Season of allergies nothing to sneeze

Spring has arrived and for some of us, tears in our eyes!

If you are among the 20% who suffer from seasonal allergies, especially allergic rhinitis (commonly called hay fever), the hot season comes with mixed feelings. And a lot of tissues.

"Allergies are a real slaughter. At the height of the season, I have swollen, pungent eyes, a runny nose and I look like hell – and I feel like it too. I even have trouble concentrating, "says Jason Pong. He had allergic rhinitis 20 years ago, at the age of 28. It was first hit by tree pollen in spring, then by grbad pollen in summer and even by ragweed in the fall. "If it's hot and windy, I'm doomed!"

So, what's waiting for Pong? The forecast for the allergy season is accurate, according to experts at Aerobiology research laboratories. In the prairie provinces, sneezing is about to drag on, while the allergy season is already at its peak in British Columbia, a little later than usual, with a lot of pollen from cedar and alder ravaging sneezing on the west coast. And for Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces, it sounds like a typical allergy season, it's usually April.

According to Dawn Jurgens, director of operations at Aerobiology Research, which specializes in the identification and search of pollen and spores in Canada, there is a variance of up to a month in pollen start times in Canada each year. "The weather has a major impact on the beginning of the pollen season and the intensity of its levels."

The length of the winter has the biggest impact on the allergy season, says Jurgens. When the weather is cold and wintry until March or April, the pollen season is delayed. "If spring comes as usual and winter returns, the pollen season will be interrupted."

Last year, the average duration of the allergy season in Canada was 115 days. Victoria, Vancouver, Burnaby, Hamilton and Brampton had the longest seasons, she added.

Once, twice shy? Not so. It appears that 40% of Canadians do not take allergy medications early enough – they know that annoying symptoms will occur, but they are not getting ready. And the new London Drug study also reveals that 65% of Canadians confuse the symptoms of seasonal allergies with a cold.

"Some medications may take a few weeks to become fully effective, so ideally allergy sufferers should start taking their medication two weeks before the start of the allergy season," says Lily Liang, London Drugs Pharmacist.

Pollen counts can predict allergy days, so stay informed about pollen levels on theweathernetwork.com and pollenexperts.ca. There is even an application for personalized daily pollen forecasts – Allergy Sufferers Aerobiology is available in app stores for Android and IOS devices.

With variations in the onset and intensity of pollen, knowing what will happen and what is happening in the sky allows allergic people to prepare with anti-allergy drugs, plan outdoor activities, avoid trigger allergies and improve their quality of life, adds Jurgens.

Cold or allergies?

"Although allergies and colds are shared by many symptoms, patients with seasonal allergies usually have watery eyes and runny noses. Symptoms of a cold can include muscle pain, a sore throat, and possibly a fever and chills, which are not typical of seasonal allergies, "Liang explains.

A cold will usually last about a week or two, while seasonal allergies will have much longer-lasting symptoms, she adds.

Allergic confusion

In fact, there is a lot of allergic confusion there. Here are some myths debunked with the help of Dr. David Fischer, former president of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, and Dr. Louis Mendelson, allergist in Connecticut, former director of the the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

• If you did not have allergies during your childhood, you will not have them as adults. False. Most people develop pollen allergies in adulthood, says Mendelson.
• Honey cures hay fever. Not true, said Fischer. Oral tolerance to pollen is now used to treat allergic patients via sublingual immunotherapy. However, bees do not collect the pollens needed to improve symptoms. It tastes good and can relieve sore throats.
• Mold allergies only strike on the outside. Nope. Mold spores can cause problems in the interior. This is especially true in the dark, damp areas of the house, says Mendelson.
• Short-haired animals do not trigger allergies. False. A non-allergic animal is an animal without skin, without saliva and that does not urinate. In other words, a skeleton, says Mendelson.
• Natural treatments are better than pharmaceuticals. Not true. There is no peer reviewed scientific data for this purpose.
• If you have allergies, you should move to the desert. False. There are many plants in the desert that pollinate and cause allergies.
• The pollen decreases after a rain. True! This is however only a temporary respite. The wet weather will encourage pollen production later, says Fischer.
• Most people only suffer from allergies in the spring. False. Allergies can occur at any season and will be at different times of the year, says Fischer.
• The only allergy treatment is to avoid triggers. False. With proper management, most allergy sufferers can lead a normal life and not live in a bubble, says Mendelson.