The bad news is that the numbers of persons with allergies is increasing. With this increase comes the complications of asthma, sinusitis, sinus headaches and bad sleep.
Recently Quest Diagnostics announced that there is a 15% increase in Ragweed Allergy over the past four years. This company does allergy diagnostic testing from blood samples. They examined some 2 million samples and concluded that ragweed allergy is significantly increasing. Based on their blood sampling, there is a six percent increase in overall incidence of allergies.
Worst increases occurred in California, Nevada and Arizona. Here, over the four year period, the number of ragweed sufferers increased by a whopping 21% This is of particular importance because in the 50's and 60's patients were advised to move to these states to escape ragweed in the North Eastern U.S. When I practiced in Washington D.C., I advised patients to move to Arizona for their allergy. I personally moved to Los Angeles from Washington to escape that pollen area.
The US Dept of Agriculture, according to Lewis Ziska, has reported a 12% increase in fungal spore growth. They note that the ragweed season has increased by one month since 1995. For example in New York City area it has now gone from 90 to 105 days.
You used to be able to plan vacations away from the ragweed, using data from previous years. Unfortunately with the unusual weather we are experiencing in 2011 that is no longer an easy option. Nevertheless keeping an accurate symptom calendar to match with the pollen calendar is essential in order to obtain an accurate diagnosis. If the severity of your allergy symptoms correlates with the severity of the pollen count, that gives you an accurate diagnosis without blood or skin tests.
Immunization injections still remain effective for most allergens. Immunization by injection is gradually being replaced by oral drops placed under the tongue. This is called SLIT desensitization - stands for sublingual immunotherapy. Here drops are placed under the tongue where they are absorbed. Once absorbed they act like the injection.
Ragweed is a weed that releases its pollen about mid-August. (Trees pollinate in spring and grasses in the summer.) Symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, skin and throat. Associated with ragweed pollen is allergy to fresh fruits such as bananas, cucumbers, melons and zucchini. This is why I have patients avoid fresh fruit and vegetables during this period. (Note: you can eat these cooked or processed for cans, because that breaks down the allergy molecule.) During allergy season you need to avoid hot spices with your food. These can add to the amount of histamine in your body. Ragweed sufferers welcome the first frost as that usually ends the ragweed season.
Therapy:
Which method of treatment is best? Pills, cortisone nasal spray, or allergy sprays? Unfortunately it is difficult to predict if Claritin or Zyrtec will give you better relief that Flonase or Nasonex. If Claritin works, usually that is the least expensive. Some expensive allergy type nasal sprays such as Astepro may work when pills fail. The advantage of the nasal sprays is that they are localized to the nose whereas pills go to the entire body. Benadryl is a common antihistamine that has the advantage of making you sleepy. Don't bring pollen into the house. Change outside clothing and shower, include washing your hair. Pets bring pollen into the house and need to be washed too.
Body Thermostat
When you have ragweed, your normal body thermostat erroneously has you sneeze and hack in order to adjust your body temperature. It is important to avoid getting chilled. Have hot tea before arising out of bed to avoid morning symptoms. Carry a jacket to avoid chilling when going in and out of air-conditioned buildings. Think of allergy like arithmetic: Pollen plus perfumed lipstick plus getting chilled, plus fatigue, plus eating spicy foods equals symptoms. If you reduce some of the arithmetic, you can reduce your symptoms.
Air Conditioning
Whenever possible use air conditioning because that is filtered air. Especially while driving. Driving open air can multiply the number of pollen particles that enter your nose, and therefore increase your symptoms. Do not drive in a convertible if at all possible. Avoid driving behind a diesel bus or truck.
Windows closed
Plants pollinate, approximately at 5 AM and 5 PM. This is when your bedroom windows need to be closed.
Bedroom
The bedroom is the most important place to do allergy prevention. The goal is NOT to provide a filter sufficient to take care of the dust and pollen. The goal is to reduce quantity of dust- no wall-to-wall carpet, no drapes or hangings that can give off dust. Use glass or plastic curtains. Ideally allergen free pillows and mattresses. No matter what you do, if the humidity is over 50% you will get mold so do watch that level. Pets? Keep them out of the bedroom. If your filter is too noisy you can run it during the day and turn it off at night. Further details can be obtained by calling allergy specialty companies such as Allergy Buyers Club. 1-888-236-7231
Start pills before season
Current thinking is that you should start allergy pills/nasal sprays before the season actually starts. This is a significant departure from the concept of only taking pills when you are symptomatic. However the literature indicates that patients do best is they begin medication before the season, roughly three weeks before.
Avoid sinusitis
Infection with an allergy is common. This is because, with persistent allergy symptoms, say sneezing non-stop three weeks, then the nasal cilia slow down and no longer move bacteria and pollen out of the nose adequately. Restoring the tired cilia is the key:
Good sleep
Humming "ooooommmm"
Exercise
Pulsatile irrigation at a frequency harmonious to normal cilia frequency of pulsation
Avoid reinfection with devices that have flowback. These get contaminated when the squeeze bottles suck back in.
Increase intake of hot tea, lemon and honey.
Avoid asthma
Under the unified field theory, the nose, sinuses and lungs are part of the same embryonic system. With nasal allergy, it is not best to be macho and ignore nasal allergy. The allergy symptoms need to be reduced or eliminated, not just for symptomatic relief, but to avoid complications that could affect the lungs or sinus cavities.
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