It’s suffering time for those with allergies
by Jan Richards

It’s sneezing season again, as pollens such as grass, ragweed, white oak and bluegrass, make their entrance

once again into society. Airborne irritants (allergens), eaten, inhaled or having contact with a person’s

skin, release histamine (body chemicals) causing inflammation and fluid into the lining of the nasal

passage, sinuses, eyelids and surface layer of the eyes. When an allergic reaction occurs, cells of the

immune system release irritant chemicals causing symptoms with characteristics of allergy attacks,

headaches, excessive mucus, redness, swelling and itching of the skin. If you have allergic rhinitis (hay

fever) airborne pollen can cause a reaction in the nose. People start having problems, particularly with

their sinuses as a result of a dynamic change within the nose,: said Dr. William T. Poirier, a Diplomat in

the American Board of Otolaryngology. "As we tend to get older, the nose starts to sag, causing nasal

stuffiness. We see patients with chronic sinus problems, it will affect their bronchitis and asthma."

People with allergic rhinitis react to grass and weed pollens, which comes in the spring, early summer and

in the fall. "There are two types of allergic rhinitis - seasonal and perennial. Seasonal bothers people

only part of the year and perennial all year long," Dr. Poirier said. When a person has allergic rhinitis,

they sneeze, have a runny nose and red, itchy or watery eyes. Their skin may be itchy, wheezing may occur

and a dry throat. With a high pollen count, allergy attacks could last anywhere from 15-30 minutes. In

some cases, an allergic person may enter a room where a cat has been and have an allergy attack before

the invisible bits of hair are still occupying the air. "Allergies can be inherited through parents and

relatives. Some people develop allergies in infancy and have them all their lives, while others outgrow

them. Still others develop them later in their life period. Even though allergies run in families, there is no
way to really know if a particular member of the family will inherit them until it happens," said Dr.

Poirier. Allergy suffers seem to be miserable in the morning because of high pollen levels which hit

anywhere from 6-10 AM an in the evening from 6-10 PM when plants give forth additional pollen. He

treat allergies by reducing the amount of secretion. Sometimes a patient will take medication and the

problem will resolve. If the problem does not then allergy shots and treatment may be required.? The

doctor said that some present day nasal sprays may resolve the problem. :Patients who have short seasonal

allergies do very well on medication, while others with perennial do better taking allergy shorts. Most

medications have little side effects. Decongestants may keep you up at night, raise your heartbeat or

increase blood pressure." Antihistamines, to be fully effective should be taken regularly for several days.

Some side effects are drowsiness and dryness in nose and throat. These side effect may be more

troublesome than allergic rhinitis. For a quick relief from a stuffy nose, a decongestant nose drop or

nasal spray can ease the symptoms. These decongestant nose drops or nasal sprays should not be used

often because they tend to aggravate symptoms they are suppose to suppress. The medication only

suppresses symptoms but does not alter allergic reactions. "If a person has an allergy and does not know

what triggered it, we take either a blood or skin test to determine which allergen the patient is allergic too.

A RAST test, which is a blood test, may show what is triggering the allergy symptoms. If a patient is

allergic to allergens in the air, such as pollens, animal mites and moles, we perform a series of skin tests

to see which allergen has affected the patient. When a patient is treated for dust allergies, it is mostly for

the mite part." To prevent allergic reactions , the doctor said, "If a person has mite allergies, they should

wash their bed linen in the hot water cycle frequently. If animals bother them, then the animal should be

placed in another home. They should replace feather, animal hair pillows and mattresses with urethane

foam, foam rubber of non-allergic material and put airtight plastic covers on mattresses. The rugs or
carpets should be eliminated and replaced with types that can be kept dust free, then vacuum to remove

any dust remaining." If a person has hay fever, they should stay indoors during the hay fever season,

especially when pollen count is high. Don’t rub your eyes and try to avoid wearing contact lens because

of eye irritation. Allergies to food can affect individuals. Two people can be allergic to the same food,

but react differently. One person may be able to eat food only when cooked, because allergen is heat

sensitive, others may only be able to eat food raw because allergen is formed when cooking. Some

people have allergies to common foods such as corn, wheat, milk, chocolate, egg, and soy. In food

allergies, the allergens cause symptoms that may affect the intestines, or absorb into the bloodstream and

come in contact with antibodies in blood vessels, which cause headaches, or rash. Other people have

allergic reaction to drugs. In a case like this the doctor will prescribe another replacement. "Allergies

can also trigger sinus attacks. Sinuses depend on open airways for drainage. Once they become closed

and swollen, sinus problem can occur. Because allergies affect sinuses, you may also have tooth pain,"

the doctor said.

Dr. William Poirier of ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) Associates of Massachusetts, Inc.