This year’s heavy rains have made allergy season worse than
usual. But why do some people suffer more than others, and what’s
the most effective remedy?
n By Kelly Savio Staff Writer
Ahhh, hay fever season: All over the South Valley, people are sneezing, sniffling and swiping at their watery eyes. Counters once baring allergy medicines sit naked, having been ravaged by hay fever sufferers seeking relief.
“You hear people quoting statistics of 20 to 40 million people having allergies, but I think 20 million might be the average and 40 million might be the high pollen count years,” said Dr. James Orlowski, chief of allergies at Kaiser Permanente Santa Teresa Medical Center. “The pollen counts make a difference in how severe hay fever season is. During drought years, there are lower pollen counts, so allergies aren’t as severe. When you have lots of rain, like this year, more things are blooming for a longer period of time, so pollen counts are up.”
Hollister resident Anna Lopez said she has a hard time sleeping when her hay fever acts up.
“I get very congested and I feel like I can’t breathe, so I can’t get to sleep,” she said. “I’ve also been sneezing and my eyes water all the time.”
Allergies such as hay fever are a hereditary condition, though they may not always be traced to immediate family members, Orlowski said.
“Allergies may be traced to aunts, uncles or grandparents,” he explained. “But back then, they may not have recognized the symptoms as allergies. They may have said, ‘Grandma used to have a lot of colds.'”
Though people of all ages have allergies, they are most common in people in their teens, 20s and 30s, Orlowski said.
Hay fever is caused by antibodies against pollens and other allergens developing in someone with allergies, according to the University of Oregon’s allergy clinic. The antibodies attach themselves to mast cells, which store chemicals such as histamine, in a body’s tissues, including people’s nose and eyes. When the antibodies attach themselves, the histamine and other chemicals are released, causing allergic responses such as itching, sneezing, congestion and nasal dripping.
“Generally, allergy treatments fall into three categories: Avoid whatever causes your allergies, over-the-counter medications to ease the symptoms, and allergy shots that desensitize people to whatever they’re allergic to,” said Orlowski, who suffers from hay fever.
Avoiding hay fever triggers includes keeping doors and windows closed at all times, and using air conditioning at home and in the car to filter out pollens, Orlowski said.
Over-the-counter medications can relieve symptoms for most hay fever sufferers. Saline nasal mists can help flush out pollens, decongestants can help relieve sinus pressure and help with stuffy noses, and prescription medications or treatments can help people with more severe allergies. Allergy shots given by doctors can also relieve hay fever for the long-term rather than just seasonally, Orlowski said.
Hay fever symptoms vary from person to person, ranging from sneezing and a runny nose to asthma attacks and blocked ears, he explained.
“My allergies usually act up in spring and summer, and I have a runny nose and cough a lot,” said Marlene Hughes, a Gilroy resident. “I usually take whatever over-the-counter medication I can get my hands on. But the world can’t stop because of allergies; it’s just something you have to live with. Just last night I took a walk on the levee, because I won’t let my allergies stop me from things I enjoy.”
Many hay fever sufferers have wished their allergies would disappear forever, and that’s not as far-fetched as it may seem.
“We don’t see many older people with allergies, so we must grow out of them,” Orlowski said. “But it’s not something you grow out of in one year. Some people’s allergies get better as they get older, other people’s allergies get worse. Either way, if you have allergies one year, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll have them again next year. It will take a long time to grow out of them, but it’s not unlikely that you will eventually grow out of them.”
