Nip it in the Bud: How to Prevent Allergies from Taking Over

April showers bring May flowers, but in addition to the beautiful flowers blooming, the month of May also brings about the worst of spring allergies. The rainy weather hydrates plants and with the flood of pollen in the air, allergy sufferers can find themselves trying to cope with a multitude of powerful allergens in the air at once. And although it’s estimated that more than 50 million Americans suffer from some type of allergy, with pollen and ragweed as the most common allergens, people are still not doing enough to battle allergy season. Ellen R. Sher, M.D., Board-Certified Allergist and Immunologist from Monmouth Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, offers tips on how average allergy sufferers can make allergies more manageable.

“There are, of course, some gold standard tips for minimizing the impact of inhalant allergens, specifically allergens like pollen and ragweed,” said Dr. Sher. “Nasal saline washes or sprays and lubricating eye drops can wash pollen away from those key areas and minimize the impact. Monitoring the pollen levels can also help you limit your time spent outdoors during peak pollen days.”

Avoid activities like lawn mowing and gardening and if you have to do either of these things, Dr. Sher advises individuals to wear a mask or sunglasses and a hat to avoid contact with irritating allergens. Certain times of the days are better to go out than others, too. For example, peak pollen is first thing in the morning and at dusk. There are even certain weather conditions that can aggravate allergies. According to Dr. Sher, windy days tend to make allergies worse and rainy days are less problematic for allergy sufferers.

“When the pollen counts are high and it is windy outside, keep your windows closed,” Dr. Sher added. “And when you come inside from being outside, take your shoes off, change your clothes and shower to wash pollen off and avoid taking it inside with you.”

In fact, minimizing the allergens in your home can have a positive effect on reducing the severity of your spring allergies.

“We often instruct patients to do things in their home all year to decrease exposure to indoor allergens because they can have an intensifying effect once pollen season comes around,” said Dr. Sher. “If you have a home full of indoor allergens, when pollen is introduced, the negative effects are multiplied. Limiting your indoor exposure helps make you less symptomatic when spring comes around.”

Ways to reduce indoor inhalant allergens include:

• Running the AC instead of keeping windows open
• Running an air filtration system
• Check for mold in the home - check under carpets, in cabinets and in bathrooms for mold and take the necessary precautions to climate it and if needed have it professionally removed
• Encasing mattresses, pillows and box spring to reduce exposure to dust mites
• Washing all bedding in hot water to kill dust mites on the surface
• Washing pets frequently to reduce pet dander (at least once every two weeks)
• See an allergist

“Board-certified allergists can recommend proper medication and can recommend allergen immunotherapy to decrease your sensitivity to certain allergens,” said Dr. Sher. “People misinterpret sensitivities for allergies all the time. Just being exposed to weather changes and perfumes and irritants can cause nasal and ocular allergy symptoms, but they aren’t truly an allergic reaction. Only an allergist can properly identify an allergy.”

Allergists will help the patient find out exactly what their triggers are, what times of year they are more susceptible to triggers and can advise when to start medication before pollen gets high.

“Being proactive can make a huge difference,” said Dr. Sher. “Because once you’re already in the midst of really struggling with your allergies, it can be more difficult to alleviate and can require more medication.”

Much like sensitivities, people misinterpret colds for allergies as well. To distinguish between the two, Dr. Sher reminds people that a common cold typically gets progressively worse and then slowly improves. Whereas allergies are more variable, depending on the weather conditions and pollen counts.

“Although the symptoms can be similar, allergies symptoms generally do not include aches and pains or fevers, when cold symptoms can,” said Dr. Sher. “Allergies also more commonly cause itchy eyes than common colds do.”

If you suspect that you are one of the 50 million Americans who struggle with allergies or are looking for ways to get a better handle on your allergies, schedule an appointment with an allergist at Monmouth Medical Center by calling 1-888-724-7123.