What Allergies Are High Right Now

Pollen Allergy Testing And Treatment

The good news is that you dont have to suffer through tree pollen season. Be sure to contact an allergy and asthma specialist for a formal allergy evaluation, preferably before the season begins or very early in the season. You may already know that you have a seasonal allergy, but do not know just which pollen you are allergic to. Allergists can determine the specific pollens that are causing your problems and can tell you when that pollen is expected to be in the air.

Your allergist will take a detailed history of any reactions youve had, then if indicated, he or she can test for allergies to identify the culprit allergen and determine the best course of treatment.

The most common method of testing for pollen allergies is a simple skin prick test. At our office, we use a very fine stylet that is lightly pressed against the skin. The stylet introduces individual pollens and other allergens to the immune system in your skin. If youre allergic or sensitive to a particular allergen, a small pink raised bump will appear within minutes where the skin prick test was placed.

For some people, a blood test may be the best option to determine your allergic sensitivity. A small amount of your blood is taken and tested to check for antibodies that respond to specific allergens. Depending on your allergy test results, we can offer guidance about the best and most direct course of action for your symptoms.

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Tree Pollen Allergy Symptoms

A sensitivity to pollen causes your body to produce an abundance of allergic antibodies called IgE. IgE allows your immune system to launch a full scale allergic response when it sees a culprit tree pollen. These reactions result in a flood of histamines in your eyes and respiratory tract and can lead to following allergy symptoms:

• Itchy and tearing/watery red eyes. Your eyes may be inflamed, itchy and red. There might also be crust along your eyelids, most commonly experienced upon waking in the morning.
• Bags under the eyes. You might also notice dark circles and bags under your eyes. These are sometimes called allergic shiners and are due to congested blood vessels associated with nasal inflammation.
• Runny nose. People with tree pollen allergies experience nasal congestion and a runny nose at the same time. A runny nose might also result in post-nasal drip. Children can develop a semi-permanent crease along their noses from constantly rubbing the tips of their runny noses upwarda maneuver affectionately termed the allergic salute!
• Sneezing and congestion. You may sneeze frequently, have an itchy nose, and feel pressure in your nose and sinuses.
• Coughing fits or sore throats. Allergies to tree pollen may also cause you to experience a scratchy, sore throat. The discomfort can be due to inflammation, post-nasal drip or both. Depending on how much youre coughing, you could also develop laryngitis and hoarseness.

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What Time Of Year Do Allergens Appear

• Mold is present to varying degrees all year, with higher counts in summer and fall
• Cedar pollen causes allergic reactions in many Central Texans. Counts typically peak in January to early February
• Oak peaks between end of March and the beginning of April
• Pecan counts peak end of April to the beginning of May
• Grass is indistinguishable under a microscope. It can last from March to September, with the highest counts typically appearing in May and June
• Elm counts peak between the end of February and the beginning of March
• Ash counts peak between the end of February and the beginning of March
• Ragweed season starts in August and can last through November. Its highest typically from the end of September to the beginning of October

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How Our Allergycast Predictions Work

Wondering how your day may be affected by your allergy symptoms? Knowing local pollen levels can help, but many allergy sufferers need more than just a pollen count to plan their day.

The Zyrtec® AllergyCast® app goes beyond pollen levels alone. Our personalized symptom severity prediction technology calculates how the local pollen levels in the air may make you feel – giving you your very own personalized symptom severity prediction. Its like a “real-feel” forecast for your allergies!

When you start using the app, youll receive pollen levels and a generalized allergy symptom severity prediction based on data including local pollen levels, weather conditions, and air quality. To unlock personalized symptom severity predictions, simply sign in and track your symptoms. The more consistently you log, the more personalized your symptom severity predictions will become.

After youve started tracking allergy symptoms, youll get a daily symptom severity prediction, as well as an allergy forecast for the next several days! Its calculated using unique-to-you factors like your tracked symptoms and the local weather, with some help from Zyrtec®s allergy experts.

Did AllergyCast® predict a “Mild” symptom day? Great! You can expect less sniffling and sneezing.

Are “Severe” symptoms predicted? You may want to have some tissues handy or plan to spend less time outside that day.

How Does Climate Change Impact Seasonal Allergies

Many scientists and doctors think climate change is a factor behind the recent extreme pollen seasons and rise in seasonal allergies. Fueled by higher temperatures and milder winters, plants bloom earlier and for longer periods of time in many parts of the country. The extended growing season means higher levels of pollen in the air and worsened allergies for many people.

Many people with allergies experience worse seasonal allergy symptoms when early spring weather fluctuates between warm and cold. This is called the priming effect. When theres an early warm spell, trees and grass release a first round of pollen. The resulting allergic reaction primes a persons immune system for more severe pollen reactions later in the spring.

During longer allergy seasons with high pollen counts, allergy patients may find they need to use more medication to manage symptoms. Talk with your doctor about whether you should adjust your allergy management plan or medication schedule. Your doctor can also discuss whether allergen immunotherapy for pollen is right for you.

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Know When To Take Your Allergy Medications

Did you know you can start taking your allergy medication before symptoms even arrive?

While allergy seasons seem to be starting earlier and lasting longer these days, pollen seasons are somewhat predictable. So, start taking allergy medications about two weeks before the allergy season and your symptoms begin. Then, continue taking them regularly throughout the rest of the season. Once inflammation starts, it may take longer to get relief.

Oral antihistamines take about a half hour to get into your system. Bedtime is a good time to take allergy medications. Many last 24 hours, which means theyll be working through the next day.

When To Seek Medical Help

If youâre unresponsive to over-the-counter allergy medication or if your allergies cause you to cough or wheeze, you could suffer from more than allergies â which means itâs time to see a doctor. Allergies can turn into asthma or an upper-respiratory illness such as bronchitis or a sinus infection, so itâs important to see an allergist who can assess your symptoms and develop a tailored treatment plan, which includes testing you for food allergies, asthma, and other conditions.

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Consider Nasal Washing With Sinus Rinses

Sinus rinses are a popular allergy treatment that you can do at home, working well with antihistamines and nasal sprays. The neti pot may be one of the most recognizable sinus rinse products.

A neti pot can be picked up at any local drugstore or online, and typically comes with packets to mix with warm, distilled water to create a saltwater solution. Using the pot to pour the solution through your nasal cavities, you can flush out gunk and allergens to reduce swelling and ease symptoms.

Whats The Pollen Forecast

Pollen comes from blooming grasses, plants, trees and weeds. It is carried far and wide by the wind. You might be allergic to one kind of pollen and not another.

Pollen counts vary with the weather and location, so pollen allergies differ dramatically from person to person. For this reason, its essential to know which types of pollen will trigger your allergy symptoms. Monitor your areas pollen count daily. Work with your doctor to avoid exposure and treat symptoms.

Pollen counts measure how much pollen is in the air on a given day. Scientists use air sampling devices to collect particles from the air and then analyze them. They identify types of pollen as well as how much of each is in the sample. A pollen count covers a large area since pollen is airborne and is measured by grains of pollen in a cubic meter.

Government agencies, universities and commercial research institutions measure pollen counts to provide information to the public. They also determine how different allergens affect people and develop medications and treatments for allergy sufferers.

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Why Do We Count The Pollen

People with allergy symptoms should keep an eye on pollen levels, even when they are low, so they can start taking the right medicines and precautions as soon as possible.

The pollen count measures how much pollen is in the air, but it doesnt have anything to do with a persons symptoms or how bad they might be. A low pollen count doesnt always mean that there arent many symptoms, and a high pollen count doesnt always mean that there are a lot of health problems. When there are a lot of pollen grains in the air, people should usually take more care.

How To Handle Fall Allergies

There are basic habits that can help mitigate the amount of pollen you track into your home. Keep your windows closed as much as possible, especially on sunny, windy days when pollen levels are particularly high, and remove your shoes at the door. You may also want to take a shower and change your clothes when you arrive home. HEPA air filters can help clean the air indoors and remove mold and dander. Try to vacuum your home more frequently, especially if you have pets, Dr. Hong said daily if you can. Consider washing your sheets regularly as well, and if possible, keep your pets out of your bedroom, Dr. Hong said, so they dont track pollen onto your pillow.

When you do go outside, you might want to wear a hat and sunglasses, Dr. Pham said, which can shield your face from pollen.

Medications are also a critical tool. Over-the-counter intranasal steroids like fluticasone and triamcinolone can help alleviate sniffling and congestion eye drops can wash away irritants and treat symptoms like itchy, red, watery eyes. These targeted interventions tend to be more helpful than oral antihistamines, Dr. Pham said, although oral antihistamine tablets can also alleviate symptoms particularly itching, sneezing and runny nose. Some oral antihistamines, like Benadryl, may make people drowsy.

Every year, Dr. Peters said, everyone says: This is the worst possible allergy season.

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What Are Seasonal Allergies

Experienced by 10 and 30 percent of all adults in the United States, seasonal allergies are allergies that occur during any season around the year. These occur mainly due to the spores released by mold and pollen released by certain plants, trees and weeds to pollinate and fertilize other plants. These spores and pollen particles drift in the air and enter our bodies, activating our defense mechanism.

The two worst seasons for seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever, across the U.S. are fall and winter.

What Treatment Is Available For Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

You can reduce seasonal allergy symptoms by following these tips:

• Stay indoors on high pollen count days.
• Take over-the-counter antihistamines such as Claritin, Zyrtec, or Allegra.
• Use a high efficiency particulate air purifier.
• Keep your windows closed and use air conditioning.
• Start taking allergy medicine before pollen season begins. Doing so will help block inflammation before it begins, and make your symptoms easier to control.
• Shower before going to bed to remove allergens.
• Wash your sheets and other bedding in hot, soapy water weekly.
• Wear a hat and sunglasses outdoors to limit pollen exposure.
• Change clothes when you come indoors.
• Take over-the-counter antihistamines such as loratadine , cetirizine , or fexofenadine .
• Use eye drops such as Opcon A or Patanol for eye symptoms. Consider nasal sprays such as fluticasone or azelastine for sneezing and nasal congestion symptoms.

For concerns about allergies, visit UPMC Urgent Care. For more severe allergy or asthma symptoms, you should see your doctor. A skin-prick test can pinpoint the cause of your seasonal allergies. Your doctor may prescribe immunotherapy shots to build up your immunity to your allergy triggers.

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How Can We Make Our Allergies Less Bad

There are obviously over-the-counter medication options, but allergists like Pathria can also help build tolerance.

There are options like allergen immunotherapy where someones system is able over time to build their tolerance to what theyre allergic to, Pathria said. Classically what we do is we provide small doses of what people are allergic to over the course of several months ago and every month people come in for a allergy immune injection.

She said that people with more severe seasonal allergies sometimes have lived with them long enough that theyve stopped looking for long-term solutions.

Its challenging because some of those patients who we could actually make a strong impact for, in their quality of life, dont actually make it through our door because theyve just gotten used to it.

Learn What Youre Allergic To

Dr. Cajigal can help you determine if your symptoms are caused by allergies and pinpoint what youre allergic to so you can find relief. Diagnosis starts with a thorough medical history, and usually involves skin or blood tests to determine your allergic triggers. Once youre aware of whats causing your allergies, there are steps you can take to minimize exposure to allergens, effectively manage allergic reactions if they occur, and prevent certain allergic reactions altogether.

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Wellness And Prevention Services At Trustcare

At TrustCare, we believe that annual wellness exams are necessary for confidence, peace of mind, and positive health. We offer annual wellness exams between the hours of 8 am to 11 am. At the appointment, we will discuss your medical history, perform a detailed physical exam, and perform lab tests. We recommend that you do not eat or drink after midnight prior to visiting our clinic.

We also provide camp, sports, and school physicals for children. Physicals are necessary to ensure your child is in good health prior to engaging in physical activities that could hurt him or her. Our physicians can assess your childs physical health at any of our TrustCare without an appointment.

We also administer numerous vaccinations to help prevent serious illnesses, such as:

• Yearly flu shots

• Workers compensation injury management
• Hearing screenings

TrustCare also provides workers compensation treatment for employees whove suffered injuries on the job. We provide a care coordinator to assist the employee in finding high-quality care and communicate with the employer about the circumstances of the injury.

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How To Monitor The Weather To Manage Allergies And Asthma

If you live with asthma or allergies, managing your triggers to avoid symptom flare-ups is a part of everyday life. Environmental allergens such as pollen and mold are common triggers. You may not realize that changes in the weather can also affect your asthma and allergies.

Weather conditions such as temperature changes, humidity changes, thunderstorms, rain and wind can inflame the airways, leading to flare-ups. People with respiratory conditions tend to breathe through the mouth and doing so brings weather-related irritants directly to the lungs. It also doesnt allow your nose to regulate the humidity and air temperature.

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You Can Thank Your Old Pal Climate Change

Itchy, watery eyes. A runny nose. Pounding headaches. These and other frustrating ailments that come along with seasonal allergies are at an all-time high this year. If your sinuses havent alerted you, then maybe the internet has. Nearly every day since April, you can find a plethora of memes and gags about how allergies this year are wreaking havoc on peoples day-to-days, fighting for their lives, even, now more than ever.

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Theres a reason it seems like allergies are terrorizing us at a much higher rate than in previous years: its because they are. But why? Well, we can thank our old pal climate change.

Climate change and global warming have caused longer allergy seasons, and the increase in carbon dioxide levels from rising greenhouse gases causes more potent pollinating or super pollinator plants since plants feed off of CO2, Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergist and immunologist with Allergy & Asthma Network, tells InsideHook.

As explained by Vox, higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are causing the planet to heat up. There are warmer winters and earlier springs, which gives plants the opportunity to start pollen production sooner, which then leads to more pollen. Plus, as the concentration of carbon dioxide increases, it causes plants to grow bigger. Bigger plants produce larger amounts of pollen and spread more seeds, which, as Vox notes, produces more pollen-spewing plants in the next season.