Spring is in the air, and so is a lot of annoying pollen. That means many North Carolinians are sniffling and sneezing as their eyes water and throats scratch. It’s estimated that 1 in 5 people suffers from allergic rhinitis.
“The most common allergens right now are tree pollens,” says Dr. Maya Jerath, an assistant professor in the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, director of the Adult Allergy Clinic there and member of the UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center.
But don’t blame pine pollen, which covers most of the Old North State with a green dust this time of year.
“People attribute their allergies to pine pollen because it’s visible, but it’s actually too large to cause allergies,” Jerath explains. “It’s the other trees blooming at the same time like maple, oak and birch.”
Allergy season lasts from late February to late April, but most people suffer only for a couple of weeks while the tree they’re sensitive to is in bloom. Folks with multiple allergies may experience symptoms longer, however.
Most allergy sufferers can find relief from an over-the-counter antihistamine. “Medicines containing diphenhydramine like Benadryl are very effective,” Jerath says. “But, these act for a short period of time, and they can make you sleepy.” Longer-lasting alternatives are loratidine (Claritin) or cetirizine (Zyrtec), which typically don’t cause drowsiness and come in once-a-day formulas. Read the rest of this entry »