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Are You Suffering from Seasonal
Allergies?
In the springtime grasses and deciduous trees put their
pollen into the wind, causing nasal, eye and breathing problems for
many people in Sacramento. It’s not the showy flowers that cause
the problem, it’s what you can’t see…tiny, airborne
pollens.
What are some allergy symptoms?
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Nasal itching, sneezing, congestion
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Eye itching and redness and swelling
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Throat itching
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Itchy skin rash
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Asthma, especially in late April and May
What trees and grasses cause these problems?
Each kind of tree has its own time to pollinate.
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In January: redwoods
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In February: junipers/cypress, cedars, birch, alders,
acacia
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In March: maple, elm, mulberry, willows, cottonwood,
pine
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In April: oaks, sycamores, walnuts, ash
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In May: olives and GRASSES (all grasses have similar
pollen)
Click
here to check local pollen counts.
What's the best way to treat seasonal allergies?
Here's the key:
Prevention always works best.
Try to cut down on your exposure.
- Keep doors and windows closed
- Wash you hands or shower after being outside
- Keep surfaces clean. Pollen gets indoors, too
- If your symptoms are bad, stay indoors
Take your medicines EVERY DAY-
they work better that way.
Click
here to see about medicines.
- Antihistamines (loratadine, chlorpheniramine) help with itching
and swelling
- Decongestants decreasee swelling by reducing blood flow inside
the nose
- Saline nasal sprays and sinus rinses remove dusts and pollens
- Eyedrops like Zaditor® prevent eye irritation, others like
Opcon-A® stop redness
Some prescription medicine is very effective:
- Cortisone nasal sprays are very effective at stopping allergies,
but they take a few days to work and should be used EVERY DAY
- If you get ASTHMA,
prevent it by using a cortisone inhaler like QVAR® or ASMANEX®
or Flovent®. albuterol is only a quick fix-it won't stop inflammation.
Don't let pollen get the best
of you -- BE PREPARED!
For more information visit the home pages of our allergy physicians:
Christopher
Jakle, MD
Gordon
Garcia, MD |
