The April-May allergy season is a familiar roll-around for anyone who grew up in the Northeastern United States. Sitting by an open window in a classroom, trying to take an exam while your eyes water so much that you can’t see the exam question. Stepping outside into the bright May sunshine and sneezing five times in a row before squinting into the haze of pollen that you can almost see being blown across the yard by the spring breeze. Not everyone gets seasonal allergic rhinitis, commonly called hay fever, but many people do. Allergic rhinitis occurs when a person’s immune system overreacts to something in the environment, and a normally harmless thing like pollen induces symptoms such as a stuffy or runny nose, itchy eyes, nose, and throat, red and watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, or even swollen eyelids.
Typically, tree and grass pollen are the biggest irritants in the spring season (ragweed is the culprit in the fall). In the Northeast region of the U.S., the tree pollen season can start as early as February, and then grass pollen takes over in late spring. This is in contrast to the Southwest region, for example, where oak and cedar pollen can be in the air as early as December because of the dry climate. Interestingly, and luckily for the East Coast, cherry trees do not actually cause strong allergies; the trees that are pollinated by wind, like birch, cedar, maple, and oak, for example, are much worse. This is also why windy days have a higher pollen count — a good time to stay indoors for those suffering from strong allergic rhinitis.
There are multiple approaches to dealing with the symptoms of allergies, the least recommended one being “suck it up, I’ll just tough it out.” Allergic rhinitis is associated with fatigue, irritability and moodiness, limited ability to focus, and impaired hand-eye coordination, which is not surprising when your eyelids are puffy, and your whole head feels stuffy. Another approach, avoidance, can be useful if it’s feasible to stay indoors during peak pollen times (usually morning and evening, as a rule of thumb), keep windows shut, not hang clothes outside to dry, and wear sunglasses outdoors to minimize pollen in the eyes.
However, for people looking to get outside and enjoy the sunshine on Schaefer Lawn, stroll down the Hudson waterfront, or seek out the elusive few cherry blossoms in Columbus Park, there are OTC and prescription medications available to help reduce allergy symptoms. A good place to start is with OTC antihistamines, which are good for treating mild allergies. Antihistamines work by blocking histamine receptors in the body, thus countering the effects of the inflammation-causing chemicals (called histamines) that the immune system releases in response to an irritant. Something to keep in mind is that they are best taken before symptoms develop, so they have time to build up in the body. Other OTC options are decongestant nasal sprays, but these do not directly counteract the allergic reaction of the body; they just treat symptoms. Finally, more involved treatments are available for people whose allergies are too strong to be inhibited by antihistamines: allergy shots and sublingual tablets are two kinds of immunotherapy with long-term treatment plans (a few months for tablets or 3-5 years for shots).
For now, good luck finding a non-windy day on Stevens campus!
