As warmer fall temperatures give way to winter, seasonal allergy sufferers have something to celebrate - no more allergic reactions until spring.

"This year, (airborne allergens) are pretty much dying down now," said Dr. Evan Matheson, allergy specialist at the Provo Allergy and Asthma Clinic. "We've had some fair amount of cold, so there's not much pollen left."

The exception is for people who own or work with animals, Matheson said. People who deal particularly with cows or horses may still experience pollen reactions since the hay used to feed those animals has pollen in it.

An estimated 40-50 million Americans suffer from allergies, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology Web site. This includes allergic reactions to food, animals and airborne allergens.

Of those affected with allergies, at least 35.9 million people in the United States have seasonal allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, according to the site.

"An allergic reaction is a freak reaction or an abnormal reaction of the immune system to a substance that is otherwise harmless to the body," said Dr. Hugo Altamirano, allergy specialist at the Provo Clinic. "For example, a food, a pollen, a medication, any element of the environment that usually is not harmful to most people could potentially be harmful to somebody that becomes allergic to it."

As a result of the allergen, the body releases a chemical called histamine, he said. Histamine triggers the body to experience allergic symptoms.

"For example, if you happen to be allergic to a pollen, and you take a whiff of pollen into your nose, the pollen triggers a reaction in which histamine is released," Altamirano said. "The histamine is what makes your nose itch and run and makes you sneeze."

A more serious reaction could occur with a drop in blood pressure and swelling in the bronchial tissues of the lungs, Matheson said. This reaction, called anaphylaxis, causes the person to have trouble breathing and lose consciousness. If left untreated, the person may die, he said. This type of reaction usually occurs with food allergies.

For Utah, the most common seasonal allergic reactions are to trees, grasses and weeds, with grasses being the worst, Matheson said. People in wetter climates experience more reactions to molds and house dust mites. However, for non-seasonal allergies, such as pets and foods, these reactions can occur any time of the year.

Most allergies are hereditary, Matheson said. Statistically, if one parent has an allergy, one out of three children will. If two parents have allergies, then two out of three children will.

"While children are developing in utero, the mother may ingest a food, and then the protein from that food works its way into the developing fetus," he said. "So the child can become sensitized in utero and be born with allergies to it."

Airborne allergies typically are not seen until a child is 2 or 3 years old, and the allergy's development can depend on what time of year a child is born, Matheson said.

"Say mom and dad are both allergic, so you got a kid that is genetically at risk, and he is born in the spring and has the first six months or so to inhale the (allergens)," he said. "By the time he is a year and a half old, he may have significant allergy."

Allergies are not only developed during the childhood years, Matheson said.

"About two-thirds of people who get allergies will develop it before their teen years," he said. "Another third can any time in life. I've seen people in their 80s develop their first allergies."

Allergies are not only reserved for people whose parents have them, Matheson said. People who have no family history can still develop an allergy, though their risks are much lower. Once people develop allergies, they will most likely be there for the rest of their lives.

Seti Long, 20, a junior from Gridley, Calif., majoring in art history, said she has been suffering from seasonal allergies for as long as she can remember. Although she said her symptoms are not that serious, they are enough to keep her suffering year after year.

"Itchy eyes, itchy throat, itchy ears, sneezing, plugged up head, headaches, chest aches - it takes a lot out of me," she said. "Most of the time, though, I just have to deal with it and go on with my day."

The symptoms of an allergy attack are sometimes confused with those of the common cold. They do have similar symptoms, but there are a few factors that can be used to tell them apart, Matheson said.

The common cold will have some degree of sore throat, whereas allergies usually will not, he said. Fevers are also usually symptoms of a cold and not an allergy.

"Duration is also a big indicator," Matheson said. "The cold tends to come, and then three to five days later it's going to be gone. The allergies usually come and then stay for the entire season that what you're allergic to is out."



Copyright Brigham Young University 4 Nov 2002