October 4, 2000
An estimated 40 million Americans suffer from allergies. Between the runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, skin rashes, and breathing difficulties, allergies can be mildly irritating or make you downright miserable.
INTELIHEALTH FEATURE -
Even as the air cools, trees shed their leaves, and most activities move indoors, allergies can still be bothersome. Many late summer weeds — ragweed for example — pollinate up until the first frost. As leaves fall and accumulate, molds spores proliferate. Consequently, if you suffer from airborne allergies, autumn winds may carry allergy misery up until winter descends.
When winter comes and the temperature gets colder, you and your family will likely spend more time indoors with windows shut, storm windows and doors tightly closed, and the heat on. Indoor allergens then become airborne and begin to menace — specifically animal dander (flakes of dead skin from animals) dust mites (microscopic bugs that infest carpeting, beds and upholstery) and mold spores.
In addition, the holiday season offers new opportunities to sneeze. Christmas trees, both real and artificial can be a source of allergens. If artificial trees are improperly stored, they can bring mold and dust into the midst of family activities. Evergreen trees may act as a conduit for mold or pollens it has acquired from ragweed or other highly allergenic plants and weeds in its pre-Christmas environment. Natural tree resins and tree sap can cause contact dermatitis.
Holiday foods can trigger troublesome food allergies. The most common food allergies involve milk, eggs, legumes (especially peanuts), and nuts, all of which are staples of such traditional fare as cookies, eggnog and fruitcake. Even the tiniest amount of an offending food can trigger a reaction, and often, a person can ingest the food without knowing. It is therefore important, if you or a family member has food allergies, that you exercise extra caution during the holiday season.
Here are a few tips to help you sidestep autumn and winter allergies:
- Don't allow piles of damp leaves to remain around in your yard where mold can develop. Let someone else do your raking and remove the leaves soon after they come down, especially if they're wet.
- Wipe clean your artificial tree with a damp cloth. If you choose a real tree, wear gloves as you handle to keep sap away from your skin. Spray the tree outside with a hose to remove surface pollen. Clean the dust and mold off of all ornaments and lights as you take them out of storage.
- Avoid places and parties where there is likely to be a lot of smoking. Smoking irritates the eyes and respiratory system. Drinking too may be a problem, because alcohol stimulates mucus production and dilates the blood vessels. All this makes allergy symptoms — runny nose, itchy eyes, nasal congestion, breathing difficulties — worse.
- If you have food allergies, be careful about homemade holiday foods that can be contaminated with small amounts of allergenic foods. Before you attend a party where such foods will be served, consider using an antihistamine. If you have severe food sensitivities, carry an emergency self-injectable epinephrine kit.
Used with permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. This article is not intended to provide advice on personal medical matters or to substitute for consultation with a physician.
