The sun has been out and allergy season is soon to be upon us, if it isn’t already.
A study by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology @@http://www.acaai.org/Pages/default.aspx@@identified five factors that may aggravate suffering from allergies. It named fruits and vegetables, air filters, spring breezes, not taking medication and not seeing a doctor as contributing factors to seasonal allergies.
Common causes of spring allergies include pollen and mold, which fluctuate depending on a number of weather-related factors.
“While many people rejoice when the weather gets warmer, it’s not always a pleasant time for everyone,” ACAAI Public Relations Committee Chair Dr. James Sublett said.@@http://www.drjimsublett.com/@@
Pollen count is affected by the length of the growing season, erratic weather, rainfall and wind, Sublett said.
Some fruits and vegetables can be problematic because of pollen-food allergy syndrome, which is a cross-reaction between similar proteins in some types of fruits, vegetables and the allergy-causing pollen.
Air filters are usually a good idea, the study said, but changing the filter regularly is important. If it is not changed regularly it may release ions into a house and do more harm than good.
Opening windows can be harmful for allergies because it can allow pollen to drift into a house and settle inside, the study said.
“If spring weather fluctuates greatly between warm and cold spells, it can result in more intense periods of pollen release during the warm spells, when plants take the cue to grow and release pollen,” Sublett said.
Freshmen Tyler Johnson and Nolan Manning eat salad on the grass outside of their dorms in Clark Hall. As spring and summer hit, grass and flower beds in the Eugene/Springfield area turn into an environmental allergy-sufferers worst nightmare. (Nate Barrett/Oregon Daily Emerald)
The study recommends taking medication before symptoms hit to minimize suffering. It also recommends visiting an allergist to determine what is triggering the symptoms and to receive suggestions of specific treatment instead of trying to self-medicate.
Eugene is known for having high allergy rates due to pollen in the air. University senior Alexia Wray@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=wray@@ suffers from an allergy-prompted sore throat, swollen glands and a stuffy nose.
“It definitely impedes my everyday life. I feel kind of drained or groggy all the time,” she said. “I had never had allergies until I moved here.”
The University Health Center helps students through spring allergy season by testing students to figure out the irritation source and by providing medication. The worst allergy season is Memorial Day through the 4th of July, according to University Health Center lead nurse Dylan Blanks.@@healthcenter.uoregon.edu/Directory/tabid/68/u429q/7C4E75727365205370656369616C747920436C696E6963/Default.aspx@@
“The main thing is the grass seed. All of those pollens are being settled down here into the valley,” Blanks said. “We’re the number one grower of grass seed in the U.S. and have every tree known to mankind, and we get a lot of mold and mildew during the winter. Everything pools here and then usually that doesn’t help.”
