[Allergy & Asthma Corner]

If you live in the Midwest and have seasonal pollen allergy this is a very good time of the year. We are in between the tree/grass pollen season (spring and early summer) and ragweed season (late summer/fall). Ragweed pollen explodes into the air around August 15th every year.

So, why might you be still suffering despite the brief interlude between pollen seasons? Here are some reasons:

1) You may be allergic to mold spores which remain high because of the heat, humidity and intermittent rain.

2) Changing humidity, barometric pressure and temperature may cause sinus blockage, headache and drainage.

3) Air pollution may become a prevalent factor in the summer because of increased ground level ozone, sulfur and nitric oxides, diesel and other fossil fuel exhausts from cars and industry. Hot, humid summers tend to be associated with decreased dispersal of air pollutants, especially when a layer of cooler air sits atop layer of warmer air.

What can you do?

-See your doctor or allergist about adjusting your medications for allergy.

-Nasal sinus rinses may be helpful this time of the year (actually anytime of the year)

-Review indoor environmental controls to make certain your indoor triggers are not contributing to your problem.

-Air-conditioned environments are better in order to reduce indoor mold and dust mite impact.

-Keep your car windows up and home windows down.

-Find more tips about mold here.

Did I leave anything out?

Let me know what you think.

 

-By the way, I just posted (on Health Central) information about:"The Use and Misuse of OTC Antihistamine/Decongestants" (Take a look!)

 

True or False? :

1) A mother that smoked during and after pregnancy is more likely to have a child that wheezes in their first few years of life.

 

2) A toddler that had RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) bronchiolitis as an infant but no personal or family history of allergy is at high risk of having allergic asthma.

 

3) There are recent studies which confirm the importance of avoiding high risk allergy foods during pregnancy to prevent childhood allergic problems.

 

4) Children with mild asthma at age 6 will often grow out of asthma.

 

5) Inhaled steroids will prevent the development of asthma if given to the wheezing infant.

 

6) Peanut allergy is life-long so there is no point in retesting to see if the child remains allergic.

 

7) Allergy shots are the only disease modifying (this means the treatment may continue to work long after it has been stopped) allergy treatment approved by the FDA for treatment of allergic asthma and nasal problems.

 

(Answers are located in the answer widget to the left) 

 

Link of the Week: (Allergy Treatment: The doctor prescribed worms? )

I will be posting a review on this article (stay tuned for the link to my review). Here is the review I posted on HealthCentral.com: (click here)