The salt stains have washed off and the snow mounds have all melted. This year’s frigid winter is behind us. However, the trees are now blooming, ushering in another season which brings suffering to many across the region — allergy season.
That’s right. Just when you get the urge to finally shut off Netflix, throw off your comforter and get outside, tree pollen appears to make sure you don’t enjoy yourself too much out there. While Philadelphia didn’t make the list of top allergy cities in the country, it’s been reported this will be a bad year for allergies across the board. Fortunately, we’ve got modern medicine on our side.
While there are many ways to alleviate your symptoms with great over-the-counter medications, Andrea Apter, MD, professor of Medicine and chief of Allergy and Immunology in the division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, says they can be difficult to understand and properly dose and that those who suffer badly from allergies should make their way to an allergist.
Dr. Apter says the first step in the fight against allergies to find out what you are actually allergic to. Tree pollen? You’re likely between sneezes right now. Ragweed? Your time will soon come (Dr. Apter says ragweed season runs from the middle of August through the end of September).
“It’s important to know what you’re allergic to because that allows you to individualize and minimize treatment, minimize side effects,” Dr. Apter said.
Once you know what is causing those itchy eyes, the best path to lasting relief is the tried and true allergy shot. The shots are required weekly at first, slowly building your tolerances to the allergens with each injection, but can eventually be taken monthly. Dr. Apter said that after three to five years, the majority of patients see permanent relief.
If shots aren’t your thing, there’s a new option out there. A sublingual therapy was recently approved by the FDA and could be helpful in preparing your body for certain allergy seasons.
Dr. Apter said sublingual immunotherapy works similarly to the shots, but there are differences. For instance, if you’re allergic to ragweed, you’d need to start your therapy 12 weeks before the start of ragweed season to feel any effect and you’d continue taking the pills through the season. Dr. Apter said it’s not known yet how well any protection built up from one year via sublingual therapy carries over to the next year.
One advantage that sublingual therapy has is that it can mostly be taken at home. The first dose must be administered at the allergist’s office to make sure, in the case of a bad reaction, that rapid treatment is available, but once it’s determined to be safe, the patient can take the rest from the comfort of his or her home.
Still, even though the sublingual method has advantages, it’s only been approved by the FDA to treat allergies to ragweed and grass. Dr. Apter said the shots are still the gold standard.
"Allergy shots are by far the best studied and most effective,” she said. “It makes a difference.”
Both allergy shots and sublingual therapy sound like commitments - and they are - but they have the potential really help those who suffer from seasonal allergies, according to Dr. Apter. For those who need immediate results, Dr. Apter says there are still some great options at your local drug store.
And for those who choose to grin and bear it, don’t worry, winter will be back before we know it.