Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Ragweed season starts, may last longer than usual
By Sara Siekierski
Daily News staff writer
In just a little over a week, sneezing, runny noses and itchy, watery eyes will kick in for hundreds of people across the Stateline Area.
Ragweed season unofficially begins Aug. 15.
For the estimated 36 million Americans who suffer from ragweed allergy, the fall season can be miserable. But this season could be one of the worst that fall allergy sufferers have had to go through.
Global warming may be making ragweed season worse for allergy sufferers, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). Recent studies suggest that increasing temperatures and carbon dioxide levels already are resulting in longer ragweed seasons and more concentrated pollen counts.
According to the AAAAI, one ragweed plant can produce 1 billion pollen grains in an average season. Because the grains are light in weight, they can travel up to 400 miles with the wind, meaning ragweed is essentially found everywhere outdoors.
Symptoms of ragweed allergy include itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, runny and stuffy nose, and an itchy throat. Dr. Robert Lisek, an internal medicine physician at both Beloit Clinic and NorthPointe Health Center in Roscoe, said it's important to note that allergy symptoms are not accompanied by a fever, which may signify upper respiratory or viral infections. Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between allergies and a cold or upper respiratory infection, Lisek said, as allergies can mimic viral infections.
Symptoms usually are worse early in the morning when plants pollinate and early in the evening when the wind dies down and the pollen starts to fall back to the ground, said Dr. Ronald L. Ragotzy, an allergist and immunologist at Mercy Clinic East in Janesville, Mercy Beloit Medical Center and Mercy Walworth Hospital and Medical Center in Lake Geneva.
An allergist is able to conduct allergy screenings to test for reactions to certain allergens. In a skin sensitivity test, the skin is scratched or pricked with extract of ragweed pollen. If the person is allergic to ragweed, the site will turn red, swollen and itchy. Blood tests also can be done to see if an antibody to ragweed is present. Primary care doctors will not typically conduct skin tests, but usually can figure out if a patient has allergies or a viral infection, Lisek said.
Those suffering from ragweed allergies have a number of options for treatment. Several over-the-counter antihistamines are available, including Allegra, Claritin and Zyrtec, and some antihistamines are still available with a prescription. All of these are in pill form, Lisek said.
If antihistamines won't do the job, inhaled nasal steroids or immunotherapy in the form of allergy shots or mouth drops are available. The inhaled nasal steroid is taken once or twice a day before the allergy season hits to control the nasal system, Lisek said. The spray is meant for people who already know they have the ragweed allergy. Some eye drops are also available by prescription.
Allergy shots, which are administered by an allergist, give patients a regular, small dose of the allergen they are allergic to in order to gradually desensitize them to that particular allergen. Allergy shots are effective in up to 90 percent of patients with ragweed allergy, according to the AAAI.
Sublingual immunotherapy, or allergy drops, are taken under the tongue at home on a daily basis, Ragotzy said. The drops desensitize the body to the allergen just as the shots do, but Ragotzy said the drops seem to work faster.
Allergy drops can either be taken a month or two before the allergy season begins or every day for 3-5 years. Shots can only be taken on a weekly or monthly basis because they don't work as fast as the drops, Ragotzy said.
The best advice Lisek can give regarding which method of allergy relief a person should choose is to use the trial and error system. Since everyone responds differently to various forms of medication, the best idea is to try out different methods until one works, Lisek said.
The choice of which treatment to use depends on the results a patient wants, Ragotzy said.
“It's more of a decision if you want to get rid of it or just treat it,” he said.
Ragweed season unofficially begins Aug. 15.
For the estimated 36 million Americans who suffer from ragweed allergy, the fall season can be miserable. But this season could be one of the worst that fall allergy sufferers have had to go through.
Global warming may be making ragweed season worse for allergy sufferers, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). Recent studies suggest that increasing temperatures and carbon dioxide levels already are resulting in longer ragweed seasons and more concentrated pollen counts.
According to the AAAAI, one ragweed plant can produce 1 billion pollen grains in an average season. Because the grains are light in weight, they can travel up to 400 miles with the wind, meaning ragweed is essentially found everywhere outdoors.
Symptoms of ragweed allergy include itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, runny and stuffy nose, and an itchy throat. Dr. Robert Lisek, an internal medicine physician at both Beloit Clinic and NorthPointe Health Center in Roscoe, said it's important to note that allergy symptoms are not accompanied by a fever, which may signify upper respiratory or viral infections. Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between allergies and a cold or upper respiratory infection, Lisek said, as allergies can mimic viral infections.
Symptoms usually are worse early in the morning when plants pollinate and early in the evening when the wind dies down and the pollen starts to fall back to the ground, said Dr. Ronald L. Ragotzy, an allergist and immunologist at Mercy Clinic East in Janesville, Mercy Beloit Medical Center and Mercy Walworth Hospital and Medical Center in Lake Geneva.
An allergist is able to conduct allergy screenings to test for reactions to certain allergens. In a skin sensitivity test, the skin is scratched or pricked with extract of ragweed pollen. If the person is allergic to ragweed, the site will turn red, swollen and itchy. Blood tests also can be done to see if an antibody to ragweed is present. Primary care doctors will not typically conduct skin tests, but usually can figure out if a patient has allergies or a viral infection, Lisek said.
Those suffering from ragweed allergies have a number of options for treatment. Several over-the-counter antihistamines are available, including Allegra, Claritin and Zyrtec, and some antihistamines are still available with a prescription. All of these are in pill form, Lisek said.
If antihistamines won't do the job, inhaled nasal steroids or immunotherapy in the form of allergy shots or mouth drops are available. The inhaled nasal steroid is taken once or twice a day before the allergy season hits to control the nasal system, Lisek said. The spray is meant for people who already know they have the ragweed allergy. Some eye drops are also available by prescription.
Allergy shots, which are administered by an allergist, give patients a regular, small dose of the allergen they are allergic to in order to gradually desensitize them to that particular allergen. Allergy shots are effective in up to 90 percent of patients with ragweed allergy, according to the AAAI.
Sublingual immunotherapy, or allergy drops, are taken under the tongue at home on a daily basis, Ragotzy said. The drops desensitize the body to the allergen just as the shots do, but Ragotzy said the drops seem to work faster.
Allergy drops can either be taken a month or two before the allergy season begins or every day for 3-5 years. Shots can only be taken on a weekly or monthly basis because they don't work as fast as the drops, Ragotzy said.
The best advice Lisek can give regarding which method of allergy relief a person should choose is to use the trial and error system. Since everyone responds differently to various forms of medication, the best idea is to try out different methods until one works, Lisek said.
The choice of which treatment to use depends on the results a patient wants, Ragotzy said.
“It's more of a decision if you want to get rid of it or just treat it,” he said.
 |
 |
|
| Law allows tracking of offenders | Stateline Area News in Brief |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of beloitdailynews.com.
Submit a Comment
Login below to post your comment. |
Not yet a member? Use the form below to register. |
