Ragwood, mold are fall allergy villains

Ragweed and mold are the main causes for fall allergy flare-ups in south Louisiana.
An allergy is the body’s response to certain proteins called “antigens” found in nature. They cause the release of chemicals that produce symptoms of allergies.
“Ragweed is the biggest cause of allergy,” said Guy P. Zeringue III, an ear, nose, throat and allergy specialist at Southern ENT Associates in Morgan City.
“October and November are the absolute worst for weeds,” said Bina Joseph, board certified allergy specialist at Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Center of Southwest Louisiana in Lafayette.
Joseph agrees with Zeringue and includes molds in the equation as a leading cause for allergies.
“In the fall, weeds and mold are the highest,” said Joseph. “Weeds are getting high. Mold is already high.
“Mold is year-round in Louisiana but fall is the absolute highest. November is high mold.”
She said dead vegetation is the culprit for increasing mold in the fall.
Grass also contributes to fall allergies, but on a lesser scale.
Even though grass allergies are not year-round, extended warmer temperatures during the fall motivate people to mow their lawns throughout the season, causing problems.
“We have a longer allergy season because our first frost is so late,” Zeringue said. “After the frost comes, the number of allergens in the air goes down.
“It doesn’t mean they’re eliminated, but it goes down.”
Short winters mean longer allergy seasons. Spring allergy season comes early and fall allergy season arrives later.
Fall allergies can be aggravated by smoke from burning sugar cane. Most allergy patients are more sensitive to irritants.
“Irritants make allergies 10 times worse,” Joseph said.
When sugar cane is burned, irritants and allergens are “aerosolized” (put into the air), Zeringue said.
Pollen on the sugar cane is released back into the air. The smoke itself is an irritant.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction to pollen are itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, post-nasal drip, headaches, asthma and lethargy.
If you are allergic to pollen, your airways become inflamed. If you are exposed to irritants such as cigarette smoke, a weather change or pollen, the inflammation triples.
The sinuses become half their normal size and you could experience facial pressure, headaches and congestion.
Playing in the grass will cause hives.
For immediate allergy relief, the three commonly used over the counter medicines are Zyrtec, Claritin and Allegra. Eye drop remedies no longer requiring a prescription are Zaditor and Alaway.
Doctors recommend seeing an allergist if symptoms persist after taking the medication more than a few weeks with no relief.
“I’ve seen patients here allergic to two things, weed and grass,” Joseph said. “They’re miserable eight months out the year.”
People taking at least three antibiotics for symptom relief are advised to get tested for allergies.
“You can get a reaction that’s almost indistinguishable from something like the flu,” Zeringue said. “It’s very difficult to tell if they have an allergy or a virus.
“And it’s our job to figure it out.”
If a test is positive for pollen, mold or dust allergies, doctors can treat the allergies with a shot. Over time, the patient builds up immunity to things in the environment triggering symptoms.
Alternatively, sublingual drops are a form of oral immunotherapy. The drops are not as strong as shots, Joseph said.
It’s available in Europe but it’s not FDA approved in the United States. For that reason, insurance does not cover the drops.
The things you can do to help prevent or lessen allergic reactions are:
—Avoid outdoor exposure and staying indoors with filtered air as much as possible.
—Wear a dust mask when you participate in high-pollen activities, such as cutting grass and working in dust.
—Use nasal saline irrigations, and shower off quickly after being exposed to outdoor pollen, Zeringue said.

This story was written by Shea Drake of The Daily Review staff. Reach her at sdrake@daily-reivew.com