By Central Maine Newspapers, Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
When it comes to ragweed allergies, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Translated, this means take your antihistamine drugs before the ragweed has bloomed and hay fever sets in, says Robert Sigler, M.D., of Allergy and Asthma Associates of Maine.
There are over 17 species of the ragweed plant in North America. The plants bloom as the days become shorter and the nights longer. Mid-August through September can be a nightmare for the millions of Americans who sneeze and sniffle their way through these months because of an allergic reaction to this airborne pollen.
Since one ragweed plant can produce 1 billion pollen grains which can travel 130 miles, there is little hope of controlling your allergies by avoiding this weed that grows everywhere — yards, gardens, roadsides, ditches, pastures. Pollen counts tend to be highest in the morning on warm, breezy days, and lowest on chilly, damp days.
Classic symptoms of a ragweed allergy include sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy, watery eyes, itchy ears, and an itchy roof of mouth, said Sigler, who has offices in Portland, and in Augusta at the Family Medicine Institute.
"People who know they have ragweed allergies should start taking their antihistamines before symptoms appear, and those that have cold symptoms in August but find their symptoms linger, should suspect they have an allergy to ragweed," he said.
"If you're allergic to a cat and you enter a room where there's a cat, you'll start sneezing and have a runny nose. But once you leave the room, and you're no longer exposed to the allergen, your symptoms will stop," said Sigler.
However with a ragweed allergy, people are exposed to the pollen day after day, irritating already swollen nasal passages and itchy eyes, he said. This repeated exposure to the pollen makes it more difficult to get the symptoms under control with the antihistamine drugs once the allergic reaction has begun.
Antihistamines are available both by prescription and over-the-counter. Though over-the-counter antihistamines, such as Benedryl and Dimetapp, have been available for many years, they have had one major side effect: drowsiness. However with newer prescription antihistamines such as Allegra and Claritin, drowsiness is not a side effect. But one drawback to prescription antihistamines is the cost: a one month supply of Claritin is about $63, where a one month supply of Benadryl is only$XXXX. For itchy, watery eyes, antihistamine eye drops are available both over the counter and by prescription. Anti-inflammatory eye drops are also available by prescription.
If nasal congestion is also a problem, Sigler prescribes a topical nasal steroid to decrease the swelling in the nose, or an antihistamine nose spray designed to stop the allergic reaction.
For allergy sufferers who find little relief from medications or who are plagued by allergies for months, there are allergy injections.
"It depends on the individual," said Sigler. "If someone is miserable from May to October, not just during the six-week ragweed season, then most would treat with allergy shots."
The injections, which have been available for over 80 years, are designed to build up immunity slowly over a period of months. Treatment consists of weekly shots of small amounts of allergenic extracts that desensitizes the person to the allergy. For the first six months, allergy shots are given every week, then once a month for a period of five or six years. The average person is able to discontinue shots after that without any allergy symptoms, said Sigler.
Since one ragweed plant can produce 1 billion pollen grains which can travel 130 miles, there is little hope of controlling your allergies by avoiding this weed that grows everywhere. . . . Pollen counts tend to be highest in the morning on warm, breezy days, and lowest on chilly, damp days.
