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Seasonal stuffiness: coping with fall allergies

I usually suffer from severe allergy problems in the fall. What triggers this seasonal stuffiness?

Allergies can cause symptoms ranging from watery eyes to severe respiratory problems. It's estimated that almost 35 million Americans suffer from some kind of upper respiratory symptoms directly related to airborne pollen, the usual culprit when it comes to seasonal allergies.

Helen Hollingsworth, M.D., is chief of asthma and allergy services in the Department of Medicine at Boston Medical Center and an associate professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. "Seasonal allergies are just that -- they change with the time of year," she says. Because plants bloom at varying times, they send pollen into the air at different times of the year. "Learning what you're allergic to and when it's prevalent are the first steps in controlling symptoms," she adds.

Allergies triggered during the late summer and fall are almost always a result of ragweed pollen. The National Institutes of Allergies and Infectious Diseases estimate that almost 10 percent of the U.S. population is allergic to ragweed pollen. Ragweed is a hearty plant that thrives during hot, dry conditions, and drought periods often result in very high ragweed pollen counts. Ragweed season reaches its peak around Labor Day in the Midwest, and moves east throughout September. Southern states experience peak ragweed pollen conditions during late September and early October. Ragweed is a member of the aster family, which includes almost 25,000 different species. Allergy to mold spores and pollen from other fall weeds may also contribute to symptoms during this time.

An allergy is a response by the body's immune system to a substance it considers harmful. A person's genetic makeup determines the likelihood of developing allergies following exposure to allergens in the environment. Examples of allergens include mold spores, certain medications, dust particles, or in the case of seasonal allergies, plant pollen. "When an allergic person inhales airborne pollen allergens, the body sends out a type of distress call to the immune system," says Hollingsworth. "However, in the case of allergy, it's a false alarm because pollen is not a serious threat to your health."

The immune system's response to the allergen causes the itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, stuffiness, and sneezing we associate with seasonal pollen allergies. Individuals with asthma may also notice a flare-up of asthma symptoms. "All of these behaviors are the immune system's attempt to rid the body of the pollen allergens," says Hollingsworth. "An allergy attack is really the body's way of trying to protect itself." Unfortunately, many of the body's attempts to rid itself of invading pollen particles usually result in discomfort that can range from feeling mildly unpleasant to very ill.

In order to reduce seasonal allergies, it's important to learn which pollen is most likely to trigger your symptoms and when those plants come into bloom. Getting tested for allergies can be helpful. "Skin testing is convenient, relatively painless, and noninvasive," says Hollingsworth. Skin tests consist of using diluted amounts of allergens, such as pollen or molds, which are applied to the skin using a very thin needle. Your physician will observe the skin's reaction to various substances, noting which cause a wheal, or raised, reddened area of skin. "A positive reaction is just one helpful clue; it doesn't prove that your symptoms are caused by that substance," she notes. Physicians will then use the tests, in combination with a careful history of your symptoms, to diagnose seasonal allergies.

Treatment consists of avoidance (staying in air conditioning), prescription medications, including antihistamines, decongestants, or nasal sprays, or immunotherapy (allergy shots). "Immunotherapy, which helps desensitize the immune system to a specific allergen, is the only treatment we have that can help to reduce symptoms over a long period of time," says Hollingsworth. "We literally teach the immune system not to react to the offending allergen."

Because a wide variety of medications is now available to treat allergy, "no one should have to suffer from the effects of seasonal pollen allergies," she adds. "We can treat this very effectively."

"Health Matters" is written in cooperation with staff members of Boston Medical Center. For more information on allergies or other health matters, call 617-638-6767.

14 September 2001
Boston University
Office of University Relations