JACKSON, Wyo. — The storms of cottonwood have abated, but pollen is the new foe in the valley.
The yellow haze that coats anything it touches is hard to avoid, but Ear, Nose, Throat and Allergy Dr. Marty Trott at St. John’s Health has a few insights on how to keep from sneezing the day away.
Trott told Buckrail that seasonal allergies start to present themselves significantly at the beginning of June and can continue to get worse further into the month. Tree pollen allergies tend to abate as grass allergies rise later in the summer. He said it depends on the weather and the wind, but he is already seeing people who have out-of-control symptoms. Here are some tips and tricks from the local allergy expert to help alleviate that head pressure:
Pretreat before exposure: Trott said that it’s more of a challenge to do damage control on symptoms. People who know they will be affected should take an over-the-counter (OTC) medication before leaving the house. “Claritin is really wimpy,” he said. The active ingredient in Claritin is loratadine. The active ingredients in Zyrtec and Allegra are much more effective: cetirizine hydrochloride and fexofenadine, respectively.
Target specific symptom locations: Once symptoms begin, use an OTC medication that will respond to the area where symptoms are worst. Use a nasal spray for a runny or stuffed-up nose, and use eye drops for watering or itchy eyes. Pataday is an OTC antihistamine eye drop that targets itchy eyes from environmental allergies. The active ingredient in Pataday is olopatadine.
Use the extra-strength: Trott said there is no reason not to buy extra-strength OTC medication. It is safe and more effective. He also said that generic brands are just as effective as name brands. Look for a generic brand that has the same active ingredient as the name brand. Fluticasone propionate is the active ingredient in Flonase. Trott suggested buying a generic brand in bulk to save money.
Topical steroids can help: Trott said the “allergy shot” that some people are looking for is not recommended for environmental allergies, due to some people having complications after receiving the injection. Instead he suggests using a topical steroid like Flonase. Steroids can work better than antihistamines by reducing both sensitivity to pollen and reducing inflammation. Those looking for a steroid-free nasal spray could try Astepro.
Avoid the pollen when possible: According to Trott, the best way to minimize allergic reactions to pollen is to stay inside. “But that’s hard to do,” he said, “since most of us moved here to be outside.”
