06 July 2015
Coming Your Way this Summer: Fall Allergy Season
Tumble Weed, Sagebrush and Ragweed begins to bloom and cause allergy symptoms
You may want to think twice before you blame a cold for your sneezing and runny nose during these final weeks of summer. Even though it’s only August, fall hay fever season has arrived in Reno/Sparks, NV.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), hay fever, which is actually called allergic rhinitis, affects as many 15 percent of adults and children within the United States. What is the main culprit causing suffering this late summer and fall? July and in to August the Tumble Weed Family (Chenopod weeds) is often the problem. The sagebrush plant, which blooms from August until November can, causes allergic symptoms also.
To help Reno/ Sparks locals fight fall allergies, I have included tips below.
Reno/Sparks, NV – Before you shrug off your sneezing and runny nose as a summer cold, you may want to think twice. Even though it’s only August, hay fever season is here, causing misery for 15 percent of American adults and children.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), one of the main culprits is ragweed, which comes in 17 varieties and blooms from August until November. A single plant can release as many as one million pollen grains in a single day. In our area it is more likely to be a problem caused by tumble weed or sagebrush.
“Mold spores are also problematic at the change of seasons and throughout the summer and fall, and may outnumber pollen grains in the air,” said allergist Leonard Shapiro, MD & Boris Lokshin, MD. “Unfortunately, climate change is making the hay fever season last up to three weeks longer, which means even more suffering for Reno/Sparks locals.” Mold allergy is usually less of a problem in our area because of the low humidity most of the year.
Other weather changes, such as wind and rain, can also affect the severity of symptoms. For example, wind can carry the small pollen grains from ragweed, grasses and trees up to 100 miles from its source.
To help combat fall allergy symptoms, Dr. Shapiro & Lokshin and the ACAAI recommend:
- Take medication before symptoms begin and don’t stop immediately after pollen is no longer detected in the air
- Keep car and home windows closed so pollen doesn’t filter indoors
- Wear a pollen mask (such as a NIOSH rated 95 filter mask) when working outdoors
- Limit outdoor activities between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. when the air is saturated with pollen
- Make an appointment with an allergist to find relief
Trigger avoidance and allergy medication might provide great hay fever allergy relief for some, but not for all. A board-certified allergist can provide effective treatment with medications that may go beyond over-the-counter remedies. Immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots, can provide hay fever symptom relief while also preventing the development of asthma and other allergies.
If you think you might be suffering from hay fever or another allergy, you can track your symptoms and identify your triggers with the free My Nasal Allergy Journal, available at www.MyNasalAllergyJournal.org. You may also visit wish to visit our website www.allergyasthmareno.com
Every year I see patients who begin suffering from allergies in the spring through the first frost. I would be happy to discuss this topic further and provide additional information about this allergy season at the time of yout appointment.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Leonard Shaprio, MD & Boris Lokshin, MD
2135 Green Vista Dr. Suite 109
Sparks, NV 89431
Ph: 775-359-5010 Fax: 775-359-7656