Spring Allergy

Spring Allergy

Spring allergy season hit the East Coast hard last year. With the amount of pollen floating in the air four times greater than what observers consider to be high, East Coast allergy sufferers were left wondering what hit them.
People who normally wouldn't even notice the change of season experienced watery eyes and sneezing. Allergy sufferers all too familiar with the perils of high pollen counts were forced indoors, giving up visits to the park or a pick-up game of basketball because the sneezing, stuffiness and general misery of allergy symptoms were overwhelming.
Whether pollen counts will be high again this year or settle back into what is considered to be a normal range remains to be seen. Seasonally, and daily, weather conditions impact pollen counts, making it difficult to predict pollen counts more than a few days in advance.
On windy days, or for days after high winds, pollen counts are high because the pollen has been spread throughout the air," said Gillian Shepherd, MD, FAAAAI, chair of the Education Sub-Committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. "After it rains, counts drop as the rain washes the pollen away."
Pollen is measured in grains per cubic meter. For trees, 1,500 grains per cubic meter is considered very high. Last spring, areas of the East Coast measured 6,000 grains per cubic meter.
Though high pollen counts can affect numerous types of allergies, from eye allergies (conjunctivitis) to skin reactions (dermatitis), the most common spring allergy is allergic rhinitis.
Frequently called hay fever, seasonal allergic rhinitis affects 35 million people in the United States. It is triggered by "allergens," substances that initiate an allergic response, such as pollens or molds.
When people who have allergic rhinitis inhale these allergens, they combine with an allergic antibody called immunolgolbulin E (IgE). Normally present at very low levels in the body, IgE is found in larger quantities in people who have allergies.
When the allergen and the IgE combine in the lining of the nose or eyes, the result is the release of chemicals, including histamine. These chemicals cause the allergic symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, nasal congestion or headaches as the body tries to fight off the foreign allergen, Shepherd said.
Seasonal allergies have a large impact on not just quality of life, but the economy. Missed work days because of allergies cost U.S. companies more than $250 million a year.
Allergies, particularly in the spring have a huge impact across the country. Fortunately, medical treatment is usually very effective, shahg says.