As May flowers start to bloom, students struggle with allergies

Ahh, springtime! The birds, the flowers, the?nasal decongestants? If you are one of the 35 million Americans who suffer from allergies, April and May are a time of misery. And this year, the allergy season began earlier and is likely to last longer due to the effects of El Ni-o. The warm, wet winter, which produced average temperatures 7.2 degrees above normal, provided plants with a longer growing season and a chance to release extra pollen, according to a recent article in The Philadelphia Inquirer. "It's so bad this year, you can see the pollen moving through the air," said College senior Ashley Collins, who takes medication to combat allergies. Allergy and Asthma magazine says seasonal allergies are usually caused by the body's unfavorable reaction to plant pollen, although many people are also allergic to animal hair, dust mites or molds. Leaf and flower buds in the Philadelphia area on juniper, oak and elm trees prove especially troublesome in spring, while weeds and grasses cause problems in the late summer, the Inquirer reported. A person wrestling with allergies may experience sneezing, wheezing, a stuffy nose and itchy, watery eyes, symptoms that many people lump under the label "hay fever," though the medical term is Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis, or SAR. "Actually, the term 'hay fever' is a misnomer, since SAR is rarely due to hay exposure," said Burton Zweiman, chief of the Allergy and Immunology Division of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Another common myth is that allergies are caused by colds and sinus infections. Although all three ailments exhibit similar symptoms, colds are caused by viruses -- not allergens -- while sinus infections are the result, not the cause of long-lasting allergic reactions. These misconceptions can make treating allergies a confusing business. The most common treatment, antihistamines, block the body's receptors of histamines, which are chemicals released by the immune system to combat allergens. Unfortunately, over-the-counter antihistamines often cause drowsiness. Zweiman said that while prescription medications do not carry this side effect, "two of them, Seldane and Hismanal, have been implicated in a particular type of cardiac arrythmia in a small percentage of individuals." Other popular prescription medications like Zyrtec, Allegra and Claritin are not associated with this risk. However, antihistamines aren't a cure-all. "Since antihistamines generally do not help nasal congestion, even when effective against other allergic symptoms, they are frequently prescribed along with oral decongestants like Sudafed," Zweiman explained. Many allergy sufferers find more frustration than relief from trials of these various medications. "I don't know how much they work," Collins said. "I don't know if it's psychological or what, though I seem to do better on medicine." There are other ways to reduce the misery of seasonal allergies. Zweiman said avoiding the offending allergens should be sufferers' top priority. "The highest pollen counts are in the mid-to-late morning, so allergic individuals should avoid outdoor activities, particularly those involving running and particularly when in windy weather," he said. Pollution, smoke and changes in humidity can also exacerbate allergic reactions. If you are willing to play the medication game, Zweiman said "a trial of over-the-counter antihistamines is worth doing." If that does not work, he recommended seeing an allergy specialist.