Check Your Health: Allergies in the Fall
Allergies are not limited to springtime. This time of year, as fall quickly approaches, so does a new round of allergies for many people. “It can be spring, summer, fall, and depending if you’re allergic to any indoor allergens as well, you can have allergies all-year around,” says Dr. Cecilia Nguyen with Intermountain Southridge Allergy Clinic at Riverton Hospital. Dr. Nguyen says the biggest culprit of allergies in the fall are weeds. “It doesn’t really matter what’s in your neighbor’s yard or your yard because they can pollinate for miles. The windy days are going to be the days where you see a lot more pollen flying around,” says Dr. Nguyen. The most common allergy symptoms include: • Sneezing • Nasal Congestion • Watery Eyes • Itchy Eyes, Nose, and Ears If you have allergy symptoms, then a skin test might be a good idea to assess for allergies. A quick test can see if you have reactions to different pollens, molds, dust, mites, cats, dogs, horses, feathers, etc. “It’s not a needle. We don’t inspect any blood. It’s just a little plastic prong that we dip in the allergen, and we just kind of lightly scratch the top surface of your skin. The worst part for most adults is really the itching because you can’t touch it for 15 minutes,” says Dr. Nguyen. For allergy sufferers, treatment options are available – including both over-the-counter and prescription. “You can take medications like the nasal sprays – those are going to be your Flonase, Nasacort, Rhinocort, and sometimes antihistamines may be indicated if you are allergic to certain things,” says Dr. Nguyen. Another option is immunotherapy. This involves training your immune system to be comfortable seeing the allergen. Traditionally this is done through allergy shots. “We give you little bits of what you’re allergic to through shots and then hopefully train your immune system to be okay to see the allergen,” says Dr. Nguyen. Additional tips for allergy sufferers: • Monitor pollen count – especially if you’re planning to spend time outside • Wear an NIOSH rated N95mask when raking leaves, mowing the lawn, or gardening • Use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter • Track your allergy symptoms – write down when and where you have symptoms and talk to your allergist. Together you can develop a treatment plan.
