By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
It’s that time of year again. A familiar yellow dust has settled on cars, houses and anything left outside, leaving a trail of sneezing and sniffling victims behind.
But contrary to popular belief, the yellow stuff we can see isn’t what makes allergy patients feel so terrible this time of year.
According to Teresa Tarrant, assistant professor in the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology at UNC’s School of Medicine, the plant pollens we inhale can’t be seen with the naked eye. The visible yellow dust is part of the plant pollenation process, but is too big for inhalation.
However, the yellow dust does start to appear at the same time pollen levels increase, and according to Tarrant the allergy center sees more patients this time of year.
She said allergy patients complain of itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing and post-nasal drip, among other symptoms. Tarrant added that asthma patients often see a worsening of symptoms, including shortening of breath, when pollen levels are high.
But according to Wes Wallace, an emergency room physician at UNC Hospitals, the pollens that tend to affect asthma patients most strongly are ragweed pollens, which appear in the fall.
“We’re about to get into the season where we see a lot of tree pollens,†he said. “For most people, tree pollens are not a terrible trigger for ashma.†Tree pollens, Wallace said, can cause conjunctivitis – which causes red, itchy eyes – as well as other symptoms, such as a runny nose.
Wallace said that the severity of allergy symptoms that patients experience tends to vary.
“You might think of allergies as sort of like being a bucket,†he said. “You can pour various things into the bucket before it starts to overflow.â€
Wallace said patients can limit their exposure to allergens in order to curb their symptoms, but that “it’s difficult to reduce exposure†in some cases.
Tarrant said she approaches allergy by first discussing symptoms with patients, then conducting a diagnostic test called the prick skin test. For the test, doctors prick patients on their backs with different allergens – such as pet danders, dust mites or pollens — then wait to see if a hive develops from any of the pricks. The test helps doctors determine what patients are allergic to, so that they are better able to treat their symptoms.
“A big thing with allergy is trying to avoid the thing you’re allergic to,†Tarrant said. “You can’t really change where you live. You can’t stop the trees from blooming. But you can shut your windows.â€
Tarrant recommends that patients who suffer from pollen allergies keep their windows closed at home and in their cars, in addition to making sure their homes’ filtration systems are clean, but acknowledged that for some people that’s still not enough.
“In general,†she said, “allergies are on the rise … particularly in developing nations.â€
Doctors treat allergy patients with antihistamine medication and, in some cases, allergy vaccines, which can change the immune system to make a patient less allergic, Tarrant said. She added that about one-third to one-half of the allergy patients she sees choose allergy vaccines.
“Sometimes people choose [allergy vaccines] for lifestyle reasons,†she said, adding that some patients are unable to be vaccinated because of conflicting medications or conditions. In addition, patients who choose the allergy vaccine must get shots once every week or two for three to five years.
She encourages those who are experiencing allergy symptoms to try to learn more about their allergies: “Often times folks don’t know what they’re allergic to.â€
In addition, allergy patients might have more options now that the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology is expanding their allergy department. According to Tarrant, the division has added two allergy fellows who receive specialty training in allergy treatment, and starting in September the division will have a full-time clinical allergist.
“A lot of people with allergies don’t realize there’s stuff that you can do,†she said. “There’s really a lot of options.â€