Spring is in the Air...and so are the Allergies by Dr. Jeremy F. Shapiro/Pediatrician: at DailyStrength Doctors and Experts

Dr Shapiro completed his undergraduate education at UC San Diego earning a B S in Biochemistry and Cell Biology and a B A in Political Science He furthered his education at UCLA where he earned a Masters Degree in Public…

More About Me >>

FAST FACTS

LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA, USA

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

AFFILIATIONS:

Attending Physician, Providence Tarzana Regional Medical Center

YEARS IN PRACTICE: 6

WEBSITES:

Boulevard Pediatrics

More About Me >>

Spring is in the Air...and so are the Allergies

Posted in Asthma by Dr. Jeremy F. Shapiro on Apr 05, 2009

With winter just coming to an end (at least in this hemisphere), I'm sure many of you will probably agree when I say this is certainly a beautiful time of year. Flowers are blooming, the temperatures are rising, and the days are getting longer. It, in fact, is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the outdoors. Unless, of course, you are one of the many individuals that suffers from allergies as springtime can be quite overwhelming and something I know all too well after taking an outdoor jog a week or so ago. You see, by the time I was half-way through, my eyes were watering, my nose was stuffy and my chest was tightening up. Now I did make it home, but since that time, I've been taking my preventive medications so this doesn't happen again anytime soon.

But what concerns me most is those children and the people caring for them not realizing they are allergy victims...enduring many troubling symptoms on a daily basis. This was my story when I lived on the soccer fields year round as a child as I can still so easily recall how difficult it was to take a breath on certain occasions...particularly on days of freshly cut grass.

So I take this opportunity to remind teenagers and parents of children of all ages who may be reading this and not realizing they or their children may be suffering from allergies or, in fact, may be in denial as to the significance of their allergies and ask of you all if the following symptoms sound familiar to you to, please discuss further with your child's physician.

Runny, itchy nose
Itchy, watery eyes
Coughing and wheezing/reactive airway disease
Chronic ear problems
Nasal congestion
Mouth breathing
Rash

And depending upon the significance of symptoms and what exactly the allergens may be (which can be determined by either blood and/or skin allergy testing), a variety of treatment measures exist including:

Antihistamines-which block the histamine receptors and therefore, hopefully slowly down the immune system when it encounters an allergen. Today, it can be found in pill, liquid, eye drop and nasal spray form.
Decongestants-shrink the swollen nasal tissue and blood vessels. But please note, if using the eye drop or nasal spray form, decongestants can only be used for a few days as they can actually make the symptoms worse if used for a longer time period.
Steroids-help reduce the inflammation from allergies. Can be found in pill, inhaler, nasal spray, cream, and eye drop form and can be part of the treatment regimen or as a preventive medication.
Leukotriene Modifiers-aid the treatment of asthma and nasal related symptoms. Can be found in pill, chewable tablet, and oral granule form.
Bronchodilators-for those with asthma symptoms, these medicines help relax the lung muscle tissue.
Immunotherapy-AKA allergy shots...designed to gradually help the immune system build tolerance to the offending allergens.

And yes, the symptoms and treatment measures apply to adults as well. So if allergies are a concern for you or your child, please don't hesitate to discuss further with your physician.

Dr. Jeremy

Previous: Spring is in the Air...and so are the Allergies

: Screening for Adolescent Depression

CATEGORIES: Tips

CONDITIONS AND COMMUNITIES: Asthma • Breastfeeding • Child Support & Custody • Environmental Allergies • Family Issues • Food Allergies • Gay Parenting • Grandparents Raising Children • Homeschooling • Military Families • Parenting 'Tweens (9-12) • Parenting Big Kids (5-8) • Parenting Newborns & Infants (0-1) • Parenting Preschoolers (3-5) • Parenting Teenagers (12-18) • Parenting Toddlers (1-3) • Pregnancy • Pregnancy - Teens • Single Dads • Single Parenting • Step Families • Twins, Triplets & More

TAGS:

Displaying comments 17-1 of 17

Today we offer cheapest prices for all tobacco online - with us you can buy cheap cigarettes cheaper than anywhere, our online shop offer to buy our marlboro cigarettes at lowest possible price for today .Be sure, if you order discount cigarettes with us - we provide for our customers really cheap camel cigarettes,we save your time and funds . Our discount cigarettes shop means cheap cigarettes with high quality,low prices, and excellent customer service. Feel free to check us out, and send a link to your friends.

By aalas Aug 29, 2009

By sumighar Aug 28, 2009

By sumighar Aug 27, 2009

I hate spring, because always I have problems with this allergy and I don't know how to treat it. Some of my friends joking. They told me try to buy viagra in Massachusetts from pfizer corporation and treat not erectile dysfunction but allergy :) They are crazy...

By mar4ela Aug 26, 2009

I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article, this one is an extremely, you've put the viewpoints in a very meticulous manner
generic cialis | generic pharmacy

By Wolter Aug 25, 2009

Generic Viagra is widely used by men to treat their ED. It contains sildenafil citrate a clinically proven drug that helps men with ED in achieving erection.
Bellspharmacy.com is one of the highly acclaim distributor of generic drugs. This company is known worldwide of its quality drugs and it offer generic drugs at a very low prices. Visit them online and try to compare the difference in price and service.
Generic Viagra | Cheap Generic Viagra | Buy Generic Viagra Online | Buy Generic Viagra

By jamessmithfourm Aug 25, 2009

I've read several of your articles and find the information relevant, timely and useful. I also like the way you manage to turn household chores into a run on the treadmill! Very creative! generic viagra online

By AnahidMaral Aug 04, 2009

After an allergist confirmed my youngest son’s allergies, I tried all of the usual remedies to reduce his symptoms – allergen-free bedding, carpet-free flooring, and months and months of allergy shots: two shots—one in each arm, three times a week. Driving to the doctor’s office, signing in, waiting his turn, getting his shots, waiting 30 minutes afterward to make sure he didn’t have a reaction only to turn around and do it again two days later. Argh!

That routine didn’t mesh well with Robby or myself and I became an allergy shot dropout. But clearly, I needed to do something to give Robby relief.

So, I asked my girlfriends, who shared their experience on MedicalMommas.com.

Watch as my friend, Barbara talks about how she looked into off-label sublingual allergy drops, and doesn’t worry about the lack of FDA approval for this treatment (http://www.medicalmommas.com/video/medicalmommascom-mystory-1). My friend, Valerie didn’t want her son, Peter taking over-the-counter or prescription allergy medication everyday, especially after he experienced horrible side effects to his allergy meds. She learned a lot and shares it all here (http://www.medicalmommas.com/profiles/blogs/allergy-overload).

My friend, Melissa shares her technique to best manage her son, John’s allergies in order to control his asthma (http://www.medicalmommas.com/video/medicalmommascom-moment-2).

Meanwhile, I’m still searching for what will make Robby stop his constant sniffing and am interested in hearing what you have to say.

Please join the discussion on MedicalMommas.com.

Best,
Diana Keough
Editor-in-Chief
Diana@medicalmommas.com

By MedicalMommas Jul 30, 2009

However, we now have a complete reversal. It used to be only the rich and famous that could afford to bring in cleaning services but it has become a relatively normal thing for families to have a 'lady that does'....!!! Van sales !!!

By Vanleasing Jul 23, 2009

Thanks for sharing this. Everything listed here sounds exactly how I react every spring/fall. I have indoor/outdoor allergies. I am bothered year round with my allergies. But another thing that most people who are allergy sufferers want to avoid is any area that may have mold. I have found out that mold sets of my allergies quicker than my other allergy reactants. To avoid mold growing keep everything aired out and dry as much as possible. It's rather raining and cold at the moment where I live but that makes it easier for all forms of allergies to come up.

Does allergies make us hyper sensitive to smells, tastes and fatigue?

By Willingtobefree Apr 08, 2009

As springtime approaches, a cheer goes up to celebrate the renewal of nature. Spring is a wonderful time of year when flowers bloom and trees create a canopy of beauty across the landscape.Read more: Spring is in the Air -- And So are Allergies! How to Avoid Tree Pollen, Dust, Mold, and Allergens in Spring.Thanks with Volkswagen vans spark

By carsalesjobs Apr 08, 2009

It's great to see you on here. I got on here for the 1st time today because my 4 year old was diagnosed with allergy to cold. Hives and pain. Anyways, curious if you know anything about over the counter meds such as Zyrtec/Claritan and what impact they may have a childs demeanor? We have had a lot of trouble with this over the past month and now resorting to Benadryl when he goes outside because we couldn't handle the behavior issues. With young children it is always hard to know if they are truly reacting to something or not.

By dvazquez Apr 07, 2009

Awakendwoman,
Allergy testing may be warranted for your child, but an evaluation by your child's physician is the first step.

By DrJeremy Apr 06, 2009

CAN THEY TEST A 6 YEAR OLD FOR ALLERGIES? MY LITTLE BOY HAS ON AND OFF COUGHING FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS NOW...

By awakendwoman Apr 06, 2009

Nutrocon,
All great points and thank you for your input and expertise on this matter.
Dr. Jeremy

By DrJeremy Apr 06, 2009

I am surprised that there was no mention of avoiding cross-reacting foods. There has been very positive data showing how symptoms can be minimized if cross-reactors are limited during the height of the season. Common sense tell us that many common foods we eat come from trees and grass, making them natural cross-reactors to what we react to in the air.

Foods and topical products to avoid or greatly minimize if tree pollen is an issue:
Almond, Apple, Apricot, Avocado, Carrot, Cherry, Coconut, Fennel, Hazelnut, Kiwi, Peach, Peanut, Pears, Plums, Tomato, Tree nuts, White potato. Completely eliminate Peanut, Tree nuts, and Tomato if symptomatic.

Foods and topical products to avoid or greatly minimize if grass is an issue:
Orange, Peanut, Tomato, and these members of the grass family: Bamboo shoots, Barley, Corn, Hops, Kamut, Lemongrass, Millet, Molasses, Oats, Rye, Sorghum, Spelt, Sugar Cane, Triticale, Wheat, Wild rice, Alcohol (beer, Scotch whiskey, bourbon, rum), Grain vodkas, Barley malt

Bonnie Minsky MA, MPH, LDN, CNS

By nutrocon Apr 06, 2009

I've had allergies all my life. For a while I was on prescription allergy medication then I found out that Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine and started taking that instead. And it works. I've been off the prescription stuff for years now.

By ALC67 Apr 06, 2009

Got a Question?

Submit

My Fans

More Fans >>