A PERFECT STORM FOR POLLEN as featured on WICC600 AM Radio, Thursday Morning Medical Minute

Wow – what a season for pollen and allergies!  Who isn’t sneezing, rubbing their eyes, or coughing?  How did these pollen counts get so high?

Good morning.  I’m Dr. Steven Levine of ENT and Allergy Associates in Trumbull, and together with WICC600, bring you important medical news every Thursday morning.

Welcome to the “Perfect Storm for Pollen”, which is what triggers allergy symptoms.  There are a number of things that got us here.  The long cold and snowy winter kept the ground covered and moist for an extended winter season.  April was cold and rainy so trees did not bloom like they normally do at the very beginning of the month.  Just in the past week, weather warmed up rather rapidly so everything bloomed all at once and released its pollen into the air.  And if that’s not enough, rain helps control the pollen count by washing away the pollen but we have had very little rain the past 14 days.  Add some wind and voila – the Perfect Storm for Pollen.

So if we’re suffering, what can we do?  Let’s start with simple things.

1. Stay indoors and run air conditioning. Air conditioners with good filters remove pollen from the air and an air conditioned room is a sanctuary from pollens.
2. Shower frequently. Pollen in the air clings to your hair and skin.  Washing away the pollen will help, so get in the shower morning and evening.
3. Use saline rinses in your nose, again to wash away any pollen.
4. Change clothes frequently. Pollen also clings to clothes so wear easy to wash garments and change them twice daily.

If over the counter allergy medications are not controlling symptoms, call an ENT and/or Allergy specialist.  There are a host of prescription medication that are more potent and longer lasting than the over the counter ones.

Of course, immunotherapy modifies the body’s natural immune system, so the treated individual is not as reactive to the environment.  Patients then have less or no symptoms.  Immunotherapy today is either the old fashioned allergy shots or the newer oral allergy drops.  Both are highly effective at reducing a patient’s sensitivity to allergens and reducing or eliminating symptoms in the future.

A good website for more information is drops not shots dot com.

I’m Dr. Steven Levine.  You give us two minutes, and we’ll give you the latest updates in news about health and healthcare.  For more about the doctors and services at ENT and Allergy Associates in Trumbull, on the web go to WICC600 dot com, and click on the experts tab.