American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Offers Advice to Seasonal Allergy Sufferers

Fall Allergy Season Strikes Again

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TRIGGERS

• Ragweed, the pollen most responsible for hay fever in North America, is found in high concentrations throughout the Northeast and Midwest and can grow anywhere. Blooming from mid-August to October, each ragweed plant produces one billion pollen grains per average season and can travel 300 to 400 miles.
  
  
• Outdoor molds, common in the North during the fall and year-round in the South and West Coast, are found in soil, vegetation and rotting wood. They begin to appear after spring thawing and peak in late summer or early autumn.
  
  
• Fall pollinating trees, flowers and weeds, including sagebrush, pigweed, tumbleweed, and Russian thistles are troublesome in the South.
  
  
• As the weather becomes cooler, houses are more likely to be closed up. This may increase allergic reactions to individuals allergic to dust mites.
  
  

RELIEF

• Overall avoidance is the best measure of relief. Although refraining from all allergic sources is impossible, there are some measures to take that may be helpful. Allergy sufferers should be reminded that although allergy season has been underway for several weeks, they may not see complete relief until the first frost occurs in their area.
  
  
• Stay indoors between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. since this is when pollen counts are highest.
  
  
• Rainy, cloudy or windless days serve to alleviate the allergic condition causing pollen to disperse slowly. The best time for outdoor activities for a pollen sensitive person is immediately following a heavy rainfall.
  
  
• Allergy sufferers should avoid raking leaves. If avoiding the outdoors is impossible, shoes and clothing worn outside should remain outdoors or be washed immediately in hot water.
  
  
• When using flowers in household decorating, choose large and bright flowers. They have larger pollens which are less likely to cause allergic reactions. Avoid using dried weeds and grasses in floral arrangements. In addition, limiting the number of household plants will prevent an abundance of mold growing in wet soil.
  
  
• Close windows to prevent wind borne allergens from coming indoors and turn air conditioners on to decrease humidity.
  
  
• Know the pollen levels in your area by calling the National Allergy Bureau's(TM) toll-free information line at 800-9-POLLEN to receive weekly pollen and mold spore counts.
  
  
• Consult an allergist to discuss appropriate treatments. An allergist may recommend antihistamines to relieve and prevent symptoms, decongestants to treat nasal congestion and other symptoms, allergy nose sprays, or immunotherapy, also known as "allergy shots" where extracts of the offending allergen are injected in small doses and gradually increased to reduce sensitivity.
  
  

As the sixth leading cause of chronic diseases in the United States, allergies affect as many as 50 million people, including six million children with allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever. Because allergies are hereditary, a child has a one in four chance of developing an allergy if one parent is allergic, and a two out of three chance if both parents are allergic.

Allergy symptoms should not be considered trivial since they substantially reduce an individual's quality of life and productivity. In addition, patients with allergies are more likely to develop asthma. "Moreover, recent studies are showing that optimal treatment of nasal allergies improves control of asthma," said Michael Schatz, M.D., Chair of the AAAAI Public Education Committee.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology is the largest professional medical specialty organization representing allergists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals, and other physicians with an interest in allergic disease. Established in 1943, the Academy has more than 5,400 members in the U.S., Canada and 41 other countries.

CONTACT: Joan Geiger, jgeiger@aaaai.org, or Sarah Cox, scox@aaaai.org, both of American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, 414-272-6071, 414-272-6070