Ah, fall.....ahhh, choo! But you don't have to suffer

By Helena Oliviero

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Cool, breezy days of autumn invite you to go outside or, at least, open your windows.

But for Dr. Robert Bachman, a fall-time allergy sufferer, it's time to hunker down.

"It could be a perfectly nice day to go outdoors, and I think, 'No, not going to do it,' " the orthopedic surgeon says.

He gets allergy shots and takes over-the-counter medication to help manage the symptoms, but he still must be diligent to avoid breathing in fall's pesky allergens - primarily ragweed and mold spores.

"Sometimes when I sneeze, I will sneeze 20 times, and if I am driving, I will have to pull over to the side of the road."

Autumn allergens don't rival the spring pollen counts from oak and grass pollens, and they also don't hang around very long - but they still carry a punch and can make your eyes red, your throat scratchy, your nose runny.

"The fall pollen counts don't get anywhere near the springtime pollen counts, but they can really bother some people," says Dr. Stanley Fineman, an allergist at Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic.

But Fineman says some allergy sufferers are particularly sensitive to ragweed, a hardy, green plant prevalent at parks and construction sites. In fact, the symptoms sometimes get mistaken for a cold, but there are some differences.

"A cold will go away, but allergies tend to persist week after week," says Dr. George Gottlieb, a DeKalb Medical allergist.

Lisa Hoggard used to suffer through the fall allergy season, but she decided to see an allergist earlier this year. She was fed up with feeling lousy every autumn and battling repeated bouts of sinusitis. She now gets twice-weekly allergy shots.

"I still know it's out there, but I don't have that overwhelming bad feeling, and I am no longer calling in sick," says Hoggard, a project manager for American Express.

Fall pollens stick around for about six weeks, ending by the middle to late October.

If temperatures dip into the 30s for two or more consecutive nights, the challenging period can be shorter.

So for now, Hoggard is happy to be going on a business trip to Phoenix.

"It will be nice to go somewhere and not have to worry about my allergies."

5 signs it's time to see an allergist or ear, nose and throat specialist

1. Wheezing

2. Persistent coughing (lasting more than a week)

3. Discolored sinus discharge (lasting more than a week)

4. You breathe with your mouth open at night while sleeping (a sign your nose is really blocked)

5. You've tried over-the-counter medication for a week and symptoms don't improve.

The not-so-great outdoors

Keep windows closed to prevent pollens or molds drifting into your home. Instead, if needed, use air conditioning, which cleans, cools and dries the air.

Don't use attic fans that circulate fresh air.

Stay inside as much as possible on windy days when pollen counts are highest.

Don't rake leaves, as this stirs up molds.

Wear a mask when doing yard work or mowing the lawn.

Exercise indoors.

Don't grow too many or over-water indoor plants if you are allergic to mold. Wet soil encourages mold growth.

Consider taking over-the-counter allergy treatments such as Claritin and Zyrtec.

- Helena Oliviero

How to control allergens indoors

While it's hard to dodge pollens and molds outdoors, seasonal patients will suffer less if they control their exposure to allergens indoors, says Dr. Kingsley Chin of Piedmont Ear, Nose, Throat and Related Allergy, in Atlanta.

The bedroom is the particular battleground where Chin encourages patients to focus on "environmental control," because that's where most people spend a third of their lives. If you can get make your resting place as free of allergens as possible, then those eight hours of sleep give your system a chance to recover, leaving you in better shape to ward off outdoor enemies the next day.

Here are some of Chin's suggestions for controlling allergens indoors:

If you've been outside a lot during the day, pollen is on your body and clothes. Don't bring them into the bedroom. On arriving home, immediately take a shower and change clothes.

Use allergy covers over pillows and mattresses. These zippable and washable covers trap dust mites, microscopic critters that live in mattresses and pillows by the millions and whose droppings stir allergies.

Wash all bed coverings weekly in hot water, which kills dust mites.

Buy a HEPA filter, which will significantly reduce allergens in a typical bedroom. A HEPA filter should exchange the air in a bedroom about six times an hour, so keep it going on high even when the room is unoccupied and keep the door and windows closed. It can run at a quieter level when it's sleep time.

Remove carpets and drapes, or wash drapes frequently in hot water.

Don't allow books, magazines and papers to stack up - they accumulate dust.

Try to keep the humidity level in the house below 50 percent, as dust mites and molds appreciate moisture to grow.

Leave a light on in bedroom closets or keep the doors open to discourage mold.

Sorry Bowser and Miss Kitty, no more sleeping with your master.

- Cox News Service