It seems that everyone has “hay fever” these days. If you don’t believe me, just ask people if they are suffering from sneezing, stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes, and itching of the nose, eyes, or even mouth!
But What Does It Really Mean to Have Hay Fever?
Hay fever is the eye and nose allergy condition (allergic rhinoconjunctivitis) caused by ragweed pollens, which is the yellow part of the plant. It is caused by tree pollens and is often called “rose bush fever.” It’s amazing how the names don’t match the cause!
How Does it Affect Me?
Ragweed pollens can float through the air for at least 300 miles on their quest to make new ragweed plants. These pollens are inhaled by people and recognized by their IgE antibodies on the nasal or eye mucosal surface as intruders and set off the allergic reaction. That leads to the itchy, watery eyes and/or the itchy, sneezy, runny, congested nose--yuck!
What About Diagnosis?
Allergists use the time of the year a patient has their allergy symptoms and matches that to the allergens they are tested for (plus an exam, etc.) to get to the hay fever diagnosis. Once that is done, a treatment plan and medication options are presented to the patient.
Tips to Feel Better
Avoiding allergies by keeping the house closed and using the A/C helps some people feel better. However, others need to add medications like antihistamines. For others, they need to take antihistamines and a nasal steroid daily starting 10 days or so before the pollen starts. Allergy eye drops can also decrease some of the itchy, watery eye symptoms. If these interventions don’t work well enough, the patient receives immunotherapy to become less allergic long-term so symptoms are greatly reduced and not as much medication is needed. Both allergy shots and under the tongue immunotherapy options are available for ragweed allergy.
That’s the story with hay fever. There’s no reason to put up with it!
For people with ragweed allergies or hay fever, April is the best month to see your allergist. By visiting your allergist in April, they can help you become less allergic by using under the tongue immunotherapy tabs that take 3 to 4 months to become effective.
If you suffer from ragweed allergies or hay fever, don’t hesitate or put off immunotherapy. Schedule an appointment now by contacting our team!
