By Brandy Nance
nance@emporiagazette.com
Spring allergy season is in full swing as the trees are pollinating and allergy sufferers are feeling the heat. Dr. James Ransom of the Topeka Allergy and Asthma Center in Topeka, offered some advice and tips, as well as dispelling some myths when it comes to allergies. For even more allergy information, head over to www.taac.yourmd.com.
Myth: Allergies only occur during certain times of the year.
Truth: “You can have allergy symptoms any time of the year. If a person is allergic to cats and dogs it doesn’t matter what time of year it is.”
Myth: “The roses are starting to bloom and are causing my hay fever.”
Truth: “Generally speaking, trees like red buds, apple trees, any kind of tree that produces an attractive flower, those trees don’t cause allergies.”
Q So why would any plant produce a flower?
A The answer is that they are insect-pollinated. They have a flower so they can attract insects. Insect pollination is a little more efficient than wind pollination. In other words, plants in general are divided into wind-pollinated plants, and then insect-pollinated plants, which have the bright flowers.
Q What causes spring allergies?
A Right now we are currently in the tree pollen season. What nature puts into the air is variable from one season to the next. It’s pretty much predictable also depending on what month it is. Usually in Kansas the early trees that pollinate are eastern red cedar, the cedars that grow wild in the pastures.
It’s getting to be a bigger problem because of differences in land use and management. There has been more encroachment on pasture land ... cedars grow rapidly and they are very evasive. Compared to 20 years ago we have a lot more people suffering from those types of allergies.
Q What are some other pollinating trees?
A Another early tree is the elm. That is not as big of a problem as it used to be. Many of the people in the cities planted American elm trees. In the 50s and 60s, the wave of Dutch elm disease swept across the United States and killed off many of the elm trees.
Move on into April into cottonwood trees and then various species of oak trees, sycamores , ash.
In May, the latest pollinating trees are the nut trees in general, the walnut, nut trees other than the oak tree ... the edible nuts like the pecans and the hickories and the walnuts.
And then the tree pollen season is over after May.
Q So what is causing my allergies after the tree pollen season is over?
A Once the tree pollen season is over, the next season is the grass pollen season. These seasons tend to overlap a little bit. Generally, the grasses are divided into two categories, the cool season grasses that pollinate early and those are usually used in the mid-part of Kansas and the northern part of the United States as the preferred lawn grasses.
One of the interesting things are that the native prairie grasses in Kansas don’t cause many allergies at all. Almost what you call hypoallergenic. The introduced grasses that the farmers and urban residents have brought in, (such as) Hungarian brome grass, is a terrible allergenic grass. It causes a huge amount of pollen.
Q So, what can I do?
A For everybody we recommend sensible avoidance measures. One of the most important things invented to prevent allergies was invented by engineers. Central air conditioning has probably helped more people who have allergies than have any doctors or any medicines. When you close up the windows and you turn on the central air conditioning, you are putting the air back and forth through your filters.
Q What about medical options?
A Scientists identified that one of the major chemicals released in the allergic reaction is called histamine ... quite a breakthrough when the antihistamine was developed. If those are taken early enough before the reaction takes place, they will go to the reaction sites in the he body and they will lock onto the receptors that cause the reaction and they will prevent the pollen from causing the release of the histamine. And that’s how they work. However, if they are taken after the symptoms start they are going to get much less benefit from it. ...
Q Antihistamines don’t work well enough for me. What do I do?
A Of course, many people are not adequately relieved by allergy medications. For those people we recommend they be immunized ... we prescribe specific injections that contain extracts made from pollen that are fairly effective. That therapy has the big advantage of permanently suppressing the allergy over a period of time. Usually two to three year period of time. Immune therapy.
One final myth: The prescription medications work better than a plain ’ol over-the-counter antihistamine.
Truth: “The old fashioned first generation antihistamines are still at least as effective as the newer ones. But they have more side effects. The biggest things with the newer drugs are fewer side effects. Especially drowsiness.
“Benadryl is one of the first generic drugs. That also is the most common ingredient in sleeping medications such as Sominex.”
madpoet (anonymous) says...
What the good dr. failed to say is that allergy shots are NOT effective for everyone and are expensive. I went that route and actually got worse. I did some research and learned that 25% are helped, 25% worsen, 50% show no major improvement on allergy shots. Hindsight is wonderful. Now I get a long acting steroid shot in early spring and take an antihistamine. After much trial and error I've found Zyrtec works best for me. I have to halve the dose or I get sleepy so be careful. Washing your hair each night helps a lot too. Good luck, fellow allergy sufferers!
May 7, 2008 at 10:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )