Do Allergies In Children Differ From Allergies In Adults
It is believed that it is more challenging to treat allergies in children than adults.
- Children spend more time outside, so they are exposed to more pollen. They even go out on high pollen days, unlike adults.
- Adults try to prevent themselves from exposing to pollen by rolling windows by driving and performing activities in confined places. They may even outgrow allergies that they had in childhood.
Children with a family history of allergies tend to develop allergic diseases. Doctors search for four major allergic disorders in children with a significant family history of allergies, especially those who exhibit symptoms early in life, such as eczema, food allergies, nasal allergies, and asthma. These allergic disorders are becoming more and more common.
No Youre Not Imagining It: Seasonal Allergies Are Worse This Year
School of Medicines Fred Little on reasons for the spike and what you can do about it
Its that time of year againyoure sitting outdoors enjoying the sunshine, when all of a sudden, you start to feelitchy. Within an hour, that itch has turned into a full-blown sneeze attack complete with watery eyes and congestion, and now youre running to the nearest pharmacy to buy some Zyrtec.
Seasonal allergiesor an allergic reaction to the tree and grass pollens that float around in the spring and summer, known as allergic rhinitisaffect nearly 60 million people in the United States every year. This year, theyre particularly bad in the Northeast, which can be attributed to factors such as climate change and recent dry spells, says longtime allergist Fred Little, a Boston University School of Medicine clinical associate professor of medicine and the director of the Boston Medical Center allergy-immunology fellowship.
We spoke with Little about how allergies work and what you can do to cut down on the sneezing, itching, and watery eyes.
Fall Allergies Have Arrived As Summer Draws To An End
Fall allergies have arrived as summer draws to an end
DAYTON As we head into the final days of summer, you may be experiencing allergy symptoms.
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News Center 7s Kayla McDermott says the reason why allergy season is so bad right now has to with ragweed.
Ragweed is one of the highest producers of pollen, making one billion grains of pollen each season, causing for the worst of allergy season in the fall, according to the CDC.
Ohioans tend to suffer from allergies right now at the beginning of fall and Daytonians are no exception.
It does change your whole mood change your whole day, said Keon McCarroll. You know, just by not being able to breathe and sneezing.
The majority of people experience symptoms of sneezing, congestion, a runny nose, and red watery itchy eyes.
McDermott says allergies can be more severe causing people to have asthma attacks which can vary from mild to severe.
It can be debilitating for some people, right? said Doctor Joseph Allen of Premier Health. What I talk to patients about is really starting those allergy medications about a month beforehand, if you can, if it starts to affect you now, get on it as quickly as you can now, take them daily, stay ahead of this.
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To try and prevent those symptoms from happening to you, McDermott says there are some proactive things you can do:
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Tips To Manage Your Fall Allergies:
- Try to stay indoors when pollen counts are high: pollen in the fall is typically at its peak during the late morning or midday. Be sure to stay updated with local pollen counts in your area. We like pollen.com!
- Change your air filters: Mold and dust mites can get trapped in the vents over the summer and will fill your house with them if you don’t change them.
- Use a HEPA filter: Itâs designed to remove pollen, mold, and other allergens from the air.
- Use a dehumidifier: This will help control mold growth and lower the humidity in your home. Keeping a humidity level of 30 – 50 percent indoors discourages mold growth.
- Consider wearing glasses, a mask, or a bandana: This will help to protect your eyes and avoid inhaling allergens while pulling weeds or raking leaves.
- Wear long sleeves and pants: To reduce your skinâs exposure to allergies when outside, especially if youâre hiking in the woods.
- Change your clothes after coming inside: Donât bring in all the allergens that have collected onto your clothes inside!
- Try a neti pot: If your nose is blocked and stuffy, using a neti pot with a saline solution can help clear out any mucous.
How To Monitor The Weather To Manage Allergies And Asthma
If you live with asthma or allergies, managing your triggers to avoid symptom flare-ups is a part of everyday life. Environmental allergens such as pollen and mold are common triggers. You may not realize that changes in the weather can also affect your asthma and allergies.
Temperature changes, humidity changes, thunderstorms, rain and wind can inflame the airways, leading to flare-ups. People with respiratory conditions tend to breathe through the mouth and doing so brings weather-related irritants directly to the lungs. It also doesnt allow your nose to regulate the humidity and air temperature.
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Is The Heat Wave Making Allergies Worse
Another factor to consider is how weather patterns are affecting pollen-producing plant growth, Jin said.
“If you have a late winter, then sometimes the spring allergy season doesn’t start till a little bit later,” he said. “Or if you get more of the heat and changes into summer weather a little earlier, than that might stimulate the grass that’s growing in our environment to pollinate sooner.”
But whether high temperatures, like Central Indiana’s recent heat wave, physically impact your allergies differ from person to person, Jin said.
“There are some people who are a little bit more sensitive to temperature, to humidity in the context of their allergy symptoms, or if they happen to have asthma as well,” he said. “So there certainly are people where those changes will affect them more than others, but a lot of that does sort of come down to the individual.”
Coping With Fall Allergies
Did you know that fall allergies are different than spring allergies? Find out why and how to treat them from Dr. Cindy Gellner.
Dr. Cindy Gellner: So you might not suffer from spring allergies, but fall’s a whole different ballgame. I’m Dr. Cindy Gellner from University of Utah healthcare and today I’ll tell you how to cope with fall allergies on the scope.
Announcer: Medical news and research from University Utah Physicians and Specialists you can use for a happier and healthier life. You’re listening to The Scope.
Announcer: We’re your daily dose of science, conversation, medicine. This is The Scope, University of Utah Health Sciences Radio.
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How To Reduce Pollen Symptoms
To minimize exposure, we recommend regularly checking our website to trackAtlantas daily pollen count. If youre struggling to find relief, dont give up. It may be especially difficult to avoid during late spring, but you can reduce your symptoms with treatment and guidance from the right specialists.
AtCenter for Allergy & Asthma of Georgia, our board-certified allergy specialists are extremely knowledgeable on diagnostic testing to find out what allergens are triggering your symptoms and determining the exact treatment and medications you need. Get in touch today to schedule aTelemedicine appointment or in-office visit with one of ourcaring physicians.
Dial today! You can book Telemedicine appointments or in-office visits online 24/7 atcaageorgia.comfor same- or next-day consultations. You may also contact us onlinefor further information.
Allergies Pollen And Mold: This Is How To Check How Bad It Is Right Now In The Houston Area
Amanda Cochran, Digital Special Projects Manager
HOUSTON Have your allergies been bad lately? If youre noticing changes and are wondering about the situation in our area, there are plenty of places that share information about pollen, mold and air quality in the Houston area.
The Houston Health Department has pollen and mold counts posted on its website here. Heres an explanation of what the numbers actually mean.
Greater Houston area residents can track ozone levels through the Houston Clean Air Network. You can also sign up to receive the Texas Air Quality Forecast and Ozone Action Day e-mail alerts here from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Just so you know, the Todays Texas Air Quality Forecast is based on the EPAs Air Quality Index scale for ozone and made for 14 forecast regions across the state . It is updated daily on normal TCEQ work days and may also be updated on weekends or holidays when air pollution levels are high, according to TCEQs website.
If youre looking for national resources, the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology has this resource to check pollen and mold levels and view an allergen report for each station area show on its map. You can sign up for email alerts when levels change at the station. You can customize your emails to show when a new count is available, when counts are low, moderate or high or very high.
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When Should You See An Allergist For Your Seasonal Symptoms
For many people with seasonal allergies, over-the-counter medications are enough to manage their symptoms. But if you find that those options aren’t enough for you, that the side effects associated with those medications are too severe or that your symptoms are getting worse, you should consider talking to your doctor or a board-certified allergist, experts told TODAY.
Additionally, if your symptoms are particularly severe or you have other conditions that allergies may exacerbate, such as asthma, it’s worth having an allergist in your corner to guide you through the options.
If you’ve already tried a bunch of over-the-counter medications, they may recommend prescription antihistamines or the asthma treatment montelukast. Or they might discuss the option of immunotherapy, which can be done with allergy shots or sublingual tablets that dissolve in your mouth.
The nice thing about allergy shots or tablets compared to other treatments for allergies is that “they don’t just treat the symptoms, they actually treat the underlying disease,” Azar said.
Immunotherapy treats allergies by exposing your body to small amounts of the compounds that you’re allergic to, the ACAAI explains. Over time, you’ll become less sensitive to that allergen ideally permanently. But allergy shots are an investment in both time and energy because they require repeated trips to your allergist’s office, likely for a few years.
Why Are My Allergies Worse In The Fall
It’s that time of year again, the leaves are falling and pumpkin spice is back. Fall also means another thing â allergies. The pollen is beginning to kick up for all you allergy sufferers out there. The term hay fever is often used to describe these symptoms and is derived from the “illness” that farmers used to obtain when harvesting hay in the fall. While we might not be getting sick from actual hay anymore, there are some other allergy culprits to be cautious of. This fall, minimize your seasonal allergy symptoms and be prepared!
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What Is Pollen Count And How Is It Measured
Pollen count is the measure of how much pollen is in the air at any given time and reported to the public in a way that is is easy to understand: low, moderate, or high levels. Pollen counts fall on a 12-points scale, with the low levels under 2.4, and high pollen levels are in excess of 9.7. Learning what these levels mean and how the pollen count may impact you can help mitigate your symptoms.
Scientifically speaking, pollen is counted by utilizing an air-sampling device that uses sticky rods to test the air. Every 24 hours, the rods are examined for the number of pollen grains present, and then measured as units of grains per cubic meter of air. Monitoring the outdoor pollen count can help you avoid unnecessary exposure.
Is It An Allergy Or Covid
When COVID-19 and seasonal allergies are circulating at the same time, every sniffle can lead you to worry that you might have the virus. From the perspective of a parent, one of the biggest issues is when kids in school have allergy symptoms that are poorly controlled, and then the school system sends them home or says they need a physicians note, Dr. Leeds says.
The CDC has a Venn diagram that shows symptoms the two conditions have in common. These include congestion, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, runny nose, sore throat, and shortness of breath. But comparing the most common symptoms reveals clear differences. Seasonal allergies usually cause itchy or watery eyes and sneezing, while COVID-19 is characterized by fever and chills, muscle and body aches, new loss of taste and smell, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea.
Because of COVID-19, people are afraid of you when youre sniffling, says Dr. Hsu. But it goes both waysa lot of people are sniffling and sneezing and coughing, and they are not getting tested for COVID-19, because they assume its allergies. And they are probably correct.
Often the distinction is clearpeople with allergies itch more, and they dont have the fatigue, malaise, and fever that comes with COVID-19. But anyone who is concerned should call their doctor, she says.
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Whats The Pollen Forecast
Pollen comes from blooming grasses, plants, trees and weeds. It is carried far and wide by the wind. You might be allergic to one kind of pollen and not another.
Pollen counts vary with the weather and location, so pollen allergies differ dramatically from person to person. For this reason, its essential to know which types of pollen will trigger your allergy symptoms. Monitor your areas pollen count daily. Work with your doctor to avoid exposure and treat symptoms.
Pollen counts measure how much pollen is in the air on a given day. Scientists use air sampling devices to collect particles from the air and then analyze them. They identify types of pollen as well as how much of each is in the sample. A pollen count covers a large area since pollen is airborne and is measured by grains of pollen in a cubic meter.
Government agencies, universities and commercial research institutions measure pollen counts to provide information to the public. They also determine how different allergens affect people and develop medications and treatments.
Climate Change And Allergies
The impact of climate change has become a dangerous cycle. Rising global temperatures lead to more extreme weather. Weather changes such as heat waves and droughts can lead to a lack of air flow. When the air doesnt move, pollutants react together in the heat and sun. This increases ground-level ozone.1
Ground-level ozone is a major part of urban smog. More air pollution and smog cause higher levels of carbon dioxide . This results in warmer temperatures. And the cycle continues.
This cycle results in increased pollen. This can trigger asthma and allergy symptoms. Rising CO2 levels lead to longer growing seasons that change flowering time and increase pollen. The length of the growing season refers to the number of days when plant growth takes place. Warmer, longer seasons increase exposure to allergens that trigger asthma and other respiratory and allergic responses.2
If we dont slow down the cycle, pollen production and air pollution will only get worse. Millions of people already have seasonal allergic rhinitis, and pollen allergies are a major cause. If this cycle continues, we may see the number of people with seasonal allergies increase.
Our Allergy Capitals report is an independent research project of AAFA.
Recommended Citation
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, . . Retrieved from allergycapitals.com.
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What Else Can I Do To Prepare For Allergy Season
Even if you’re already taking OTC allergy meds, you may still experience symptoms. So, what then?
Luckily, there are a few other solutions. First, Dr. Ogden recommends consulting with a board-certified allergist who can discover *exactly* what’s causing problems for you. “You need to take proactive steps,” she saysand the easiest way to cut down on symptoms is to find out what’s causing them, so you can avoid them.
Once you know what the culprit is, don’t exercise outside or sleep with your windows open. Both may be tempting once the weather gets warmer, but “you have to isolate yourself from your allergens,” Dr. Ogden says, so embrace the indoors to reduce the chance of having a reaction.
And try to remove allergens once you get home: Take nighttime showers, make sure to shampoo your hair, and wash your face to make sure nothing’s stuck to your eyelashes. “You just want to remove pollen residue,” Dr. Ogden explains. For extra protection, consider investing in an air purifier for your bedroom.
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The downside? Allergy shots are a bit of a time commitment. You’ll need to get them once a week for six to eight months, then once a month for a minimum of two years, says Dr. Parikh. You need to be a little bit patient too, because it can take about six months to start feeling better. So, if you want protection by March, you’ll probably have to start in September the year before.
