Get answers to allergy questions

Joseph Gidjunis / Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service (KRT)

The warm sunshine and blooming flowers might be a refreshing change from the cold hibernating months of winter, but for seasonal allergy sufferers, much of spring is spent itching, sneezing and wiping a runny nose.

The culprit: tree pollen. Many suffer from congestion, watery eyes, sneezing and itching after they inhale pollen.

People think they know about allergies, but Dr. Derek Johnson, an allergist with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, says a survey conducted last year scored allergy sufferers with average to failing grades.

He offers information everyone should know about hay fever, also known as seasonal allergies:

– Genetics often indicate who will become an allergy sufferer. Someone with parents who had allergies is at a greater risk to acquire that allergy than someone with no allergy history.

– Allergies can persist year-round. Spring allergies are often the worst, but each season has triggers: in the spring, tree pollen; in summer, grass; in fall, weeds; and in the winter, it's dust mites and pollutants in the home.

– People often mistake allergies for a cold. To tell the difference, note symptoms like itching and how long they persist. Allergies tend to cause itching on the back of the throat and other parts of the face, but a cold won't. Allergies last weeks, and a cold only lasts seven to 10 days.

– Pollen leaches onto clothes, so wash garments immediately after use and don't give pollen the chance to spread by storing worn clothes with clean ones. And kill those microscopic dust mites hiding in bed linens with a hot-water wash.

– Many over-the-counter medications, such as Claritin and Alavert, are the non-drowsy answer to seasonal allergies. Before you take any new medication, consult a doctor or allergist about your symptoms.

To help you determine if you have allergies, the AAFA has created a Web site with questionnaires and answers to frequently asked questions. For more information, see www.allergyactionplan.com and www.aafa.org.

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© 2004, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.