Northern Colorado Asthma and Allergy Clinic

Summertime News

Michael Calvin PA-C

~ You Reap What You Sow ~

It’s kind of like planting a garden. It takes time to see the benefits, but it’s so worth it when you do. The same applies to those of you who started allergy immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots or desensitization, a year ago. By now you should be basking in the glow of a summer without bothersome allergy symptoms. You can hike, play sports, picnic, and even garden without sneezing, itching, dripping and getting all stuffed up.

For individuals who have been vulnerable to insect stings, such as bees and wasps, immunization with insect venom has made this a much safer and more fun time to be outdoors.

Immunotherapy is the most effective form of treating the underlying allergic mechanism that causes allergic conditions. It is specifically recommended for people who have nasal allergies, also known as allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma and allergies to insect stings. At this point in time, it does not provide a safe and effective treatment for food allergies.

~ Did You Know? ~

Scientists have been able to collect ragweed pollen 2 miles high in the air and 400 miles out of sea. Each summer tiny pollen grains are released from trees, weeds, and grasses. These grains hitch rides on currents of air. Although the job of pollen is to fertilize other plants, many never reach their targets. Instead, we intercept it. Pollen enters human noses and throats, triggering a type of seasonal allergic rhinitis called pollen allergy. Many people know this as hay fever. Pollen is one of the most common things that can cause allergy. Because airborne pollen can drift for many miles, it does little good to rid an area of a suspected plant. In addition, most allergenic pollen comes from plants that produce it in huge amounts. For example, a single ragweed plant can generate a million grains of pollen a day.

Although you can do things like remain indoors with the windows closed in the morning when the outdoor pollen levels are highest and wear a face mask to filter pollen out of the air and keep it from reaching nasal passages, wouldn’t it be better to get your allergies under control? Talk to us at NCAAC about how we can work together and make the outdoor seasons more enjoyable.

~ Consider… ~

…Taking your vacation at the height of the expected pollinating period and choose a location where such exposure would be minimal. Vacationing at the seashore or on a cruise, for example, may be effective retreats for avoiding pollen allergies.

2009-06-10