Allergies Archive

Ask the doctors

Q. I have terrible allergies every winter. What can I do to make them more tolerable this year?

A. Unlike fall or spring allergies, which are often responses to outdoor allergens, such as pollen or ragweed, most winter allergies are triggered by substances inside your home. Common indoor allergens include dust mites, mold, and pet dander, and they can prompt a host of symptoms, from a runny nose and sneezing to a sore throat and itchy eyes. While these indoor allergens are present year-round, allergies can flare up in the winter because you're cooped up in the house with the windows closed. Your home's furnace may also be circulating these substances through the air once the heat kicks on.

The FDA has approved a new medication for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, dupilumab, which is given by injection biweekly.

In many places in the United States, spring is starting earlier— which means more pollen and a longer allergy season. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to manage the impact of seasonal allergies and reduce sneezing and itchy eyes.

Ask the doctors

Q. I have seasonal allergies and I'm thinking about getting allergy shots to control them. But I hate shots and would prefer the sublingual treatments. Are these treatments considered equally safe and effective?

A. The short answer to your question is yes. Sublingual allergy treatments, which are small doses of allergens administered as tablets or liquid drops under the tongue, are considered safe and effective compared with allergy shots.

Here's how to prepare for the coming allergy season.

Spring is in the air, and so are millions of pollen particles, the tiny grains that fertilize plants. Seasonal allergies — also known as hay fever — can affect almost anyone and at any time in life. Although most people begin to experience allergies in childhood or early adulthood, sometimes the symptoms become more problematic later in life, especially if their living environment changes.

"Even if you have never suffered from allergies — or used to when you were much younger but not anymore — there is a good chance you will become more sensitive to pollen as you reach your 60s and 70s, although it's not clear why," says Dr. Mariana Castells, of the Department of Allergy, Rheumatology, and Immunology at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Even if you are getting allergy shots or taking medications, the best way to help your shots and other allergy medicines do their job is to reduce your exposure to allergens. Avoidance is the best medicine! The most common symptom is a stuffy or runny nose due to allergic rhinitis. The major categories of allergens that trigger it are pollen (from trees, grass, and weeds), dust mites and cockroaches, pet dander, and mold (the allergy trigger that can be the most challenging to identify). 

Molds and other fungi

The spores of fungi (molds, mildew, yeasts, and mush- rooms) are ubiquitous and, like pollen, are very light and travel in the air. Capable of surviving in dry, adverse conditions, fungal spores can live a long time. However, they especially thrive in a damp, warm environment, indoors or out.