The Standard

Issue date: 5/5/09 Section: Features

Many individuals are finding themselves miserable without cause as they sneeze and rub their red, itchy eyes or dab at their drippy noses. The culprit: outdoor allergies.

As spring makes its slow entry, the highest tree-pollen counts of the year are occurring simultaneously, leading to an increase in outdoor allergy symptoms.

Dr. Gregory Lux, a physician at St. John's Allergy and Asthma, said the reason tree pollen causes so many outdoor allergy problems is because it is not spread using bees like apple trees or flowers.

"Oak, cedar and grasses have to rely on their pollen being blown by the wind from tree to tree, and that's why it bothers us," he said.

He said cedar pollen season makes its entry in February and March; oak pollen season launches in April and May; and grass pollen season begins in May and June.

Allergy symptoms

Lux said typical seasonal allergy symptoms are sneezing, red, itchy eyes and a drippy nose.

"You know you're having an allergic reaction when you walk out of your house and all of a sudden feel them," he said.

Lux's five survival tips

Lux gave some tips for how to alleviate allergy symptoms.

1. Those who suffer from pollen allergies should avoid going outside from 11 a.m. to about 4 p.m.

"Go for that run in the early morning and late evening," Lux said.

2. If you've been outside all day, make sure to shower so you don't go to bed covered in pollen.

3. Keep doors and windows shut to keep pollen from blowing indoors.

4. Take over-the-counter medicines.

He said to take medicines with Cetirizine or Loratadine, like Zyrtec and Claritin, which will not make you tired.

If a drippy nose is the culprit of your allergy woes, he recommends using nose sprays like Nasalcrom.

"They prevent symptoms for four hours," he said. "You can buy that, use it and mow the lawn and be fine."

He said those with itchy eyes to use eye drops like Zaditor and Naphcon-A.

5. If you are more than just a "weekend warrior" who tackles the grass once in a while, see a doctor instead of using OTC medicines.

Lux said if you are outside all the time and find you have symptoms that last more than three to four months out of the year, you might want to go to an allergy specialist where they can devise a treatment for you like allergy shots.

Further tips

Jerilyn Reed, the student wellness coordinator for Taylor Health and Wellness, said taking medicines with antihistamines is a good way to deal with all types of allergy symptoms.

"Come talk to a pharmacist at Taylor Health," she said. "The cost of OTC medicines is relatively inexpensive here."

She also recommended not using a decongestant nasal spray for more than three days as it will cause pressure buildup and add to your symptoms.

Sophomore history major Zach Kosark said he deals with his outdoor allergies by making sure to take a shower if he has been outside all day to wash the pollen off.

Kosark said he also takes Zyrtec everyday.

"Sometimes that doesn't help me though in the early morning when I have an 8 a.m. class," he said. "I usually have to suffer until the medicine kicks in."

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