Hay fever sufferers in Elgin get relief from mix of lifestyle, medication approaches to treatment

Of the estimated 50 million Americans suffering from all types of allergies, around 40 million live with hay fever and other seasonal and indoor/outdoor allergies. Allergies and allergic asthma are more common than diabetes, coronary heart disease, and cancer.

Hay fever is also known as “allergic rhinitis.” The term “rhinitis” refers to the inflammation of the nose caused by allergens. Pollens from trees, grasses, and weeds trigger the runny, stuffed-up nose, sneezing, sinus pressure, and itchy eyes and face so characteristic of hay fever.

If you’ve called Chicagoland home forever or for a long time, you know the nickname “Windy City” comes from the verbose politicians and not Mother Nature. Yet the wind is the single most important weather-related factor responsible for symptoms that make you feel miserable. The wind jostles ragweed, dislodging the blossoms in this notorious allergy-producing plant. Not only does fierce wind dislodge the pollen, but it also transports the pollen farther out to you, the sufferer.

Treatment options

It’s important to be aware of some of these environmental factors in an effort to prevent and manage your symptoms. It’s good to limit your potential exposure to pollens on those dry, windy days. It’s also good to keep your doors and windows closed during the fall and spring when many big trigger plants such as ragweed pollinate. You can also monitor daily pollen counts posted on the Advanced Allergy & Asthma Associates and Food Allergy Center of Illinois home page. Each day you can see the concentration of pollen for the three types of plants most responsible for hay fever symptoms: trees, weeds, and grasses.

Even with the best of plans, it can be difficult to avoid these types of airborne triggers. For this reason, Dr. Noga Askenazi and the staff can provide some support to help you get through allergy season more comfortably. Antihistamines and nasal sprays are helpful with itching, sneezing, and runny nose. Decongestants are useful to ease the build-up of mucus that can cause a sore throat and cough. Other medications help to block the action of those immune system chemicals responsible for the likes of excess mucus and nasal congestion and for more severe allergy symptoms.

Dr. Askenazi and the staff offer allergy shots or immunotherapy, which works to change how the immune system reacts to the offending substance by exposing it to the allergen in very small yet gradually increasing doses over time. As your body learns to tolerate the allergen, you experience fewer or less severe symptoms.

Of course, none of these steps are beneficial if specialists are treating the wrong condition. The Advanced Allergy & Asthma Associates and Food Allergy Center of Illinois can identify the cause of your symptoms with a skin and/or blood test. Call (847) 888-8802 to embark on an effective plan for hay fever treatment in Elgin.

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