Allergies going nuts? Here’s why and what to do to get relief

While temperatures aren’t exactly balmy this week, this year’s early springlike temperatures ushered in unseasonably high tree pollen now plaguing allergy sufferers throughout Tennessee. And it’s not likely to end anytime soon.

Experts say higher-than-normal temperatures, rain and heavy winds produced the perfect conditions for trees to pollinate far and wide — particularly Alder, Juniper and Maple trees, according to allergy tracker pollen.com. The site, which the Metro Public Health Department for Nashville and Davidson County uses to track pollen counts, predicts Nashville this week will see high or medium-high levels.

Thursday was expected to be this week’s peak. The overall peak season for pollen allergies will likely be in the coming weeks.

“We don’t usually have this problem this early, and it’s because of the warm snap we had. And it was very wet,” said Dr. Stokes Peebles, a professor at Vanderbilt University’s Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. Peebles said Birch and Elm pollens are also affecting those with allergies in Middle Tennessee. “When plants are more well-watered, then they’re going to produce more pollen.”

What will and won’t work to limit pollen exposure

The following are tips that experts say may help those who are allergic:

h Check daily pollen forecasts on news sites or pollen trackers, such as pollen.com.

h Limit your time outside on high pollen count days. Face masks don’t really work, Peebles said. But indoor HEPA filters may help, he said.

h Cutting down offending trees in your yard won’t work. “That’s not the problem. The trouble is the tree in Murfreesboro — the wind can carry pollen 15-20 miles,” Peebles said.

h The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends showering after being outside during high-pollen days and changing (and then washing) the clothes worn outside.

h Keep your windows closed while indoors on high-pollen days and make sure your HVAC system has efficient filters, the CDC notes.

Signs of a pollen allergy

Pollen allergies, sometimes known as “hay fever,” usually cause sneezing, congestion and a runny nose. They also often result in itchy eyes, ears and mouths, as well as swelling around the eyes. In some worse cases, it can result in difficulty breathing in what’s known as allergic asthma.

Signs of allergic asthma include shortness of breath, coughing, chest tightness or pain, wheezing and waking at night. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, tree pollens are the first to appear each year in the United States. They typically appear as early as March in the South and last through May. Though they may peak multiple times throughout the year.

How to treat pollen allergies

Doctors can prescribe a number of medications for allergy sufferers, including a nasal corticosteroid spray, said Peebles, the Vanderbilt allergy expert. Such sprays can help reduce congestion, runny nose, sneezing, itching or swelling of the nasal passageway for those with pollen allergies.

“It doesn’t really make a difference what brand, they all work very well,” Peebles said. “But that drug helps more than anything else — more than antihistamines, more than decongestants.”

He said if those don’t work, allergy sufferers could try an antihistamine/decongestant combination. Beyond that, it might be worth consulting a physician about allergen immunotherapy, also known as “allergy shots,” he said. But he added that allergy shots, a multi-year form of treatment, may not be necessary for most patients.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation also notes that other treatments may be effective, including leukotriene receptor antagonists (Brands include SINGULAIR, Zyflo CR, ACCOLATE); and cromolyn sodium, a nasal spray that blocks the release of chemicals that cause allergy symptoms. (One example includes the brand, Nasalcrom)