CHRISTUS Southeast Texas - LiveWell

Allergies The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology offers a few tips to reduce your family's exposure to environmental allergens: · Avoid mowing the lawn when your children play outside or while the windows are open. · Check local forecasts and keep your kids inside on days when the pollen count is high. · Clean carpeting weekly using a vacuum with a small-particle filter. · Encourage your kids to play outside in the morning and evening, when pollen activity is lower. · Have all family members change clothes and shower after spending time outdoors. · Keep house and car windows closed. Family Focus CLEAR THE AIR Flu season ended months ago, yet your children are still coughing, sneezing and blowing their noses like it's December all over again. What gives? Your family may have seasonal allergies, otherwise known as allergic rhinitis or hay fever. Local experts estimate at least 60 percent of residents in Southeast Texas have seasonal allergies. "The most common complaint of the allergic patient is fatigue," says M. Boyd Herndon, DO, Board-certified Otolaryngologist, Allergist and Oro-Facial Plastic Surgeon at CHRISTUS Hospital – St. Mary. "Other symptoms include itchy, watery eyes, runny nose and postnasal drainage. Allergic children typically present with chronic runny nose and recurrent ear and throat infections. The purpose of subcutaneous immunotherapy, or allergy injections, is to decrease sensitivity to allergy- causing substances so that the exposure to the offending allergen—pollen, mold, dust mites, animal dander, stinging insects, etc.—will result in fewer and less severe symptoms." BEYOND THE QUICK FIX Over-the-counter medications can provide temporary relief from allergies, but persistent symptoms that limit your family's ability to enjoy the outdoors might require a more lasting solution. Immunotherapy is a treatment option for most ages, although it is typically not recommended for children younger than age 5. Older adults with certain medical conditions such as cardiac disease should talk about these conditions with their allergist first. The first treatment step is identifying your specific allergen triggers through a simple skin test. Immunotherapy begins with a series of twice-weekly allergy shots of increasing dosage until the "maintenance" dose is reached. The maintenance dose is then administered every one to three weeks. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, symptoms typically begin improving within one year. "Immunotherapy gradually decreases your body's sensitivity to allergens until you become immune to those triggers," says Don Duplan, MD, FACS, Board-certified Otolaryngologist at CHRISTUS Hospital – St. Mary. "This treatment is a great option for people who are allergic to environmental substances they can't realistically avoid, such as grass and tree pollen." To find an otolaryngologist who can test your family for allergies, visit www.christushospital.org/doctors. What health topics matter most to your family? Let us know by visiting www.christuslivewell.org. Complete the online form and we'll consider your suggestions for future "Family Focus" installments in LiveWell. Itchy eyes? Stuffy noses? It's time to nip your family's seasonal allergies in the bud. · elm, oak and mulberry tree pollen (early spring) · grass pollen (year-round) · ragweed pollen (late summer) COMMON ALLERGENS IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS INCLUDE: 3 LiveWell | March/April 2014

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