have your cooling and heating air ducts cleaned by a professional.

Another step you can take is an allergen filter system. Some of the better systems feature multistage allergen filtration. This type of system will remove allergens, particulates and contaminants by using a fan that runs continuously and circulates the air. Combined with an anti-allergen filter that effectively traps dust, allergens and other particulates such as dust mite droppings and dog dander indoor air quality can be improved.

If you’re like most people, changing a filter is a hassle that we’d rather avoid. Now there is technology that addresses that, it’s a ductless air conditioning system, which works only in the rooms where you are. This not only creates a healthier environment but a more economical one.

Doctors say that some allergy symptoms could be symptoms of something more serious. That includes a sinus infection or an upper respiratory infection. So seeing your family doctor first, and then taking steps to make the air better in your home, is the right order to get things done as we move into the spring and summer allergy season.

Doctors and other researchers are doing extensive studies to understand the risks and methods for preventing these allergies according to the CDC report.

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July 14, 2014americannewsreport.com

by United Allergy Services

8 Summer Miseries Made Worse by Global Warming, From Poison Ivy to Allergies

With average global temperatures expected to rise more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) over the coming decades, a new report from a leading U.S. environmental group warns that future summers are likely to be filled with more misery, from more prolific poison ivy and biting insects to worsened air and water quality and impacts on tourism.

Read more

by United Allergy Services

Study finds link between stress and allergy flare-ups

(NaturalNews) Allergy sufferers may want to focus on positive thoughts and stress reduction to find relief for their runny noses and itchy, watery eyes.

According to researchers at Ohio State University, there's a link between people's stress levels and bad moods and the frequency of their allergy flare-ups, or flares. (1) In the study, 179 patients were analyzed for three months by experts at the university, 39 percent of whom had more than one allergy flare. This group experienced higher stress than the group without allergy symptoms, and, all told, 64 percent of them had more than four flares over the course of 28 days. (1) Typically, the flares came within just a few short days of exposure to stress.

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by United Allergy Services

Seasonal Allergy Symptoms Can Significantly Impair Driving Ability

Common seasonal allergy symptoms, such as watery eyes, sneezing and fatigue, can significantly impair driving ability, says a study in the July issue of Allergy. Allergy symptoms' effect on driving was comparable to having a blood-alcohol concentration nearing impaired levels, according to the researchers. Allergy medications weren't wholly effective at reducing the symptoms' effects.

Allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, has been linked to car accidents but the effects on a driver's performance weren't known, researchers said.

The study, in the Netherlands, involved 19 people in their early 30s with grass- and tree-pollen allergies. During the off-season, when they were free of symptoms, subjects were each treated in turn with an antihistamine, steroid nasal spray or a placebo pill or spray in four testing sessions on separate days. After each treatment, they were given grass and tree allergens or a placebo through a nasal spray to provoke allergy symptoms.

The subjects then did a 60-minute driving test in a vehicle with a camera that recorded how often they veered toward the center lane. The technique, called standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP), is commonly used to assess drunken driving. The higher the SDLP score, the greater the impairment. During the last 15 minutes of driving, subjects were given verbal memory tests where they were asked to recall as many words as possible from a list presented through the car audio system.

The greatest impairment occurred in participants with allergic symptoms who had received a placebo treatment. SDLP scores for this group were comparable to driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.03%, just under the legal limit of 0.05% in most countries, researchers said. (The U.S. limit is 0.08%.) Both the antihistamine and nasal spray reduced SDLP scores to non-significant levels.

Driving scores of allergy sufferers deteriorated further during the memory tests. In this case, only treatment with nasal spray improved SDLP scores. The antihistamine's effects were comparable to placebo, possibly because of additional mild sedation due to the drug, the researchers said.

Caveat: Participants were tested in easy driving conditions, without distraction from cell phones, radios, or bad weather. The study was partially funded with a grant from GlaxoSmithKline.

Title: Allergic rhinitis is a risk factor for traffic safety

Signs of teen obesity: How teenagers decorate their bedrooms provides important information about their weight and possible future health risks, says a study in the July issue of the Journal of Adolescence.

The study found overweight adolescents tended to accumulate objects that weren't associated with physical activity compared with peers who had a body-mass index that was normal or below normal. Teen BMIs increased with each additional object.

The study, at Utah State University, involved 234 students in grades 8 and 9. About 30% of both sexes had above-average BMIs. Students were given a checklist of 66 electronic and decorative objects and asked if they had the item in their bedroom and were satisfied with it, or if they wanted to have the item.

Bedrooms of boys with above-average BMIs had significantly more TVs, electronic games and magazines. Bedrooms of boys with average or below-average BMIs had more souvenirs from other places, computers, religious items and artwork or pictures.

Girls with above-average BMIs had more board games, dolls, and stereos. Girls with lower BMIs were more likely to have objects associated with physical activity, such as calendars, schedules and spinning disco balls.

Caveat: The influence of parents and peers wasn't assessed.

Title: Early adolescent Body Mass Index and the constructed environment

Prenatal insomnia: Mothers' loss of sleep in late pregnancy may trigger abnormal cellular activity in the fetal brain that could be associated with memory and behavioral problems in childhood, says a report in the August issue of Neurobiology of Disease. Prenatal stress has been shown to have harmful effects on fetal development, but the impact of sleep disturbances hasn't been explored, researchers said.

Disturbed sleep in late pregnancy appeared to overactivate microglia, brain cells involved in nervous-system development, and inflammatory proteins called cytokines, the study found.

Experiments in China subjected three groups of pregnant rats to 72 hours of sleep disruption in the early, middle and late stages of gestation. Controls weren't sleep-deprived. Memory and spatial-recognition tests were administered to the rats' offspring on the first day after birth and every week for three weeks. Intake of plain water or water containing 1% sucrose was compared among offspring groups. Tissue samples from the hippocampus, the brain's memory center, were also analyzed.

Rat offspring from the late sleep-deprived group took significantly longer to find an underwater platform than controls. Offspring from the early and middle sleep-deprived groups also took longer than controls to find the platform but the difference wasn't statistically significant. When the platform was removed and later returned to its original location, the late-deprived offspring spent significantly longer finding it than other groups, suggesting memory and spatial learning were impaired researchers said.

The late sleep-deprived group had lower birth weights and were smaller as adults than other groups. These rats exhibited a markedly reduced preference for the sucrose solution, an indication of anhedonia, or the inability to experience pleasure.

Caveat: The experiments were conducted on rats and would be difficult or impossible to perform on humans, researchers said.

Title: Maternal sleep deprivation inhibits hippocampal neurogenesis associated with inflammatory response in young offspring rats

Boater behavior: Public-education programs that promote the use of life jackets do little to alter boaters' behavior—but changing the law might, a study suggests.

Wearing of life jackets increased 41% in canoes, kayaks, dinghies and small motorboats after a new law in the state of Victoria, Australia, mandated their use, according to a study published online in Injury Prevention.

In the U.S., where life-jacket use is voluntary, about 22% of all boaters wore the flotation vests in 2013, according to the nonprofit health consulting firm JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. of Boston.

In the current study, researchers compared life-jacket use before and after the 2005 law came into effect, requiring life jackets be worn in boats up to 16 feet long. (Noncompliance resulted in $250 fines.) Trained observers stationed at boat ramps recorded life-jacket use.

Life-jacket usage by occupants of small boats increased to 63% from 22% after the law took effect. The largest increase of 56% was recorded in boaters age 60 and older; the smallest increase of 23% was in infants and children under age 9.

On larger boats, only children and teens increased their use of life jackets, by as much as 10%. Life-jacket use on yachts decreased by 17% after the law took effect.

A study published on Monday in Injury Prevention reported that boating-related drowning deaths in the six years after the 2005 legislation took effect fell to 16 from 59 recorded in the six years before it was introduced. Of the 16 boaters, 56% weren't wearing life jackets.

Caveat: Observers may have miscalculated boat lengths and children's ages. Observation rates varied slightly from region to region within the province.

Title: Did compulsory wear regulations increase personal flotation device (PFD) use by boaters in small power recreational vessels? A before-after observational study conducted in Victoria, Australia

Belted waists: Wearing belted clothing may cause physiological changes in the lower esophagus that increase the risk of inflammation and cancer, suggests a study in the July issue of Gut. Cancers of the lower esophagus are increasing, particularly among men. Acid reflux disease is a risk factor for esophageal cancers but many patients never experience reflux symptoms, such as heartburn, researchers said.

The study suggests pressure from waist belts, especially worn over a large waistline, can cause pockets of silent acid reflux to develop in the lower esophagus without noticeable symptoms.

Researchers at the University of Glasgow in Scotland recruited 24 volunteers, 12 men and 12 women, in their mid-30s. Half had a normal weight and half were obese. The subjects swallowed a probe that recorded changes in the squamocolumnar junction, the area where the cells of the lower esophagus start to resemble stomach cells, during two experiments. In one, subjects consumed fish and chips in an upright position until full. In the other, they consumed the same meal wearing a wrestler's belt.

After eating, wearing a belt and having a large waist were more likely to cause the squamo-columnar junction to move higher in the esophagus and closer to the sphincter muscle that stops the backward flow of stomach contents.

The displaced junction caused a partial hiatus hernia, in which part of the stomach protrudes into the diaphragm, the study found. The belt was also associated with a short section of acid reflux above the junction that was more pronounced in subjects with larger waists.

Caveat: The long-term effects of wearing a belt aren't known. Weightlifter belts aren't typical belts worn by most people.

Title: Waist belt and central obesity cause partial hiatus hernia and short-segment acid reflux in asymptomatic volunteers

Nordic Poles Boost Artery-Disease Patients' Walking

People with peripheral artery disease, or narrowed leg arteries, were able to walk significantly farther using Nordic walking poles than when they didn't use poles, according to a study in the June issue of the British Journal of Surgery. Poles work the body 23% harder than normal walking, but the participants didn't seem aware of the extra exertion, the researchers said.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD), a risk factor for heart attack and stroke, affects an estimated 8 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

U.K. researchers recruited 52 patients with PAD, 39 to 84 years old. The subjects were asked to walk at a normal pace three times a week for 30 minutes. About half used walking poles. Walking tests were administered at the start of the study and every four weeks for 12 weeks and consisted of walking a 55-yard circuit as fast and as long as possible. The pole group performed the test twice at each session, once with poles and once without poles.

Claudication distance, the distance covered before experiencing leg pain, increased immediately in the pole group to approximately 162 yards from 136 yards. After 12 weeks, maximum walking distance had more than doubled in the pole group and claudication distance had increased by 60%.

Without poles, the subjects' walking distances also increased significantly. Controls had longer walking and claudication distances, but the change wasn't statistically significant.

Caveat: The study involved a small number of subjects.

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by United Allergy Services

U.S. Born Children Have More Allergies than Immigrants

Research published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics shows a startling disparity between children born in the U.S. and those who immigrate from other parts of the world: The foreign children have nearly half the risk of developing allergies and asthma as the U.S. born children.

According to Reuters Health, parents of 80,000 children were interviewed for the study between 2007 and 2008, accounting for demographics, income levels and geographic location as well as frequency of relocation. Between 34 and 35 percent of children born in the U.S. were diagnosed with allergies, including hay fever and food allergies, as well as asthma and eczema, compared with just over 20 percent of foreign-born children.

An expert not affiliated with the research told Reuters that food allergies have “increased tremendously” even affecting second-generation immigrants, “they’re identical (to U.S.-born people).” And the allergies became more severe the longer the foreign-born children were in the U.S. The research noted that 27 percent of immigrant children living in the U.S. for more than ten years had at least one type of allergy versus just 17 to 18 percent who had been in the U.S. two years or less.

Dr. Jonathan Silverberg from Beth Israel Medical Center and St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York and the study’s lead researcher says there may be several factors responsible for the rise in allergies, including obesity, changes in the climate and exposure to certain infections. With regards to environmental factors, Silverberg said Children born outside the U.S. are likely not exposed to these factors early in life and are therefore less likely to develop allergic diseases.”

The researchers hope the results will spark more investigation into what exactly is the cause of U.S. allergies and how they can be prevented.

This article was originally published on www.NaturallySavvy.com.

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By Jill Ettinger
June 21, 2014
theepochtimes.com

by United Allergy Services

Polluting our health

Respiratory diseases lead list of concerns inflamed by 'bad air'

by United Allergy Services

Does eating local honey ease seasonal allergy symptoms?

You've probably heard that eating local honey can help ease your seasonal allergy symptoms. The idea is that bees transfer pollen spores from area plants to their comb, so ingesting that honey will increase your tolerance for those allergens, gradually building immunity over time. However, many experts say there is no compelling evidence to suggest this belief is true.

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by United Allergy Services

Early Exposure To Bacteria Protects Children From Asthma And Allergies

Babies who are exposed to both bacteria and allergens in the first year of life are less likely to develop asthma and allergies, a study finds. It's the latest wrinkle in the hygiene hypothesis — the notion that exposure to bacteria trains the infant immune system to attack bad bugs and ignore harmless things like pollen and cat dander. Read more

by United Allergy Services

Is It Allergies Or A Cold? 5 Ways To Tell

Seasonal allergies and colds share some common symptoms, so it may be hard to tell the two apart.

Both conditions typically involve sneezing, a runny nose and congestion. There are some differences, though. Additionally, colds usually include coughing and a sore throat, but these symptoms can also occur in people with hay fever who have post-nasal drip. Itchy eyes are common for seasonal allergies, but rare for colds.

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by United Allergy Services

Tips for a Healthier Home

MISSION, KS--(Marketwired - Jun 4, 2014) - (Family Features) Every household has its honey-do list, but inevitably you're not always going to have time to cross off every project on the list. Rather than setting lofty goals that make it easy to procrastinate, the key to a productive and effective list is to be realistic. Start with the projects that will have an immediate effect on creating and maintaining a safer and healthier home.

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by United Allergy Services

Hay Fever & Seasonal Allergies: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Itchy eyes, a congested nose, sneezing, wheezing and hives: these are symptoms of an allergic reaction to the environment caused when plants release pollen into the air, usually in the spring or fall. A colloquial term for seasonal allergies — and the inflammation of the nose and airways (and all that comes with it) — is hay fever, but that's a misnomer — those suffering from hay fever almost never get a fever, and hay is not the culprit. Doctors and researchers prefer the term "allergic rhinitis."

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by United Allergy Services

Why Do Some People Develop Allergies as Adults?

Some children seem to outgrow allergies. But adults who have never had problems with pollen suddenly can start suffering the runny nose and itchy eyes of hay fever. To find out why, we turned to James Sublett, president-elect of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and a practicing immunologist in Louisville, Ky. (Coincidentally, Louisville was identified by medical experts as the most challenging city for allergy sufferers for 2014.)

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by United Allergy Services

The Case Against Antibacterial Soap

It's been ingrained in us since childhood. Don't want to get sick? Wash your hands with antibacterial soap. But the same compound we entrust to fend off the sniffles could actually be harming us—and creating an army of superbugs in the process. It's time to ban antibacterial soap.

If that sounds farfetched or alarmist, it shouldn't. In fact, it's already happening. Just this past Tuesday, Minnesota became the first state to ban antibacterial soaps loaded with something called triclosan, a nasty little chemical that comes with a whole host of problems. And you can find it in about 75% of all liquid soaps on the market.

Other states are almost certain to follow in Minnesota's footsteps, but even that ruling doesn't officially go into effect until 2017. So there's a good chance that you'll be seeing the stuff on drug store shelves for years to come. If you do, steer clear.

It Doesn't Actually Help

Ever since triclosan-inclusive products made their way into the home in the 90s, we've put the stuff in everything from liquid soaps and makeup to cutting boards and mattress pads.

Considering how prevalent the chemical is in our daily lives, it may surprise you that the FDA has never observed evidence that triclosan-based "antibacterial" soap has any benefit over non-drug-laced varieties. Even though the FDA published guidelines for chemicals in liquid soaps back in 1978, the agency never actually got around to finalizing them—meaning soap companies have never had any federally mandated rules to follow regarding chemical additives.

What the original 1978 draft did find, though, was that triclosan was totally ineffective. The FDA may not have proven definitively yet that antibacterial soap is safe, but they have proven, after 42 years of research and independent studies, it has zero health benefits over normal soap and water.

That's right: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration states outright that triclosan soaps are no more beneficial to a user's health than the regular, non-antibacterial soaps our grandparents lathered up with. Straight from the agency itself:

FDA has not received evidence that the triclosan provides an extra benefit to health. At this time, the agency does not have evidence that triclosan in antibacterial soaps and body washes provides any benefit over washing with regular soap and water.

And despite your elementary school flu season training, washing your hands with antibacterial soap won't help you stave off that fever. As the name might imply, antibacterial soap targets bacteria—which are a different animal from the viruses that cause the common cold and flu.

Frequent hand washing is a very good idea when contagious diseases are floating around, but it's the washing, not the triclosan, that lessens your chance of getting sick. Using an antibacterial drug to fight a virus is like setting mouse traps to get rid of ants.

But It Might Hurt

As it turns out, triclosan is good at something; it helps fight gingivitis. But unless you're brushing your teeth with Dawn (please don't), that doesn't mean it belongs in soap. The reality is that antibacterial soap isn't really doing you any good; in fact, it's more likely that it's causing harm.

In multiple animal studies, triclosan has been shown to disrupt the endocrine system, the complex interplay of hormones that regulate most aspects of an animal's growth and reproduction. Exposure to triclosan has been shown to reduce sperm count in male fish, speed up the onset of puberty in female mice, and decrease the presence of thyroid hormones in male rats. Because of these findings in animal studies, the FDA and EPA are collaborating on research to study the drug's effect on the human endocrine system.

There's already some evidence of human side effects, though: a small study in Norway showed that children with higher concentrations of triclosan in their urine (a measure of triclosan exposure) were more likely to develop seasonal allergies.

Just this past December, the FDA issued a proposed ruling that would require antibacterial soap manufacturers to prove—with actual data—that their products "are safe for long-term daily use and more effective than plain soap and water in preventing illness and the spread of certain infections." So while the FDA isn't ringing alarm bells quite yet, it clearly thinks there's more to triclosan and compounds like it than what we currently know.

It's an Environmental Mess

We're not just hurting ourselves with our antibacterial soap addiction, though; it could also be doing harm to the world around us.

Not only is triclosan rinsed down our drains in enormous quantity, it's also used in some types of pesticides, meaning the compound finds its way into our waterways via sewage treatment plants and trickle-down filtration. The EPA says that triclosan may attach to suspended solids and sediments in waterways, meaning that critters higher on the food chain could carry higher concentrations of the compound, which is a problem when it reaches the creatures we catch and eat.

But it's not just the animals. Some studies have shown that plants grown in environments contaminated with triclosan actually soak up the compound and metabolize it, creating a bevy of new triclosan-embedded compounds that scientists are only just beginning to monitor in the plants that we eat.

In fact, our antibacterial soap is probably doing a much better job killing ocean life than anything living on our skin. According to a recent study, triclosan is 100 to 1,000 times more effective "in inhabiting and killing algae, crustaceans, and fish" than they are at killing microbes. Which is good news if you hate our ocean friends and bad news for everyone else.

And Leaves Us Vulnerable

As if all that wasn't enough bad news, it gets worse. Slathering everything we own in a layer of triclosan could very likely be the genesis of an antibacterial-resistant superbug.

Of course, that's an inherent risk when any antibacterial compound gets widespread use. Bacteria will almost always develop ways to resist a drug, regardless of how it's deployed. Life finds a way! The problem is, when a drug is everywhere, as triclosan seems to be, developing resistances happens at a wildly quicker rate.

And it doesn't end there. When bacteria develop resistance to one drug, that resistance often extends to other, similar drugs. We're already seeing some bacteria with resistance to triclosan, and researchers fear that triclosan-resistant strains of e. coli and salmonella could also become resistant to the heavy-duty antibacterial drugs used to fight serious bacterial infections in a hospital setting.

So what's the answer? Just use regular soap. The cold, hard truth is that antibacterial soaps don't carry any real benefit. And the companies that make them have known this all along. Take a close look at any antibacterial soap label the next time you're at the grocery store. It'll probably say something like "kills 99.9% of the most common bacteria."

Not "all" bacteria. Not "the really nasty, mess you up bacteria." Just "the most common bacteria." The normal flora that's always present on your skin and that (barring a few rare, serious medical conditions) isn't going to cause you any problem. In fact, a good, vigorous scrubbing with regular ol' soap and water will pretty much obliterate any germs you're looking to expunge.

So the next time you see your kid coming home covered in dirt, you'll still need to wash them (for god's sake wash them), but leave the antibacterial soap where it belongs—wasting away on some drug store shelf, waiting for the FDA to drop the boom.

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By Ashley Feinberg and Robert Sorokanich
May 22, 2014
gizmodo.com

by United Allergy Services

'Allergy-Friendly' Airline Is Now A Thing Thanks To Swiss International Air Lines

Swiss International Air Lines is taking one step toward a more allergy-friendly travel experience, and they mean business. The airline is the first of its kind to be certified as "allergy-friendly" by the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation.

Read more

by United Allergy Services

Bless You: Allergy Sufferers Having A Worse Spring Than Normal

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Another health warning as an especially bad allergy season hits Maryland hard. Doctors are seeing a spike in cases–and it may be a result of that polar vortex we dealt with this winter.

Christie Ileto has more on what’s being called the “pollen vortex.”

If surviving winter’s brutal blast wasn’t enough, allergy sufferers are barely getting by this spring.

“The worst part of it is the sneezing, the sniffing and the runny nose,” said Jim Connolly.

He isn’t alone. Dr. Baruch Friedman says many Marylanders are on track for a nasty allergy season.

“We’ve seen a much higher number of calls over these last couple of weeks,” he said. “We’ve had an incredibly prolonged and severe winter. What’s now happening is we’re getting the seasons coming together.”

Health experts say because of the polar vortex, many of the trees here in Maryland bloomed later and what that means for people who have allergies is that they will be experiencing tree and grass allergies at the same time.

“There’s a lot of grass; there’s a lot of pollen,” said allergy sufferer H.R. Cook. “The seasons are kind of mixed up this year.”

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, between 40 and 50 million Americans are affected by allergies. Eight percent of adults suffer from pollen allergies, including hay fever.

“Miserable. It’s hard to focus sometimes,” said Ronnie Lindo.

But with Mother Nature to blame, all allergy sufferers can do is weather the pollen storm.

Doctors recommend those with allergies consider allergy medications or injections to help build immunity and reduce allergic reactions.

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By Christie Ileto
May 19, 2014
Baltimore.cbslocal.com

by United Allergy Services

4 Ways To Pollen-Proof Your Workouts

There’s bad news for allergy sufferers this year: The so-called polar vortex has given way to a pollen vortex. “A long, harsh winter can lead to a tidal wave of pent-up pollen being released all at once,” says Michael Foggs, M.D., president of the American College of ­Allergy, Asthma and ­Immunology. Still, that doesn’t mean you have to spend the whole season on the treadmill instead of the track. Follow these strategies to make your outdoor time sniffle-free:

Watch the weather. Counts tend to be highest from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., but “some studies suggest pollen counts in certain parts of the country are higher in the afternoon,” Foggs says. And beware of dry, windy days. Wind vectors can carry pollen up to 400 miles. “Even if you’re nowhere near the plants that trigger your ­allergies, their pollens will find you,” he says. The ideal time to head outdoors: after a rainfall, which can wash pollen out of the air.

Protect your peepers. Your lashes or the creases around your eyes can trap pollen, leading to redness, itching, and irritation. To help block out allergens, wear wrap-around sunglasses or sports goggles during your workout.

Stay covered. Pollen and other environmental allergens can easily collect in your hair, too, especially if you wear gel, mousse, or hair spray. Wear a sun hat or baseball cap (they’ll help ward off sunburns, too).

Hit the shower. Before you go inside, slip out of your workout clothes and park your sneakers at the door, so you don’t track allergens into the house. You should also shower and wash your hair immediately after exercising to decrease your pollen load, suggests Foggs.

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By Karen Asp
May 17, 2014
parade.condenast.com

by United Allergy Services

7 Ways Pets Improve Your Health

When you come home to a purr or wagging tail at the end of a stressful day, the sudden wave of calm you feel isn’t just your imagination. Research suggests that your fluffy friend truly is good for your physical and mental health. “Pets often provide unconditional acceptance and love and they’re always there for you,” says Gary A. Christenson, MD, chief medical officer at Boynton Health Service at the University of Minnesota. “There is a bond and companionship that makes a big difference in mental health,” not to mention the extra exercise you get from walks and playtime. Read on to learn the surprising ways your pet can boost your health.

Pets may lower your cholesterol

If you have a dog, those daily walks are helping to keep your cholesterol in check, says Rebecca A. Johnson, PhD, director of the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. Plus, a survey by the Australian National Heart Foundation revealed that people who own pets, especially men, tend to have lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Pets help relieve stress

Simply being in the same room as your pet can have a calming effect. “A powerful neurochemical, oxytocin, is released when we look at our companion animal, which brings feelings of joy,” says Johnson. “It’s also accompanied by a decrease in cortisol, a stress hormone.” Through her research with veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Johnson has witnessed the powerful effects of animals. “One veteran couldn’t leave his home without his wife until we placed a dog with him and in less than a week he was able to go around his town,” she says.

Pets may reduce your blood pressure

It’s a win-win: petting your pooch or kitty brings down blood pressure while pleasing your pet. Researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo discovered that in people already taking medication for hypertension, their blood pressure response to stress was cut by half if they owned a cat or dog.

Pets boost your fitness

A dog is the best companion for a stroll—even better than a friend. Johnson—co-author of Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound—led a study at the University of Missouri that found that dog walkers improved their fitness more than people who walked with other people. A separate study found that dog owners walked 300 minutes a week on average, while people who didn’t own dogs walked just 168 minutes a week. And a study in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health found that not only did dog owners walk more than non-owners, they were also 54% more likely to meet the recommended levels of physical activity.

Pets reduce your cardiovascular disease risk

Lower cholesterol, stress, and blood pressure levels combined with increased fitness may add up to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. That’s a theory supported by the American Heart Association. In 2013, the AHA reviewed numerous studies examining the effects of pet ownership on cardiovascular disease risk and concluded that having a furry friend, particularly a dog, is associated with a reduction in risk and increased survival among patients.

Pets may prevent allergies in children

If you had a pet as a kid, you may be in luck. In a study published in Clinical & Experimental Allergy, children who were exposed to pets before they were six months old were less likely to develop allergic diseases, hay fever, and eczema as they got older. “In the first year of life, babies who are exposed to dogs in the household are more likely not to have allergies, asthma, and fewer upper respiratory infections,” says Johnson. “If exposed at an early age to dander and allergens, we may be less reactive to them over time.” And kids who grow up around farm animals, dogs, or cats typically have stronger immune systems and a reduced risk of developing asthma or eczema.

Pets relieve depression

Pets can provide social support for their owners, who tend to have better overall wellbeing than non-owners, according to a study published in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. And a large review of studies by the British Psychological Society found that dogs especially promote therapeutic and psychological wellbeing, particularly lowering stress levels and boosting self-esteem, as well as feelings of autonomy and competence. “The calming presence and the social bond that pets bring can be very powerful,” says Dr. Christenson. “Animals give something to focus on instead of the negative thoughts a depressed person is prone to have. When a pet pays attention to you, they’re giving you unconditional love and acceptance.”

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Celia Shatzman
May 11, 2014
time.com

by United Allergy Services

How Climate Change Is Making Allergies Worse

Thanks to all the pollen in the air, I spent the last few weeks coughing, wheezing and blowing my nose. Austin is infamous for bad allergy seasons. We have three of them: fall, winter, and spring. In the summer, it’s too hot for pollen (but the heat gives me something else to complain about).

Other Texas cities may have even stronger allergy seasons. And it could all get worse thanks to global climate change.

An little-noticed part of the National Climate Assessment, released yesterday by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, explains how: climate change results in “more frost-free days and warmer seasonal air temperatures,” according to the report. That can mean longer pollen seasons.

Even worse news for allergy sufferers is this tidbit: “Increased carbon dioxide [CO2] by itself can elevate production of plant-based allergens … Higher pollen concentrations and longer pollen seasons can increase allergic sensitizations and asthma episodes … and diminish productive work and school days.”

In a nutshell: plants eat CO2; more plants mean more pollen; and more pollen means worse allergies.

To back up its statements, the assessment cites a 2011 study showing how ragweed allergy seasons have lengthened in parts of North America.

That study says:

“… Data indicate a significant increase in the length of the ragweed pollen season by as much as 13 – 27 d at latitudes above ∼44°N since 1995. This is consistent with recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projections regarding enhanced warming as a function of latitude. If similar warming trends accompany long-term climate change, greater exposure times to seasonal allergens may occur with subsequent effects on public health.”

 

It’s interesting to note that ragweed pollen actually decreased in Texas (as measured in Georgetown) during the time sampled for the report. But its increase in more northern climates was so dramatic they offset that decrease.

That suggests climate change might improve allergy conditions, at least for some plant species in some regions. But before Texas allergy sufferers throw out their Kleenex, it would behoove them to note the part of the assessment that says “simultaneous exposure to toxic air pollutants can worsen allergic responses.”

So, even in places where there’s less pollen, there could be more sneezin’.

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By Mose Buchele
May 8, 2014
stateimpact.npr.org

by United Allergy Services

Asthma Linked to Bone Loss in Study

But it's not clear how the two conditions might be related.

"We know prolonged use of corticosteroids in the treatment of asthma is a risk factor of osteoporosis, but we haven't had definite data showing the relationship between asthma itself and bone loss," study author Dr. Jae-Woo Jung said in a news release from the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI).

"This study has shown a meaningful association between the two conditions, even in the absence of previous oral corticosteroid use," noted Jung.

The researchers studied more than 7,000 people, including 433 with asthma. They found that bone density in the lumbar spine and femur was significantly lower in those with asthma.

"It is difficult to pinpoint the cause of bone loss in this subset of patients," said allergist Dr. John Oppenheimer in a statement provided by the ACAAI.

"Reasons can include corticosteroid use, low levels of vitamin D or even race. This research has unveiled findings that need be further studied," he said.

Although steroid treatments for asthma may be a possible link to bone loss, no one should stop taking these drugs without talking to their doctor.

"Asthma is a serious disease that can be life-threatening," Oppenheimer said. "It is important that those with asthma and other breathing problems continue their prescribed treatment. It is also imperative that allergists discuss the potential of the disease itself or as a consequence of therapy in asthma sufferers."

Side effects from corticosteroid treatment are generally more evident with oral forms of the drugs instead of inhaled, though oral steroids are more effective. Doctors prescribe inhaled corticosteroids whenever possible. If oral corticosteroids are necessary, doctors will prescribe the lowest effective dose to help avoid side effects, according to the ACAAI news release.

The study appears in the May issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

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By Randy Dotinga
May 7, 2014
health.usnews.com

by United Allergy Services

Why Are My Allergies So Bad?

It’s being called the “Pollen Vortex” of allergy seasons and we have the blood shot eyes and difficulty breathing to prove it (or is that just due to lack of sleep now that my twins are in “big girl” beds?). Breezy Mama turned to Dr. Jill Bryson, MD, primary care physician at Benton Family Clinic, to find out why this allergy season is particularly brutal, the symptoms that you have allergies and the safest treatments.

Why are allergies so bad for people this year?

There was an exceptionally harsh winter this year, with record-setting snowfall in some regions and extended below-freezing temperatures. This elongated winter meant late flowering for trees. As a result, trees had less time to pollinate, causing higher than normal amounts of pollen to be released all at once. This phenomenon is being referred to as the “pollen vortex”.

What are symptoms it’s allergies and not a cold or other illness?

The duration of symptoms is an important indicator. A cold typically lasts 3-14 days whereas allergy symptoms will remain for as long as the allergen is present. If you experience symptoms for longer than two weeks, you should see your primary care physician and request an allergy test.

Another indicator is the color of the mucus. If you are producing large amounts of yellow mucus, it is likely a cold.

What do you recommend to relieve allergies?

Patients that suffer from allergies should discuss care and treatment options with their primary care physician or family doctor. A primary care physician can test, diagnose and provide patients with accessible treatment options. If you have allergies for more than three months out of the year, talk to your doctor about allergy testing and immunotherapy (allergy shots). Immunotherapy treats the root cause of allergies, as opposed to over-the-counter medications (such as Claritin) that only mask symptoms. This means that patients taking immunotherapy will eventually build up an immune response to their allergens, so they don’t need to take ongoing medication. Another added benefit of allergy shots is customization. Unlike immunotherapy tablets that only treat one allergen at a time, allergy shots can be customized to treat all of your allergies simultaneously.

When I take an over the counter med, I get a little pain in my chest. Are there gentler solutions?

If you are experiencing pain from your medications, you should try a different method. There are a number of ways that allergy sufferers can both treat and minimize their symptoms. You may want to consider the following:

· Avoid your allergen: Once you know what allergen is causing a reaction, avoid contact! If you’re allergic to pollen, stay indoors in the morning/evening when pollen counts are at their highest.

· Clean House: Dust and mold are two of the most common allergens. If your allergy test shows you’re allergic to these, wash bedding in hot water to eliminate dust mites and other allergy triggers.

· Shower at night: Pollen in the air builds up on your clothes and hair throughout the day. Minimize your symptoms by showering in the early evening.

· Exercise at night: Pollen counts are highest in the morning so allergy sufferers should try to avoid outdoor exercise at this time.

Who offers the seasonal allergy shots and where can people get them?

Primary care physicians can deliver allergy shots that dramatically impact the quality of life for allergy sufferers. United Allergy Services (UAS) enables primary care physicians, pulmonologists, pediatricians and internal medicine physicians to provide their patients with customized allergy shots that patients can administer themselves at home. This means no more trips back and forth to the allergist’s office and within three to five years you could be symptom free. For seasonal and perennial allergy sufferers, self-administered immunotherapy under the guidance of a primary care physician allows a broader population of patients to receive high-quality, affordable, safe, allergy care so these patients can resume active, full, healthy lifestyles.

What do you recommend as the safest treatment for adults with allergies?

For both children and adults, the first step is to talk to your primary care physician about allergy testing. Allergy testing will allow you to identify and avoid your specific offending allergens. Such “avoidance therapy” in itself may diminish symptoms by as much as 50 percent. If ongoing treatment is necessary, I recommend immunotherapy. The safety of immunotherapy has been proven by more than a century of scientific research and medical practice. Furthermore, it is the only treatment that addresses the actual cause of allergies rather than the symptoms. Immunotherapy has also been shown to decrease the development and onset of new allergies and decrease the risk of developing allergic asthma.

What is the safest treatment for kids suffering from seasonal allergies?

Avoidance is a safe technique but it is generally impractical for kids. Kids should be enjoying life outdoors not suffering from seasonal allergies. I generally recommend immunotherapy.

Anything else you’d like to share about allergy season?

More than anything, be sure to talk to your doctor. Too many people are suffering unnecessarily from allergies and self-medicating. Schedule an appointment with your family doctor or discuss your symptoms during your next appointment. Don’t miss out on outdoor fun this year. Talk to your doctor and get tested.

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By Chelsea Gladden
May 5, 2014
breezymama.com

by United Allergy Services

Spring allergy relief: Here's what to try first

New medications and old tricks can help ease that sneezing and sniffling.

Sneezing, congestion, runny noses and itchy eyes. For people with seasonal nasal allergies — commonly known as hay fever — these symptoms are nothing new. They are as predictable as the explosion of tree pollen happening now in many parts of the country and the bursts of grass and ragweed pollens still to come.

But when it comes to treating those symptoms, there is some news this year.

First, consumers can now buy one kind of allergy medicine, a steroid nasal spray, without a prescription. Nasacort is the first drug in that class to make it to drugstore shelves.

Second, the Food and Drug Administration has just approved the first two of several dissolvable pills that may replace allergy shots for some patients. The pills contain grass pollen extracts and, taken over time, will help some patients build up tolerance – without having to return to a doctor's office for months or years of injections.

But those medications are not the first things to try, doctors say. In fact, some tried and true strategies don't involve medication at all. Among them:

• Pay attention to pollen counts. "In many parts of the country, pollen counts are highest between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. and start to rise again after dusk," says Michael Foggs, an allergy specialist in Chicago and president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Fit in your jog or gardening between those peaks or right after a cleansing rain, he suggests.

• Close your windows. "What I tell people with significant pollen allergies is that if they open the windows to get the breeze and fresh air, they also are inviting a cloud of pollen into their houses," says James Li, an allergy specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

• Turn on the air conditioner. Or at least run the fan on your heating and cooling system. Good ventilation, combined with a high-efficiency filter, will help clean indoor air.

• Keep yourself clean. After some time outside, leave your shoes at the door, rinse off in the shower and put on fresh clothes.

• Try nasal rinses or sprays. Saline rinses and sprays can help wash pollen away and soothe tissues. "We tell patients who live near the ocean to go jump in" for the saltwater effect, Foggs says.

• Don't forget your eyes. Strategies that help your nose often help eyes too. But some people need more. That might include prescription eye drops but also can include rinsing the eyes with cold water, using cold compresses or chilling artificial tear drops before use, says Mark Blecher, an ophthalmologist at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. "People tend to forget that things that are so simple and safe can be very helpful," he says.

Many people will find they do need medications to get through their worst weeks or months. The first to try, because they have the fewest potential side effects, are the non-sedating antihistamines on drugstore shelves, Foggs and Li say. If those don't work, steroid nasal sprays — the one available over the counter and prescription versions — are good options, they say. Guidelines from several physicians' groups say the steroid sprays are the most effective medications for nasal allergies. Additional prescription medications, including antihistamine nose sprays, are available.

"There's individual variability in response to medication," Li says. "You can try several until you find the best fit."

When those fail, or side effects are a problem, there's immunotherapy — treatments designed to lower sensitivity by exposing patients to tiny but increasing doses of allergens (the offending pollens or other substances). Traditionally, that has meant going to an allergist's office to get shots.

The new immunotherapy tablets can, after a first dose in a doctor's office, be taken at home. But there's a catch: the first few in the pipeline work against just one allergen type at a time. For example, the first two tablets approved by the FDA work against grass pollens; others will work against rag weed or dust mites. Allergy shots, by contrast, can combine extracts from several allergens. That comes in handy, since most people are allergic to more than one thing, Li and Foggs say.

Allergy specialists can test patients to find out exactly what those things are and whether any other conditions are causing their symptoms.

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By Kim Painter
April 20, 2014
usatoday.com

by United Allergy Services

The Polar Vortex Is to Blame for This Year's Brutal Allergy Season

Those cold snaps helped spawn a spring allergy season so intense that it already has its own headline-ready nickname: the "pollen vortex."

One week ago, I purchased the first asthma inhaler I've owned since the 8th grade. I'd shown up at my doctor's office short of breath, and a lung function test promptly revealed that I was inhaling about one-fifth as much air as a healthy 24-year-old should be. "We're expecting a lot of cases like you," my doctor told me as he wrote my prescription. "It's going to be a hell of a pollen season."

And for that, you can blame the polar vortex—the extreme cold system that repeatedly hovered over much of the United States this year—along with the rest of this winter's brutal weather. Those cold snaps helped spawn a spring allergy season so intense that it already has its own headline-ready nickname: the "pollen vortex."

"The long winter, the particularly cold weather, it all pushed the pollen season back quite a bit," says Estelle Levetin, the chair of the biology department at the University of Tulsa. Individual flowering trees probably aren't producing more pollen, Levetin says—but they're all dumping their pollen at once, making this allergy season particularly difficult for people who are sensitive to more than one type of pollen.

"It's going to be a hell of a pollen season."

The simple reason is that flowers are temperature-sensitive. They don't open up and release pollen when it's cold. "If you look at daily pollen levels, typically, you would see them track the temperature," Levetin says. Trees that normally would have bloomed several weeks ago are just budding now. In Oklahoma, where Levetin lives, the first allergenic trees blossomed "easily a month late."

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America counts 45 million people in the United States who suffer from nasal allergies, and another 25 million with asthma—both conditions that can be can be aggravated by pollen. Those figures come with sweeping economic consequences. Every year, asthma costs $18 billion in hospital visits and lost workdays, according to the AAFA.

This week may offer some relief, thanks to the relationship between cold weather and pollen counts. People living in the West are already experiencing lower pollen levels due to the cold front moving across the country. When it hits, the cold slows the release of pollen. But unless a region undergoes freezing temperatures for several days, says Levetin, once warm weather returns, so will the pollen deluge.

While no single weather event—the cold snaps that caused this year's pollen vortex, for example—can be directly attributed to global warming, the science community is engaged in a lively debate over whether climate change is making unusual weather events, including severe cold temperatures, more likely. Jennifer Francis, a research professor at Rutgers University, argues that the rapidly warming Arctic has caused the jet stream to slow, which could result in atmospheric events, such as winter storms, staying put for longer.

But even if climate change can't be blamed for this year's pollen vortex, there is substantial evidence that a warming planet spells a more agonizing allergy season. Cold weather may have caused the current pollen backlog, but over the long term, the opposite may be true. Hotter temperatures, an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, and greater precipitation levels in some regions of the United States all conspire to create near-ideal conditions for the weedy plants that give off allergenic pollen, according to a 2008 study from the Environmental Protection Agency. "Warmer temperatures and increased precipitation cause some plants to grow faster, bloom earlier, and produce more pollen," the study found. "Temperature changes are expected to alter allergy seasons to begin earlier and last longer and the distribution of allergenic plant varieties to change over time."

The EPA is hardly alone in saying that climate change could make allergy season more hellish. A 2010 report by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences warns, "There is also a possibility that certain aero-allergens may become more allergenic as temperatures and CO₂ concentrations increase." (Besides exacerbating the pollen count, climate change is linked in some regions to a rise in ozone, fine particles, and dust—all of which can cause or worsen respiratory diseases, the report found.)

Plant physiologists have observed that the weeds that produce many allergens have adapted the best to an atmosphere that is chock-full of carbon dioxide, Scientific American reported in 2012. Pollen from ragweed, for instance, which peaks in the summer and is one of the most common triggers for allergies, has exploded as the climate has warmed. From 1995 to 2011, according to the EPA, the ragweed allergy season grew up to 24 days longer in regions across the Midwest:

As the map suggests, northern regions of the United States, where warming in more pronounced, will bear the brunt of increases in most types of environmental allergens. Warmer temperatures are already allowing hickory and oak, two highly allergenic tree species, to thrive in new regions. In the United Kingdom, the Health Protection Agency has observed that the hay fever season is growing longer.

The future may offer a reprieve from agonizing allergy seasons. Leonard Bielory, an environmental sciences professor at Rutgers, predicted in Scientific American that a warming planet will eventually cause pollen counts to taper off. "It cannot continue on a linear scale," he said. "If heat goes up to a certain temperature, plants will die. It will hit a breaking point." Of course, at that point, a prolonged allergy season won't be high on the list of problems.

by United Allergy Services