going deeper
Health Minute: Allergies and Immunizations
Springtime is finally here, and we all know that with warmer weather comes blooming flowers, pollen and of course seasonal allergies. Today we are joined by Dr. Avni Jain, family medicine physician with Adventist HealthCare Adventist Medical Group. She has some great tips to identifying allergies and treating symptoms early and effectively.
Dr. Jain, what are allergies?
Allergies are your body’s reaction to an unknown substance, in the case of seasonal allergies, it is typically pollen from trees and flowers. Depending on the height of the pollen count, and your general allergy risk, your symptoms may be more severe.
I know many people experience sneezing when they have an allergy flare up, but what are some of the other symptoms people may be experiencing?
Sneezing is a major symptom; it occurs frequently as a natural response for your body to attempt to remove the allergy causing particles. Other symptoms include, headache, itchy eyes and throat, fatigue and coughing. People may experience one or many of these symptoms during seasonal allergies. If you have any questions about your allergy symptoms, you should speak with your doctor
What can people do if they are looking for relief from allergy symptoms?
Taking over-the-counter medications, like antihistamines can help limit symptoms like runny nose, sneezing and watery eyes. Patients may also prefer decongestants and nasal sprays, each of them will work in helping to limit allergy symptoms safely. If patients are still experiencing symptoms after taking medication, they should speak with their doctor to discuss additional treatment options.
Avoiding seasonal allergies completely is almost impossible, but are there things people can do to limit their risk?
Absolutely, before going outside check the pollen forecast for the day. If counts are high, try to limit the amount of time you spend outdoors. You also should keep the windows and doors to your house and car closed when counts are high to limit additional spread of pollen into living spaces.