Seasonal Allergies Welcome to the Affordable Drugs seasonal allergies information page. This seasonal allery information is provided to help allergy sufferers and their families to find useful allergy info to help them in their fight against allergies. This information is not intended to replace the professional advice of your physician. Please feel free to browse the various seasonal allergy topics including cancer symptoms, cancer causes and cancer treatments.
What Are Seasonal Allergies? A seasonal allergy, or "hay fever", is a term used to describe a specific set of respiratory conditions caused by airborne pollens from weeds, grasses, flowers, and trees. The condition affects the mucus membranes of the nasal passage, resulting in allergic rhinitis, and the membrane of the eyelid, causing conjunctivitis. The symptoms can be more serious in asthmatic individuals, sometimes affecting the lungs. Seasonal allergies affect an estimated 40 million Americans, with over $1 billion spent annually in treatment costs. Typically not considered a serious condition, seasonal allergies can cause extreme discomfort as well as a disruption of daily activities. Common reactions may include sneezing, headache, itchy throat, swollen sinuses, runny nose, and itching, watery eyes.
Seasonal allergies are normally associated with specific times of the year, primarily the spring and autumn months, when certain plants or trees are in pollination. Pollen season can vary throughout the country, with southern states experiencing longer seasons than the Midwest or northern states. Some western states experience extended grass pollination, from early spring into late autumn. The pollens that cause allergic reactions can vary with the seasons. Common spring culprits are trees, such as birch, juniper, elm, oak, maple, alder, and olive. In the summer months, many common grasses, such as Bermuda, orchard, and timothy can cause a reaction. Summer weeds, such as Russian Thistle and English plantain, can cause seasonal allergies. In the autumn months, the most common cause is Ragweed. Mold spores, which are often airborne for extended periods during the spring, summer, and fall, can also trigger seasonal allergies. An individual may react to one or all of the pollens and molds, depending upon the sensitivity of the immune system.
When seasonal plants pollinate, they release airborne pollens and spores into the atmosphere. These pollens can invade the body through the eyes, nose, or throat, triggering an allergic reaction in some individuals. The reaction is precipitated by an over-reactive immune system, and those individuals with more sensitive immune systems may suffer a seasonal allergy attack. In these individuals, the immune system mounts a defense against the allergens, and releases a specific antibody, IgE. IgE then triggers other immune system mast cells to release histamines to counter the invasion. Histamine is a chemical within the body that causes running nose, teary eyes, and itching. This reaction can begin immediately upon exposure to the pollen or mold, and can last an hour or more, subside, then return. Secondary infections can be caused by the nasal passages blocking the increased mucus, which can then be infected by bacteria or viruses, resulting in an infection of the sinuses.
The duration and severity of seasonal allergies varies greatly from one individual to another. Some individuals experience only brief and minor discomfort, while other individuals may experience reactions that are more severe bringing disruption to their daily routines.
Allergies Symptoms The CDC classifies allergens as nonparasitic antigens, substances that are "capable of inducing allergy or specific hypersensitivity." These are substances that are normally harmless - pollen, pet dander, dust, among many others - but for some people, they cause an allergic reaction wherein the immune system overreacts. The person's immune system considers the allergen harmful, so it responds, leading to a host of unpleasant symptoms.
The Body's Allergic Response
Once an allergen enters the system, the Immunoglobulin E antibody attacks it, releasing histamines into the blood. These chemicals cause the familiar symptoms of allergies - runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, among many others. This response is the body's way of expelling the allergen.
Seasonal Allergies
When seasonal allergens inflame and irritate the nasal passages, it causes what's known as allergic rhinitis. This is the most common chronic disease in the United States; it affects up to 30% of the adult population. Seasonal allergic rhinitis is prevalent when there are heavy concentrations of spores and pollen in the air, usually at specific times of the year, every year. Symptoms of allergies include sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy nose and eyes, and postnasal drip, where mucous from the back of the nasal passage drips into the throat.
Ragweed is the most common cause of allergic rhinitis; it affects 75% of those with allergies. But the affliction can also be caused by grasses, tree pollen, mold spores, among other allergens. Perennial rhinitis is a similar condition, though it occurs year-round due to common allergens like dust, dust mites, pet dander, and non-seasonal household mold.
Symptoms of Allergies and Timing
Rhinitis allergic symptoms have two phases - early and late. The early phase occurs within minutes of being exposed to the allergen. Symptoms include runny nose, sneezing, and itching in one's nose, eyes, throat, or roof of the mouth. Late phase symptoms occur 4 to 8 hours later and include symptoms like fatigue, nasal congestion - possibly with plugged ears - irritability, and slower thinking. For those with severe allergies symptoms can include under-eye dark circles or puffy lower eyelids.
Symptoms of Allergies and Severity
Allergies symptoms are mild, moderate, or severe. Mild symptoms can include rash, itchy or watery eyes, or congestion. Moderate symptoms include itchiness and difficulty breathing. Severe symptoms include fatigue, trouble sleeping, and fuzzy thinking. Prolonged allergies may result in dehydration due to runny nose and eyes. People who have asthma may find that allergens exacerbate symptoms of that disease like shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing.
Variability of Symptoms
The severity of symptoms of allergies can seem to change from day to day. The weather plays an important role in how allergies affect sufferers. The severity of allergies mirrors the concentration of the allergen in the air - higher pollen counts result in worse allergies for those allergic to pollen.
Though allergies can make people miserable, there are ways to manage them. Paying attention to the timing and symptoms of allergies can help people determine what they're allergic to, which can in turn help them manage their body's reaction.
What is Ragweed? Ragweed is a common flowering plant from the Asteraceae family of sunflowers. This plant, native to North and South America, releases pollen which is responsible for the dreaded ragweed allergy. It grows in temperate climates. A single plant survives for a very short time, but can unleash as many as one billion pollen grains. They are most commonly found in rural areas, and their pollen can travel great distances through the air. This is a source of misery for many, as ragweed allergy is a common problem.
An allergy is an immune reaction to otherwise harmless normal environmental conditions. The immune system is designed to protect our body from harmful things, and allergies are a complication in this process. People with a ragweed allergy will get symptoms similar to that of hay fever when they inhale this type of pollen. A majority of Americans are affected by ragweed allergy. This makes this a very significant allergen.
Ragweed is anemophilous, meaning it is pollinated by the wind. This may be convenient for the ragweed plant itself, but it is quite miserable for those with a ragweed allergy. It is critical to note that an allergen or allergic reaction is not in and of itself a disease, but is a design flaw in that person's unique immune system. The immune system will develop these allergies due to genetic and environmental conditions. Some researches have suggested that children with brothers and sisters are less likely to develop allergies as their immune system is more actively fighting off actual diseases during their childhood development.
Symptoms of ragweed allergy can only occur in environments where ragweed pollen exists. This plant is only found in certain climates, so obviously someone who does not live in a place where ragweed pollen is found would have no noticeable symptoms of this type of allergy.
Our environment is loaded with beautiful plants that are necessary for a healthy eco-system. The ragweed plant is a part of this matrix which promotes healthy life. However, ragweed is an allergen that affects many people. For this reason it is important to take steps to influence how much ragweed people with serious allergies encounter. An allergy to ragweed can cause very uncomfortable symptoms.
Ragweed Allergies Ragweed allergies affect almost twenty percent of Americans every year, and are caused by exposure to the pollen of a ragweed. The ragweed plant grows throughout all of the United States, though it is most common in the East and Mid West, and though it only lives for one season, can produce and release well over one billion grains of allergy-inducing pollen per season. However, it is not the pollen in itself that is the cause of the allergy, but rather, a misguided response of the immune system. Normally, the immune system works to find and remove any viruses and bacteria that find their way into the human body. However, in the case of those with ragweed allergies, their immune system is especially sensitive, and reacts to normally harmless allergens as it would to a harmful disease or bacteria. This over reaction on the part of the immune system causes the sneezing, runny nose, headache and itchiness that are the typical symptoms of a ragweed allergy.
Like other allergen reactions, the reaction of the immune system to ragweed pollen comes in three stages. First, when the allergen, in this case ragweed pollen, is first inhaled, the body goes through a period of sensitization, where the body senses the allergen and starts a process known as an allergic cascade, during which the different cells in the immune system begin stimulating each other and transforming to create anti-bodies specific to the allergen in this case ragweed pollen, just as they would to fight a virus or bacteria.
With the next exposure, the body enters the "early phase", where immune system cells known as mast cells bind to the allergen, then release mediator cells to go throughout the body and find other perceived threats. This causes the typical ragweed allergy symptoms, including a sore throat, runny eyes and nose, and the swelling of airways in the lungs, leading to difficulty breathing.
Finally, in the "late phase" response, the body releases cells called eosinophils, which normally destroy bacteria and viruses, but in the case of ragweed allergies, merely end up damaging the lungs and throat tissues further, causing a more severe reaction and making the tissues more sensitive to subsequent exposure. This is why those who have ragweed allergies experience the same symptoms year after year.
There is no cure for ragweed allergies, however, there are a variety of treatment options.
Ragweed Pollen Ragweed with its 41 different varieties is one of the most common weeds found in America, and it grows in almost every region of the country. It thrives in vacant lots, along roadways, and in soils that have been plowed, shoveled, or tilled. Ragweed grows well in dry, hot weather. What makes ragweed such an irritating weed is that it is also an abundant producer of pollen. According to allergen specialist, Dr. Richard W. Weber, a single plant produces 1 billion grains of ragweed pollen, and that pollen is able to move over 100 miles from the plant on the wind. One of the reasons ragweed pollen is so highly allergenic is the sheer prevalence of its pollen levels in the air. There is an estimated 100 million tons of ragweed pollen airborne every year in the United States.
The ragweed pollen season extends from August to November; however, the peak levels of ragweed pollen are usually around mid-September. Since it is an airborne allergen, pollen levels are highest on windy days and in the morning hours after sunrise to around 10 am because the plant expels the pollen onto leaves in the morning.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for the allergic reaction to ragweed pollen, although some allergy medications can ease the symptoms of sneezing, watery eyes, and runny nose; the medication needs to be taken before going outside. However, there are some preventative strategies that can help avoid exposure to ragweed pollen, and thus help lessen allergic reactions.
Avoid being outdoors in the morning or on hot, windy days. The best time to be outdoors is when the humidity is above 70 percent, after a rain storm, or in the late afternoon.
Wear sunglasses outside to protect eyes from the ragweed pollen.
Wear a particles mask over the mouth and nose when mowing the lawn or working in the garden
Keep house windows and car windows closed, and don't use window or attic fans to cool off the house. An air conditioner that has a clean filter will keep pollen out.
Since pollen can cling to clothes, hair, and skin, it is a good idea to change clothes and shower after working or playing outside.
Pets can bring pollen into the house, so keep them inside or outside, but not both.
Don't hang clothes out to dry because they will collect ragweed pollen.
Ragweed Season Ragweed Season is considered to begin in August, traditionally on August 15. Over 30 million people in the United States suffer from ragweed allergies, and it is one of the most common allergies seen today. Ragweed allergies peak during the month of August because it is during that time that the plants begin to bloom. Ragweed is an extremely prolific pollen producer, with a single plant making up to one million grains of pollen each day. Due to the lightweight nature of these pollen grains, they are easily spread. It is common for ragweed pollen grains to travel hundreds of miles when carried by the wind.
Ragweed is a very hardy plant that can grow virtually anywhere. This plant is also able to grow and even thrive under the harshest of conditions. While it does grow all over the United States, ragweed is most common in the Northeast, South and Midwest. Ragweed is not purposefully cultivated, but tends to grow in vacant lots, by roadsides, and in virtually any area which is not fully paved.
While ragweed season usually lasts for only the warmer months, the plant may bloom as late as October in the Southern states. During rainy seasons, ragweed plants produce a higher than usual amount of pollen. If high humidity accompanies rainy weather, the ragweed pollen will not be spread as easily as usual due to clumping which makes it too heavy to become airborne.
Controlling the growth of ragweed is near impossible. Many methods to destroy, or at least stop the growth of, ragweed have been tried and met with failure. In large areas, chemical spraying has been able to control ragweed to some degree, but this is not possible in smaller or heavily populated areas. In some cases manually uprooting ragweed has worked, but this is a time consuming and often ineffective method due to the rampant pollination.
Ragweed season can be a very difficult time of year for those suffering from allergies, but there are ways to prevent and deal with it. Those who suffer from ragweed allergies are typically advised to make some minor lifestyle changes to avoid exposure, and to make ragweed season as easy as possible.
Allergy Prevention The key to allergy prevention is identifying the allergen and then developing strategies for avoiding it. Allergy sufferers often know that they have allergies because they suffer the associated symptoms, particularly rhinitis (a runny or "stuffed" nose); burning or watery eyes; itching of the nose, eyes, or skin; and dermatitis (a rash or inflammation of the skin). However, they may see no apparent cause for these symptoms and thus assume that they can do nothing to resolve them except perhaps take over-the-counter medication. In actuality, allergy prevention is quite possible, and, in many cases, relatively simple to accomplish once the offending allergen has been identified. Making some simple changes in lifestyle or in household management can go a long way towards relieving the symptoms experienced by most allergy sufferers. For instance, one of the most common allergies is an allergy to dust mite droppings. Dust mites are microscopic organisms that consume bits of sloughed-off human skin as well as particles of various synthetic materials. They can invade bedding and mattresses where they feast on the skin cells that individuals shed as a normal part of the human body's regenerative processes. People with dust mite allergies will often wake in the morning with a stuffed or runny nose as a result of their hours-long proximity to dust mite droppings in their pillows and bedding.
The symptoms of dust mite allergies can be prevented by washing the bedding frequently in very hot water, using protective plastic covers for mattresses and pillows, and putting stuffed animals and throw pillows in the freezer (the dryness of the freezer kills the dust mites) for twenty-four hours. Since dust mites need a moist environment in order to survive and propagate, the use of a dehumidifier can also be helpful in reducing symptoms.
Allergy prevention is also best accomplished by removing suspected allergens from one's environment one at a time and gauging the impact on the allergy sufferer's symptoms. For instance, if a dog or cat allergy is suspected, then the family pet can be sent to the home of a friend or relative for a week. If the symptoms resolve, then Spot or Morris may well be the culprit. The solution may involve giving the pet away, or if the prospect of doing so is too heartbreaking, taking other measures such as frequent bathing and grooming of the pet and frequent vacuuming to reduce the severity of allergy symptoms.
In addition, in infants and children, it is sometimes possible to achieve true "allergy prevention." That is, it is possible to prevent the development of allergies before they start in some instances. This is especially true in the case of food allergies. Studies have shown that delaying the introduction of solid food in infants until the age of six months results in significant decrease in the development of later food allergies. When solid food is introduced, pediatricians recommend introducing single-ingredient foods one at a time so as to detect any early food sensitivities in a child. Specialists also recommend exclusive breast-feeding for the first six months of life as the use of cow-milk based formulas may result in the development of milk-based allergies in later childhood.
In addition, it is wise to delay the introduction of foods most commonly responsible for allergies, including soy, nuts, shellfish, and eggs until at least three years of age. Ironically, although pet allergies are common, dogs are a good source of a substance known as endotoxin, which inhibits the development of allergies. Having a dog or two around the house during a child's infancy and early years can actually prevent the later onset of asthma. Finally, administering allergy shots or antihistamines for already existing allergies may be effective in preventing the development of new allergies in children.
Allergy Medications Allergy medications are any prescription or over-the-counter drug used to treat the symptoms of allergies such as sneezing, runny nose, congestion, itchy and water eyes, and edema (swelling). Depending on specific symptoms, your doctor could prescribe any number of allergy drugs to treat your specific symptoms.
Antihistamines
Antihistamines are allergy medications, taken orally, that block the histamine response (sneezing, watery eyes, itching) the body has to specific allergens. These work by building up inside the system of the individual taking the medication, like Zyrtec or Claritin, or by working rapidly for instant relief, like Benadryl. Taken regularly, these allergy drugs work very well alone, or in conjunction with, other medications such as nasal sprays and allergy shots.
Some medications, such as first generation antihistamines, have been available over-the-counter (OTC) for many years, and include Benadryl and Tavist, which noted drowsiness as a common side-effect. Other medications, second generation brands, were recently by prescription only, but are now available over the counter. These include the well-known Zyrtec and Claritin and were not known to cause drowsiness in most patients. Newer, third generation antihistamines, are arguably better than their second generation counter-parts, such as Clarinex and Allegra.
Decongestants
Like their anti-histamine counterparts, decongestants are allergy medications that are taken orally to help the body fight allergic response. However, these allergy drugs specifically target congestion symptoms in patients with allergies, such as Sudafed (pseudoephedrine). However, more recently, decongestants have been added to current anti-histamine drugs to give patients added relief from one single prescription or OTC medication, such as Zyrtec-D and Claritin-D, both giving the antihistamine benefits of their non-decongestant counterparts while also treating symptoms of congestion.
Eye Drops
For allergy sufferers who frequently complain about itchy, water eyes, eye drops may be prescribed alone, or in conjunction with antihistamines and decongestants. There are several varieties available for prescription, including Optivar and Patanol, and work by decreasing inflammation and, if necessary, blocking the histamine release response to allergens. Some eye drops are corticosteroid drops, such as Alrex, and are for individuals whose eye allergy symptoms are rather severe.
Many allergy sufferers purchase eye drops over-the-counter as well and have found them to be rather effective. These include Visine-A and Clear Eyes ACR.
Nasal Sprays
Nasal sprays are allergy drugs specifically designed to treat nasal allergy symptoms. They are equipped with corticosteroids to reduce inflammation of the nasal passages. They can be taken alone, but many patients take such prescriptions, like Flonase and Nasonex, in conjunction with oral antihistamines. However, some nasal sprays are decongestants and anti-histamines all on their own, such as Astelin and Afrin. Many nasal sprays are prescribed to be used as a controller, meaning it should be taken daily to control symptoms, while others are prescribed to relieve a sudden onset of symptoms.
Mast Cell Stabilizers
Mast cell stabilizers are designed to treat allergic and allergic asthmatic symptoms in patients. They work very well, specifically for patients who have asthma related to their allergies. While they take longer to work than other antihistamines, they have fewer side effects. These allergy medications work by preventing the histamine release from ever occurring in the body, instead of blocking them after release has already occurred. They last only 4-8 hours per day and must be taken consistently for 2-4 weeks in order to be effective. Some commonly prescribed mast cell stabilizers include Astelin, Patanol, and Alamast. These allergy drugs come in the form of inhalers, nasal sprays, eye drops, and oral solutions.
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