Yellow Pollen Allergy

Last week while struggling 50 miles up rails to trails with my buddy Chris, I was overcome with not only hubris, but killer pollen clouds. The gusty winds blew huge yellow colored pollen clouds across the trail and roads. I could not help but think about how medical texts lied about pine pollen being too heavy to remain airborne to be inhaled.

Sure enough, next week people piled into the office with stopped up noses, sneezing, drainage, itching, and feeling bad. Worse, some had actually developed bacterial infections and cough.

Sore throats worse than those caused by breathing through the mouth all night are probably viral or bacterial. Itching, irritation, sneezing, and increased mucus drainage are hallmarks of allergy. Allergy reactions that severely inflame and block the nose can lead to sinus infections. Therefore treating allergies not only reduces misery, it can reduce infections for some.

Non-prescription antihistamines work great for most people. Claritin is a good one, although some like Dimetapp and Actifed are combined with decongests to help relieve stuffiness. For more severe allergy sufferers, prescription medicines are often stronger and some have extra ingredients that dry up drainage better. Steroid nasal sprays usually work better than antihistamines when used every day and can be taken with them. Examples include Flonase, Nasonex and Nasacort. For itching eyes, antihistamine eye drops like Patanal and Optivar work great. In addition to taking medication, some people need to avoid going outdoors to decrease exposure, especially on windy days. I also recommend that severe allergy sufferers shower and change clothes after coming inside at the end of the day because pollen sticks to your skin and clothes. This also helps after mowering the grass for severe grass allergies. Washing the nose out several times a day with saline nasal spray helps remove pollen from the nose and reduces symptoms. If your nose really stops up at night, using Afrin for three or four nights will help, but be careful because using it more than a few days can irritate the nose and actually make congestion worse. HEPA and ionic filters in the house and especially in the bedroom are very helpful as well. And finally, for those without complicating medical conditions, a short course of steroids by shot or pills may be indicated.

For those whose misery from allergies is well controlled by medication, just keep doing what works. More severe sufferers who continue to struggle despite treatment should be evaluated. Some may have infections requiring antibiotics before they can improve. Others need to be allergy tested and desensitized to the things they react to. Virtually everyone with allergies can be helped, so if what you are doing is not working as well as you’d like, see your doctor or nurse practitioner for help.

Dr. Chuck Guice is a local Ear, Nose and Throat specialist and can be contacted at ceguice@netdoor.com or by going to www.ent-fps.com.