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By Michael Blaiss, MD
ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS about winter is that there’s no pollen in the air. All the leaves have fallen off the trees, and the grass is brown and may even be covered with snow, allowing sufferers of hay fever a reprieve from their nasal symptoms. So, you may be asking, “Why am I having constant sneezing, and my nose is itching and running during the winter months? How can that be?”
Unfortunately, for many people, the winter can be a terrible time for allergies. But since winter is “cold” season, how do you know if your nasal problems are from an allergy or a virus?
Here are some ways to help distinguish whether you have a virus or an allergy:
- Viruses may be associated with fever, while allergies never result in a fever.
- Viruses produce colored mucus from the nose, while allergies cause clear drainage.
- Viruses typically don’t have any eye symptoms, while allergies may produce watery, itchy eyes.
- Viruses may lead to sore throats and body aches, while these are not seen with allergies.
- Viruses are short-lived, usually lasting up to two weeks, while allergies may last throughout the season or longer.
If your symptoms suggest that you are miserable from a winter allergy, what could be the cause? According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, these are some of the most likely culprits:
- House dust mites: These pests are barely visible to the naked eye and grow in carpet, bedding and upholstered furniture. In the winter, they die, and their decomposed body parts and feces can trigger allergy symptoms.
- Animal dander: Your cat or dog can cause year-round allergy symptoms, but these may be more noticeable in the winter when you spend more time indoors.
- Mold spores: Like pets, molds can lead to allergy troubles all year, but especially in the cold, wet winter months. The most common locations to observe mold growth are your bathrooms and basement.
What can you do about these allergy triggers? The first step is avoidance. For house dust mites, removing the carpet from bedroom floor, washing all the bedding with hot water – at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit – removing dust collectors from the bedroom and putting mite-proof encasings on the mattress and box springs can help reduce symptoms. To avoid pet dander, always keep your pet out of your bedroom. Some studies suggest that frequent bathing of your pet is beneficial in keeping dander down to a minimum. Remember, there is no such thing is a “hypoallergenic” cat or dog. Any area where mold is growing needs to be scrubbed thoroughly, and be sure to control any moisture or water source that’s causing mold development. In a basement with mold problems, a dehumidifier can be effective.
Second, medication may be used to minimize your nasal misery. Over-the-counter medications, such as non-sedating antihistamines, like Claritin and Zyrtec, and intranasal corticosteroids, like Flonase and Nasacort, can be beneficial. These treatments don’t cure your allergies and need to be taken regularly to control the nasal symptoms. Depending on the severity of your allergies, these remedies may be enough to improve your quality of life.
What if avoidance and medication don’t work well enough, you’re having side effects from the medication or you’re just tired of using medications all the time? What can you do? If this is the case, it’s time to seek medical help from a board-certified allergist. You’ll probably require allergy testing to determine exactly what’s causing your symptoms. You may find after speaking with your allergist that you’re a candidate for allergen immunotherapy. This is a type of vaccination where you’re given small amounts of what you’re allergic to by a tablet under the tongue (house dust mites) or by injections (pets, molds, house dust mites), over a three- to five-year period. Allergen immunotherapy has been shown not only to reduce symptoms, but also to help get rid of your allergies permanently.
Citation: https://health.usnews.com/health-care/for-better/articles/2019-01-11/winter-allergies-how-to-cope?
Citation: acaai.org/allergies/allergy-symptoms/cough?
Most people have experienced a cough caused by a cold or flu — the kind of cough that comes on strong for a few days during an illness, and then tapers off as you start to feel better. But what if you have a cough that just won’t go away?
If your cough is allergy-related, you might notice that you cough more during some seasons, or in some environments. This can be caused by the presence of allergens that may affect you.
You might also have other symptoms of allergy. Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) can cause sneezing, congestion, and itchy skin, eyes and nose, as well as a cough. Congestion from allergies can also cause dark circles, called allergic shiners, to appear under your eyes.
An allergy cough is caused by your immune system’s response to an allergen, rather than by an infection like a flu or cold cough. Asthma can also cause a cough. If you are also wheezing or have tightness in your chest or shortness of breath, you may have an asthma cough. Your board-certified allergist is a specialist in helping patients find relief from symptoms like asthma and allergy cough.
Asthma and allergy coughs are typically caused by swelling or irritation of the airways.
Allergies like hay fever can cause a chronic dry cough. If you’re sensitive to dust, pet dander, pollen, mold, or other common allergens, then your allergy symptoms may include a cough. Allergies can also worsen your asthma symptoms, causing them to become severe.
Learn about some common allergy triggers and how to avoid them:
If you’re suffering from a chronic cough that might be related to allergy or asthma, it’s important to get tested. Your board-certified allergist will review your symptoms, take your detailed medical history and conduct testing to complete a diagnosis. This process helps identify the specific triggers that affect you, so you can get relief.
Skin testing is the most commonly used form of allergy testing, and it is fast and accurate. In certain circumstances, your allergist may conduct blood testing in addition to or instead of skin testing. You may also take a breathing test, which can help in diagnosing asthma.
Your test results, along with your medical history, will give your allergist the information needed to develop a treatment plan and help you find relief!
Ninety percent of chronic coughs are related to one of the following:
- Asthma
- Chronic bronchitis
- Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
- Postnasal drip
- Smoking
If your allergist rules out allergies, asthma and the conditions listed above, ask what else might be causing your chronic cough, such as:
- Blood pressure medications
- Bronchiectasis
- Cystic fibrosis
- Infection (viral or bacterial)
- Laryngopharyngeal reflux
- Lung cancer
- Sarcoidosis
https://acaai.org/allergies/allergy-symptoms/cough?fbclid=IwAR3oTDUeLyYoqewDJahhu9XKqfu1aW9OPZCUGQJcFUOZeQd3a4jUDpoZexU
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/906135
More than 40% of Americans have not been vaccinated against influenza this year and don’t plan to get vaccinated, despite repeated warnings about the potential dangers of the flu, as well as last year’s record-high number of deaths from flu, a new survey indicates.
The survey included 1202 interviews with a nationally representative sample of adults aged 18 years and older. It was conducted between November 14 and 19 by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago.
Results showed that 43% of adults had received the flu shot and that 14% had not yet been vaccinated but intended to get vaccinated this season. Yet, 41% of adults surveyed said they had not been vaccinated and did not intend to get vaccinated. About 2% were undecided about getting the flu shot or did not respond to the question.
The highest vaccination rate (62%) was for adults older than 60 years, a group at higher risk for flu-related complications. However, 1 in 4 (24%) people aged 60 years and older did not plan to get vaccinated this year.
Adults younger than 45 were the least likely to report being vaccinated. Roughly half of this group indicated that they did not plan to receive a vaccination this year.
Among adults who have children younger than 18 years living in their home, 39% said they do not vaccinate their children.
Misconceptions Common
The top reasons people cited for not getting vaccinated against the flu were concern about side effects from the vaccine (36%), concern about getting the flu from the vaccine (31%), and because they never get the flu or they do not think the flu vaccine works (31%).
“Unfortunately, many people are still not getting flu shots due to broader misconceptions about the value of receiving a flu shot and concerns about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines,” Caitlin Oppenheimer, MPH, senior vice president of public health research at NORC, said in a news release.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends routine annual influenza vaccination for all persons aged 6 months or older who do not have contraindications. The CDC estimates that flu vaccination coverage among adults was 37% for the 2017-2018 season and 43% for the 2016-2017 season.
Last year’s flu season was particularly severe, with a record-breaking 900,000 hospitalizations and more than 80,000 deaths in the United States. Although most flu deaths were in adults older than 65, the flu also killed 180 children and teenagers.
Many survey respondents did not know this. About two thirds (63%) incorrectly believed that last year’s season was about the same as usual, was less severe than usual, or they did not know. People who had already received their flu shot for this season were more aware of the severity of last year’s flu season; 43% of people who had already been vaccinated correctly identified last year’s season as being more severe than usual, compared to only 30% of people who do not plan to get vaccinated.
“Flu vaccination helps prevent people from getting sick with the flu and reduces the severity of illness for those who do get sick. Widespread vaccination also helps create ‘herd immunity’ that protects vulnerable groups who are prevented from getting vaccinated,” Caroline Pearson, BA, senior fellow at NORC, said in news release. “Unfortunately, over half of all adults are currently unvaccinated, with four in 10 not intending to get vaccinated, placing themselves and those around them at risk.”
Cite this article: Almost Half of Americans to Skip Flu Shot This Year – Medscape – Dec 06, 2018.
