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Get Control of Your Allergies
By: Sanjeev Jain, MD, PhD
Sitesh R. Roy MD, FAAP, FAAAAI, FACAAI
Columbia Asthma & Allergy Clinic
It's spring. Flowers are blooming, the grass is green and you just want to get out and wallow in those warmer temps. However, allergy sufferers and those who succumb to spring colds, need to be wary that when symptoms linger, a sinus infection can develop.
For allergy sufferers, environmental control is the key. That means keeping windows closed when it's warmer, leaving the AC on recirculation mode to filter out pollens and ensuring filters are changed regularly.
The American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology recommends:
- Doing a spring cleaning of areas like windows and bookshelves, which collect allergy provoking dust and mold throughout the winter.
- Knowing your local pollen count and postponing outdoor activities until late morning (pollens are usually released in the early morning hours).
- Leaving windows up and the AC on when driving.
- Staying indoors on hot, dry, windy days.
- Wearing a filter mask when mowing the lawn and drying your laundry inside instead of hanging it outside where allergens can collect on it.
- Being aware of high mold spore counts after a heavy rain or in the evening.
Equally imperative is cleaning up and changing clothes when you've been outside, says Josephson, since allergens, like pollen, can stick to fabrics and be deposited from clothes onto furniture, pillows and the people around you.
"Before you go to bed, take a shower, wash your hair, change your clothes," he notes. "Otherwise you're putting pollen into bedding where you're spending the next eight hours sleeping."
The same rule applies for kids, especially if they've been playing outside. Before they hop into bed, change and bathe them if anyone in the family has allergies.
Doctors suggest irrigating nasal passages/sinuses at the first sign of colds or allergies. Sprays like Ocean or Ayr or Little Noses (for kids) and Neti pots - teapot-shaped devices used for nasal rinsing - can help remove stuck mucous from nasal passages. Saline irrigation not only heads off infections, but also reduces the need for antibiotics in those who are prone. Experts advise flushing sinuses every day and if necessary, taking antihistamines, such as Claritin, which with your doctor's approval, can be used before symptoms start.
There are also big guns. You can't lock yourself in a sealed room, but if other methods fail, prescription medication, such as oral steroids or nasal steroid and antihistamine sprays, are urged. Taken regularly, they avert infection, and for those predisposed, can be started prior to the onset of spring.
Staying hydrated also eases symptoms by thinning mucous and allowing it to flow freely. Reducing stress and keeping your immune system strong by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants can be beneficial too. The alternative minded might try a halotherapy, which mimics the microclimate of salt caves via sea salt, reputed to help clear nasal passages.
Swimming in salt water can be soothing.
Untreated, sinusitis can lead to more serious complications, including meningitis or vision problems. So, if cold or allergy symptoms worsen despite your best efforts, be sure to see an Allergist-Immunologist who can skin/blood test you for the different things you are allergic to, teach you avoidance measures and prescribe medications or allergy shots as needed. New combinations of medical therapy are avaiable for your relief now.
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