Allegeries will spring to life in Spring

Monday, March 21, 2005

It might still seem a bit early, but now is the time for the millions of Americans who suffer from spring and summer allergies to be going on the offensive against their pollen problem. It depends on what you’re allergic to, but when the pollen gets in the air, it’s like an all of a sudden assault on the sinuses.

So the trick is to prime your system before that happens.

“It usually starts around March going into the beginning of the spring season when the little flowers come out I’m in trouble.”

The time is now for Elizabeth James, who suffers from tree and grass allergies. You know her symptoms. ”Itchy throat, eyes, my ears, nose sneezing and things like that. Miserable.”

Dr. Clifford Bassett, an allergist and asthma specialist, says, “As we get into the spring time, we’re looking at the worst possible months for people with seasonal allergies, and those are patients with allergies to tree pollen, grass pollen, and they know who they are because its starting already with itchiness of the eyes nose and throat, repetitive sneezing congestion, post nasal drip and sometimes asthma can get worse, and its only going to get worse.”

But it doesn’t have to be that way. The best way to approach your spring allergies is to get a head start on them, before they begin.

“What I recommend to most of my patients is early treatment is good treatment and if they start with their nasal steroids and antihistamines a couple of weeks before the allergy season hits they are going to do better then waiting until they are really bad,” says Dr. Bassett.

While there are many allergy treatments available over the counter, including the antihistamines, if you’re a major allergy sufferer, you probably need to see the doctor to get a prescription for nasal steroids, which are perhaps the best weapons against allergies. “You want to use it before the season and you want to use it while you’re symptomatic,” says Bassett.

Many experts will say combine that with one of the non-sedating antihistamines, like Claritin or Allegra, and the allergy season may pass you by and you won’t notice it.

As for Elizabeth, says she says she always waits until it’s too late. But this year is going to be different. “I think if I start using it now I would be better when I start early I have no problem.”

Dr. Bassett says the best approach is to see an allergy specialist to get the right testing and best treatment for the best possible outcome this allergy season.