Spring is now in full swing. I love this time of year. The smell of the grass and fresh dirt, I find it energizing and hopeful, a time of renewal.
We touched on tick bites last month and summarized the best preventive tactics and treatment guidance for when a tick bite does occur. Please contact me if you have any lingering questions about those dangerous little bugs.
This month I thought I would dig deeper into seasonal allergies and explore options for symptom management. Seasonal allergies certainly affect your daily life. Also if not managed they can contribute to ear infections, sinus infections, and trigger asthma attacks.
Common seasonal allergy symptoms include:
- sneezing
- itchy eyes, nose, and throat
- runny nose and eyes
- post nasal drip, and throat clearing
- fatigue
- cough
Common seasonal allergy triggers include:
- Tree pollen—March/April
- Grass pollen—June/July
- Ragweed and mold—Fall
OTC Treatment Options for Seasonal Allergies
There are several over-the-counter treatment options to help manage seasonal allergy symptoms. It is hard to believe it now but when I first started practicing medicine all of the allergy medications needed a prescription. I even went to a conference on how the new anti-allergy nasal sprays worked and how and when to prescribe them to patients. It is hard to believe that medications like Flonase were new science only 20 years ago.
Treatment options include oral antihistamines, these are Claritin (Loratadine) Allegra (Fexofenadine), Zyrtec (Cetirizine), and Benedryl (Diphenhydramine). I listed these in order of their potency and also their sedative effect. The stronger the antihistamine the more sedating it is. So, Benedryl works great but will also make you the most tired. The oral antihistamines begin working about 30 minutes after you take them and reach full effect in about two hours.
The other class of medications that work to control allergy symptoms is the topical corticosteroid nasal sprays. Examples of these sprays include Flonase (Fluticasone), Nasacort (triamcinolone), and Rhinocort (budesonide). Research has found these nasal sprays to be more effective than the oral antihistamines at controlling allergy symptoms but they take longer to work and they have to be used regularly to be effective. Flonase starts to work about twelve hours after taking it but it can take up to 3 days to reach full effectiveness.
Allergies that are not well controlled not only make you feel miserable they can lead to infections. When you are reacting to an allergen you get swelling in your nasal passages, your sinus passages, and your eustachian tubes. This swelling adds pressure to all of these areas. In addition to the swollen tissue you also get increased mucus production. The combination of swollen passageways and excess mucus can lead to trouble, if that mucus sits long enough and obstructs an area bacteria can become trapped and overgrow. This contributes to sinus infections, ear infections, and lung infections.
Natural Treatment Options for Seasonal Allergies
Natural options for seasonal allergy management need to be mentioned as well and several of these techniques might be enough to control your symptoms all alone or combined with the occasional oral antihistamine or a corticosteroid nasal spray might give you the best relief.
Natural options include:
- Gut health, more than 70% of your immune system resides in your gut. What you eat supports the microbiome in your belly. So, keeping that gut flora healthy can help your immune system better handle allergens. Think probiotics, lots of fruits and veggies, and maintaining good hydration.
- Filtering the air inside of your home can eliminate dander, dust, and pollen particles that can make your allergies go haywire. Look for a HEPA filter that removes about 99.97% of troublesome airborne particles. Even just putting a HEPA filter in your bedroom can make a big difference.
- Flushing out your sinuses with a neti pot or saline spray can wash away pollen and other allergens.
- Acupuncture can deliver a boost to your immune system and help research supports its benefit in combating hay fever.
- Certain vitamins and herbs also can help limit inflammation that comes with allergic responses: Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, omega-3 fatty acids, stinging nettle which is considered to be a natural antihistamine, and quercetin.
I hope these help, if you need more assistance, let me know!
-Dr. Sarah