Seasonal allergies: what can you do?

An allergy is the body’s immune system reacting to a foreign substance such as pollen — in a seasonal allergy — or pet dander which causes a permanent allergy to cats or dogs. The immune system produces antibodies to the allergen that inflame eyes, sinuses and airways. Often called hay fever, seasonal allergies cause sneezing, a runny nose and red eyes. It gets worse as pollen levels in the air rise in the spring and summer. To reduce symptoms, doctors recommend: • Staying indoors on dry, windy days. Close doors and windows at night or any other time when pollen counts are high. • Get someone else to mow the lawn or wear a face mask for outside chores. • Remove clothes worn outside; rinse pollen from your skin and hair. • Don’t hang laundry outside because pollen can stick to sheets and towels. • Use the air conditioning in the house and car. • Use high- efficiency filters and follow regular maintenance schedules for forced air heating or air conditioning in the home. • Keep indoor air dry with a dehumidifier. • Use a portable high- efficiency particulate air ( HEPA) filter in the bedroom. • Clean floors often with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter. Treatments: • If high pollen counts are forecast, start taking allergy medications before symptoms start. • Over- the- counter treatments include antihistamines that block the body’s production of histamines which create symptoms such as a running nose. Also, devices used to rinse nasal passages with saline solutions and clear out allergens. • Allergy specialists can administer a series of shots, a form of immunotherapy with each shot containing a tiny amount of the specific substance that triggers the allergic reactions. The aim is to desensitize the immune system so that it builds a tolerance to the allergen and stops producing severe symptoms. • Sublingual immunotherapy — a small dose of the allergen is placed under a persons’ tongue in a drop or pill — is based on a similar theory.