Allergy season kicks off with a ... Sneeze! Published March 15, 2007 By Staff Sgt. Connie L. Bias FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- It's runny, snorty-nose time. Bird-tweeting, sun-worshipping time too, of course -- we're all enjoying the budding spring. During the season's first few weeks, though, all that springy twittering duets with a nose-honking, throat-hacking cacophony as those dreaded allergies take over. "Most commonly, people will start noticing an itchiness around the eyes and nose, and a chronic drip -- sniffing with a clear, watery nasal discharge," said Maj. (Dr.) Samuel Cloud, 92nd Medical Group. "And there are a million odd symptoms, which can include anything from headache, fatigue, lumps and rashes, upset stomach - anything under the sun." Not very appealing. Thankfully, a few preventive measures, though not cure-alls, can help you get through the allergy season with minimal discomfort. You can start with indoor-allergy prevention. "Make sure you vacuum. Use filters, especially on your bed linens -- use the allergy-protecting filters or dust mite covers," said Dr. Cloud. "Also consider hard-wood floors or linoleum, something that doesn't collect dander. Rugs, pillows and mattresses, especially if they're more than five years old, can have enough allergens to keep you suffering year-round." He added that mattresses, pillows, etc., actually weigh more after a few years because they're "filled up with the carcasses of dust mites, not to mention the live ones." Yuck. Families with pets should keep them out of the bedroom, the doctor said, particularly if family members are allergic to pet dander. The American Academy of Family Physicians also recommends reducing the amount of mold in your house by removing house plants and cleaning with water and chlorine bleach, and showering before going to bed to wash pollen and allergens from your hair and skin. Escaping outside allergens is more of a challenge. You "can't avoid pollen -- it's everywhere," Dr. Cloud pointed out, and for most people, allergies don't lead to any long-term or chronic disorders. Asthmatics are an exception to that rule and should be especially cautious during cold-and-flu seasons, as allergies can "make their symptoms worse and lead to asthmatic episodes," said Dr. Cloud. For the rest of us, clean nasal passages can greatly decrease allergies. Dr. Cloud calls the nose "a filter that never gets cleaned out," a problem that can be reduced by ... well ... cleaning out the filter, to state the obvious. There are also common over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants available, though it's better to use them for a long period of time than drug up as a reactive measure to flaming allergies. "If you have allergies, you get more bang for your buck by taking a lower dose of, say, Claritin once a day for three months than you do by taking it on occasion, trying to stabilize," Dr. Cloud said. Nasal sprays and eye drops are other common forms of over-the-counter medications which are relatively benign and safe to take for allergies. Most of these medications are also available through prescription at the clinic, allowing military families to take advantage of their TRICARE benefits and receive them at no charge. The good news, after all of your sniffling misery, is that the allergies don't usually last long. By the time summer's high temperatures hit and much of the grass is burned off, most allergy problems are gone, said Dr. Cloud. (Information from the American Academy of Family Physicians Web site, www.familydoctor.org, was used in this story.)
