(BPT) - Spring is in the air – and that means pollen, mold spores and other airborne allergens are going to bring on sneezing and wheezing for an estimated 40 to 50 million Americans.
The spring season can be especially bothersome with so much conflicting information on how to find relief. To help you better understand spring allergies and combat symptoms this sneezing season, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), has answered some of the most frequently asked questions.
kAm`] (9J 5@6D :E D66> =:<6 >@C6 2?5 >@C6 A6@A=6 92G6 DAC:?8 2==6C8:6Dnk^Am
kAm%9:D :D =:<6=J 5F6 E@ :?4C62D65 2H2C6?6DD 2?5 >@C6 A6@A=6 E2<:?8 E96 DE6AD E@ 36:?8 AC@A6C=J E6DE65 2?5 5:28?@D65] p44@C5:?8 E@ 2 C646?E DEF5J AF3=:D965 :? E96 p??2=D @7 p==6C8J[ pDE9>2 2?5 x>>F?@=@8J[ A@==6? 4@F?ED 2C6 8C25F2==J :?4C62D:?8 6G6CJ J62C[ H9:49 42? 42FD6 96:89E6?65 DJ>AE@>D]k^Am
kAma] s@ DAC:?8 2==6C8J DJ>AE@>D @?=J =2DE 5FC:?8 E96 DAC:?8 >@?E9Dnk^Am
kAm%96 =6?8E9 @7 E96 D62D@? 42? 96=A 56E6C>:?6 E96 D6G6C:EJ @7 DJ>AE@>D] u@C >2?J 2C62D @7 E96 4@F?ECJ[ DAC:?8 2==6C8:6D 368:? :? u63CF2CJ 2?5 =2DE F?E:= E96 62C=J DF>>6C] |:=5 H:?E6C E6>A6C2EFC6D 42? 42FD6 A=2?ED E@ A@==6?2E6 62C=J] p C2:?J DAC:?8 42? 2=D@ AC@>@E6 C2A:5 A=2?E 8C@HE9 2?5 =625 E@ 2? :?4C62D6 :? >@=5[ 42FD:?8 DJ>AE@>D E@ =2DE H6== :?E@ E96 72== >@?E9D] p==6C8:DED C64@>>6?5 DE2CE:?8 >65:42E:@?D E@ 2==6G:2E6 DJ>AE@>D EH@ H66<D 367@C6 E96J 368:?] x7 J@F 92G6 2 9:DE@CJ @7 AC:@C D62D@?2= AC@3=6>D[ DE2CE J@FC >65:42E:@? 2E E96 7:CDE D:8? @7 2?J DJ>AE@>D]k^Am
kAmb] (:== 62E:?8 =@42= 9@?6J 4FC6 2==6C8:6Dnk^Am
kAmp 4@>>@? >JE9 :D E92E 62E:?8 2 DA@@?7F= @7 =@42= 9@?6J 2 52J 42? 3F:=5 2==6C8J :>>F?:EJ] %96 :562 :D E92E 366D A:4< FA A@==6? DA@C6D 7C@> 7=@H6CD[ EC2?D76C E96> E@ E96:C 9@?6J 2?5 96=A J@F 36EE6C E@=6C2E6 A@==6?] $62D@?2= 2==6C8:6D 2C6 FDF2==J EC:886C65 3J H:?53@C?6 A@==6?[ ?@E A@==6? DAC625 3J :?D64ED] %96C6 :D ?@ D4:6?E:7:4 6G:56?46 E92E 9@?6J H:== AC@G:56 2?J 36?67:E @C C65F46 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2422:]@C8^2==6C8:DE^2==6C8:6D^$J>AE@>D^!286D^5672F=E]2DAIQm2==6C8J DJ>AE@>Dk^2m] *@FC 36DE 36En %2=< E@ J@FC 2==6C8:DE 23@FE H2JD E@ 2G@:5 2==6C8J EC:886CD[ E96 36DE >65:42E:@?D E@ EC62E DJ>AE@>D 2?5 H96E96C k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2422:]@C8^2==6C8:DE^2==6C8:6D^%C62E>6?E^2==6C8J\:>>F?@E96C2AJ\D9@ED^!286D^5672F=E]2DAIQm:>>F?@E96C2AJ W2==6C8J D9@EDXk^2m 4@F=5 36 36?67:4:2=]k^Am
kAmc] xD E96C6 DF49 2 E9:?8 2D DAC:?8 2DE9>2nk^Am
kAmp==6C8:6D 2?5 2DE9>2 2C6 @7E6? H@CD6 5FC:?8 5:776C6?E E:>6D @7 E96 J62C 5F6 E@ 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 2==6C86?D] p? 6DE:>2E65 fd E@ gd A6C46?E @7 2DE9>2 A2E:6?ED 92G6 2==6C8:6D] %96D6 2==6C8:4 C6DA@?D6D :? E96 =F?8 42? =625 E@ DJ>AE@>D @7 2DE9>2] x7 J@F 92G6 DAC:?8 2==6C8:6D[ E9:D 42? 36 H9J J@F 92G6 >@C6 2DE9>2 DJ>AE@>D 5FC:?8 E96 D62D@?] %9@D6 E92E 36=:6G6 E96J >2J 92G6 DJ>AE@>D @7 ?2D2= 2==6C8J @C 2DE9>2 42? 7:?5 2 7C66 D4C66?:?8 AC@8C2> :? E96:C 2C62 3J G:D:E:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2422:]@C8^?2DAQmHHH]2422:]@C8^?2DAk^2m]k^Am
kAmd] r2? J@F DF556?=J 56G6=@A D62D@?2= 2==6C8:6D :? 25F=E9@@5nk^Am
kAm*6D] p=E9@F89 2==6C8:6D 2C6 4@>>@? :? 49:=5C6?[ E96J 42? @44FC 2E 2?J E:>6 2?5 2?J 286] $@>6E:>6D 2==6C8:6D 8@ 2H2J[ 3FE E96J 2=D@ 42? 4@>6 324< J62CD =2E6C] x7 J@F DFDA64E J@F 92G6 2? 2==6C8J[ J@F D9@F=5 <66A EC24< @7 J@FC DJ>AE@>D H:E9 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^|J}2D2=p==6C8Jy@FC?2=]@C8Qm|J}2D2=p==6C8Jy@FC?2=]@C8k^2m 2?5 D66 2? 2==6C8:DE E@ 7:?5 C6=:67]k^Am
kAm“qJ F?56CDE2?5:?8 H92E 2==6C86?D EC:886C J@FC DJ>AE@>D 2?5 9@H E@ 2G@:5 E96>[ J@F 42? 7:?5 C6=:67 7C@> DAC:?8 2==6C8:6D E9:D D62D@?[” D2JD sC] #:492C5 (636C[ 2? 2==6C8:DE 2?5 prppx AC6D:56?E] “p? 2==6C8:DE 42? 96=A J@F 7:?5 E96 D@FC46 @7 J@FC DF776C:?8 2?5 DE@A :E[ ?@E ;FDE EC62E E96 DJ>AE@>D]”k^Am
kAmp==6C8:6D 2?5 2DE9>2 2C6 D6C:@FD 5:D62D6D 5FC:?8 6G6CJ D62D@? @7 E96 J62C 2?5 E92E’D ?@E9:?8 E@ D?66K6 2E] |:D5:28?@D:D 2?5 :?2AAC@AC:2E6 EC62E>6?E 42? 36 52?86C@FD] %@ =62C? >@C6 23@FE E96D6 4@?5:E:@?D[ 2?5 =@42E6 2? 2==6C8:DE :? J@FC 2C62[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]p==6C8Jp?5pDE9>2#6=:67]@C8QmHHH]p==6C8Jp?5pDE9>2#6=:67]@C8k^2m]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`f`c`U2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`f`c`U2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am
