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Community Corner

Springtime Allergies in Northeast Cobb

Understanding allergies and how to treat allergy symptoms in children.

Many of my fellow Northeast Cobbers are experiencing seasonal allergies as I write. Spring has sprung. There is not a dry eye in the house.

Allergies tend to occur more in childhood than at any other age. One may not have been afflicted in their youth but may develop this problem over the course of time. Allergies tend to run in families. Atlanta is affectionately known as the allergy capital of the world, since it's endowed with so much of the common agents associated with allergic reactions: Oak, Elm, Adler, Birch, Ash, Olive, Hickory, Poplar, Maple, Sycamore, Cypress and Walnut trees. All beautiful trees known for their pollen production. Beauty does come at a cost.

Let’s talk pollen. It is a powdery grain released by flowering plants or trees. Air born pollen can ride on the wind and deposit on the skin or enter our bodies through the eyes, nose, and lungs. In the spring, trees are the biggest culprit of pollen production; therefore, they are the allergy perpetrators of today. Summertime allergies result mostly from grass pollens. Fall allergies derive from weeds such as sagebrush, pigweed, tumbleweed, and cocklebur.

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The highest level of pollen tends to occur between the hours of 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.

An allergy is a physiologic response when the immune system reacts to a foreign substance (allergen). The body makes antibodies called immunoglobulins to attack the invading enemy. The specialized immune system cells produce histamines, cytokines, and leukotrienes. That is why medications called antihistamines are used. An antihistamine works to block the action of the histamine.

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The symptoms of allergy are all too familiar. They range from nasal congestion, sneezing, and runny nose to itchy eyes, ears and throat. Let us not forget and pay homage to the headache and sore throat that reminds us of our imperfections.

Many children with chronic lung conditions such as Asthma and Cystic Fibrosis can have an aggravation of symptoms due to an allergy. Often, these children are admitted to the hospital for respiratory distress. Many children develop secondary infections because the mucous produced incubates bacteria. The longer the mucous lingers the more prone it is to developing bacteria. Prevention is the best strategy for avoiding a complication. Antibiotics are needed if an infection develops. Always completely use the prescription according to your health care provider.

There are four ways to diagnose an allergy:  skin test, blood test, challenge test, and self diagnosis. The first three take place in a medical facility, and the empirical testing may not give you the exact answer to what ails you but relief of your symptoms is your goal.

Most people diagnose and treat at home with over the counter medications like Benadryl, Zyrtec or Loritadine and find relief. Nasal corticosteroids have proven extremely valuable in the fight of nasal congestion. If you can pre-medicate before the allergy Tsunami hits, you’ll be better off.  

Speak to your pediatrician during well child check ups about allergies especially if your child is prone to wheezing. Nasal corticosteroids require a prescription from a health care provider. Be proactive especially if your child has respiratory issues like asthma. Prevention works better than curing an existing sinus infection.

Finally, let me leave you with some proactive alternatives:

1.     Keep house windows closed.

2.     Stay indoors before 10 a.m.

3.     Check the pollen count.

4.     Keep car windows closed when traveling.

5.     Stay indoors when the count is high and/or it is windy.

6.     Leave Northeast Cobb during spring (get out of Dodge) and head for the beach.

7.     Avoid cut grass, mowing the lawn, or playing in the grass or around trees.

8.     Do not hang clothes out to dry.

9.     Pre-medicate if you or your child have a history of allergies.

Good luck in your quest for upper respiratory health during this trying time known as spring time in Northeast Cobb.  

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