Is it a cold? Or is it allergy? Sniffles, cough, headache...it's a cold right? Not so fast. We have been seeing a lot of patients the last 8 weeks with these symptoms assuming they have cold or flu and asking for antibiotics, which by the way wont help either one. But what many of these patients actually have is seasonal allergies.
Because of our mild winter the trees in the area have been letting off pollen since as early as the beginning of February. It can fool anyone, the trees look like they are fast asleep waiting for spring but indeed they are letting out tons of microscopic spores unseen by the naked eye but sensed by our immune systems and reeking havoc on our noses, throats, eyes, lungs, skin and can even make us feel achy and fatigued like the flu.
The big difference is NO FEVER! Good news is the treatments are very similar. Your best weapon against this nasty stuff is oral antihistamines and a nasal inhaled steroid. Over the counter antihistamines can be very effective and recently 2 of them that were prescription only have become available without; Zyrtec (certirizine) and Claritin (loratadine).
We also recommend aggressive nasal saline washes throughout the day to keep the nasal passages clear of the offending allergens. A Nettie Pot™ can do wonders and is very economical. I generally recommend my patients take the antihistamines if they are effective through the entire month/season, stop the medication and see if your symptoms return. If they do, restart the medication and again use through the entire month. By doing this you can create a symptom diary and know for next year when a good time would be to start the medication ahead of time to minimize allergy 's impact. Start the treatment two weeks before your previous date of occurrence (for instance, this year your symptoms started March 15 th. Next year start treating March 1 st).
Most patients will have seasonal allergies 1-4 times a year and require their "maintenance meds" for about 6-8 weeks. Many people can have perennial allergies, these last year round and are often found in your surroundings day to day. Dust, animal dander, mites, molds (though these are not as common in Colorado they do exist). If allergic to these its important to control their "Load" by maintaining your Heating and AC systems, changing your filters every 1-3 months and using one of the newer HEPA vacuums can be a tremendous help.
Just be sure to change that HEPA filter and bag often. If medications and home remedies don't give adequate control you might consider allergy testing with your Family doctor or Allergist. We can test you for the most common local culprits using a simple skin test which by the way has improved tremendously as far as comfort. We have tested many pediatric patients with little discomfort. From these tests we can often discern what you are allergic to and come up with a treatment plan to minimize your symptoms. While there is not as much research to support it, I am a believer in using a locally bred honey to help with seasonal allergies.
This nectar from mother nature will often carry the most common pollens of the area in small amounts and by consuming it your body will develop its own immunity and therefore minimizing your symptoms. Be prepared, you need to expect to use for at least 6 months before any noticeable difference and it wont be till the following season when it is really effective. The general rule of thumb is if you are otherwise doing well with tolerating fluids and you have no fever you can try treating yourself with the above strategies for up to 7 days before needing to see a physician. Of course we'll be happy to see you before that if you have any concerns.
Dr. David Gerson DO
Golden Family Medicine
700 12 th Street
Suite 220
Golden, CO 80401
303-215-0846