Runny noses and watery eyes are a hallmark of spring for those with seasonal allergies. Still, late summer and early autumn can also be challenging times for those with environmental allergies. In this 4-minute video, allergist and immunologist Dr. Mariam Hanna explains what triggers seasonal allergies, how to distinguish them from the common cold, how they may change with age, and how to best manage and treat them.
Download a transcript of this video.
Triggers and symptoms
During late summer and early autumn, several triggers can flare up seasonal allergy symptoms, including ragweed pollen, mould spores that flare up on humid days, and reactions to dust mites and pet dander may become noticeable as we spend more time indoors.
While not dangerous, environmental allergy symptoms, such as watery, red eyes, nasal congestion, sneezing and coughing, can disrupt a person’s daily life. Enjoying the outdoors can become challenging, and the discomfort can interfere with your sleep, meals, and productivity.
Common cold or environmental allergies?
Distinguishing between allergies and the common cold can sometimes be tricky. Allergies tend to have a distinct pattern with seasonal symptoms that can span several weeks, much longer than expected with the common cold. Despite the term ‘hay fever’, fever is not associated with allergies and suggests an infection is the cause of your symptoms. Finally, itchy eyes, nose or throat are unique symptoms to allergies, which are seldom noted with a cold.
Prevalence
Allergies can affect all ages, and it is estimated that 20 to 25% of Canadians are affected by them. Allergies can also change throughout your lifespan. Some people develop allergies over time, while others resolve while they age. Some studies suggest that rising temperatures and higher carbon dioxide levels contribute to the longer growing season in allergen-producing plants.
Management and treatment
So, how do you best manage and treat environmental allergies? Getting a proper diagnosis is an important first step in understanding and managing your symptoms. An allergist and immunologist will ask your medical history, conduct a physical exam, and perform allergy testing to determine exactly what you are and are not allergic to.
For outdoor allergies, such as pollen, it's best to limit outdoor activities during times of high pollen counts. Treatment options include medications to manage your symptoms and immunotherapy. There is an expanding number of over-the-counter and prescription options, including saline rinses, non-sedating antihistamines, nasal steroids, and eyedrops, amongst other medications that can be used to help improve symptom control.
Immunotherapy is a process to retrain your immune system to dampen this allergic response or flip back to a more tolerant state. Doing this not only gives you a better season and need for less medication, but the long-term goal is that you'll remain that way even after treatment is completed. There are two main ways of doing immunotherapy for environmental allergies. These include allergy shots or melt-away pollen tablets to reduce your symptoms for the season and set you on the right path to tolerance.
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