Did you know tree pollen season starts in the Richmond area in early-to-mid-February? It may still feel like winter, but alder tree pollen starts to appear in the pollen counts in February. Many people have symptoms in February though some may not have symptoms until later in the spring when oak pollen appears. You may have read that Richmond, Virginia has been ranked the worst city for allergy sufferers and that is usually most obvious in the spring. Fall presents challenges when ragweed and mold rise.
According to the National Health Interview Survey, almost 20 million people in the United states per year are diagnosed with allergic rhinitis. If you are among them, you may experience itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, congestion, runny nose, post-nasal drip, and sinus infections. You may also have respiratory symptoms such as cough and wheeze when the pollen is high. An allergist can help identify your allergies and determine avoidance measures that best suit the individual patient. In addition, following the pollen counts (also available at pollen.com) may help you get on the right medication regimen before your allergens peak. In general, spring is tree pollen season, summer is grass pollen season, and fall is weed pollen season. Outdoor molds tend to be year-round and worse in the fall.
So, what can you do? Over-the-counter antihistamines are a good start. Adding nasal steroids may be helpful, but keep in mind that nasal steroids must be taken daily to be effective. There are also prescription oral medications and nasal sprays that may be more helpful than some over-the-counter options. If you have pet and pollen allergy, try to keep pets out of the bedroom particularly after they spend a lot of time outside.
The best treatment for allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, is allergy shots. Allergy shots desensitize patients to their allergens. Allergy shots can include pollens, pets, molds, dust mite, and cockroach. We do not have shots for food allergy yet, though there are some exciting oral and skin therapies on the horizon. Allergy shots are given in the upper arms initially once or twice a week and then once every one-to-four weeks. The maintenance phase is three to five years for a full course. Many people experience a semi-permanent effect of shots where their symptoms remain well controlled for years even after stopping shots. Some patients feel well enough to stop their allergy medications, though many still take antihistamines when needed. Allergy shots can also reduce the frequency of sinus infections. Allergy shots can take 6-12 months to take effect so starting well before your most symptomatic time of year will give you the best chance at improvement when you need it most.
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