[ad_1]
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Britani Hayes' spring allergy symptoms are under control with a nightly dose of Zyrtec. But if she forgets to take it, she is miserable.
"My eyes are constantly irritated and I constantly rub them," said Hayes, 26, of Mayfield Heights. She has a headache and has trouble sleeping.
Dr. Sam Friedlander, Clinical Assistant Professor of Allergy, Asthma and Sleep Medicine at University Hospitals, can understand.
"Allergies may not seem important, but everyone knows how uncomfortable it is to suffer from a cold.Allergies, it's like having a cold all the time," Friedlander said.
The current allergy season is already hitting hard in northeastern Ohio. Friedlander sees a resurgence of old and new patients who are asking him for help to deal with allergies and asthma, which can be aggravated by allergic reactions.
Cleveland is a tough city for people with allergies in the spring, according to the rankings established by the American Foundation for Asthma and Allergies.
Cleveland is ranked 39th out of 66 cities in 2018, but the situation is even worse at Akron (32nd), Columbus (28th), Youngstown (18th), Toledo (14th) and Dayton (seventh).
April showers encourage plants, trees and grass to grow, releasing more pollen into the air. Indicate sneezing, coughing, sniffing and scratching, as well as discomfort and distraction.
The cycle continues with weeds in late summer, spring and fall molds and dust mites and pets all year round. "It goes on and on," said Friedlander.
What are allergies?
As victims know, allergies occur when the immune system over-reacts by doing something it should ignore, such as pollen, animal dander, dust mites, molds and other allergens.
"The body thinks it's an invader," Friedlander said. Scientists are still trying to understand why. The condition can first appear in childhood or in adulthood.
Allergies and asthma go hand in hand. Allergies exacerbate the symptoms of asthma, leading to irritation of the bronchial pathways, mucosal excess and muscular contraction in the lungs. About 80% of childhood asthma and 50% of adult asthma are related to allergies, Friedlander said.
Eczema is also caused by an allergic reaction.
Allergies tend to run in families. Friedlander often sees families in which mom has nose allergies, the eldest son is asthmatic, the girl has eczema and the youngest son has food allergies.
"They all travel on our genes," he said. "It's like a lottery, we do not know what allergy will come."
It can be difficult to tell the difference between a cold, the flu or an allergy. Each disease involves the respiratory system, but each also has key symptoms that distinguish them.
The flu causes high fever, headaches, fatigue and body aches. These symptoms are not usually associated with colds. Allergies cause tearing and itchy eyes, but not colds or flu. Allergies usually do not cause headaches, fatigue, body aches and pains.
Allergy symptoms usually last during the six week pollen season. Colds and flu usually take place about two weeks later. An allergist can perform tests to diagnose and locate an allergy.
Find a relief
Allergy sufferers can do something simple to find relief:
- Use central air conditioning with air filtration and change the filter regularly
- Wear sunglasses and hats on the outside.
- Wipe the pets with a towel before entering your home.
- Take a shower and shampoo before going to bed to remove pollen from your hair and skin.
More tips can be found on the American Foundation for Asthma and Allergy website. And there are useful phone applications and websites to track the current number of pollen in the area. The Pollen.com website gives a five day allergy forecast. Weather Channel and Accuweather also have forecasts.
Over-the-counter medications containing antihistamines and anti-allergic medications can be taken before the onset of the allergy season.
Immunotherapy also offers relief. These medications – taken in monthly injections or tablets – help the body to lose its hypersensitivity to pollen and reduce the severity of allergic reactions. The new immunotherapies have improved in recent years, so they take effect more quickly.
The search for new biological treatments and personalized medicine could lead to better allergy treatments, said Dr. Dean Metcalfe, principal investigator of the National Institute of Allergic and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.
New biological products – proteins produced by living immune cells – are now available for the treatment of severe asthma and eczema. They provide relief for years, but usually need to be administered as monthly intravenous infusions administered in a doctor's office or infusion center.
Ongoing medical trials are currently focused on biologics that take a different approach to ending allergic reactions and that could be taken at home. This research and similar research on allergies are largely funded by the NIH and the pharmaceutical industry, Metcalfe said.
Metcalfe sees a time when allergists will examine a patient's genes, locate her allergens, and develop a specifically engineered drug for her. Achieving this goal will require large-scale studies of the human genome.
"It's hard to imagine that we will not succeed," Metcalfe said. "We will be close in 10 years."
[ad_2]
Source link