Spring is finally here! With spring, there is always the threat of allergies. Oren Schaefer, M.D., will talk about spring allergies and how to treat them.

The snow is barely gone. The calendar tells us it is spring, but it sure doesn't look like it. Those who suffer with springtime allergies know exactly what time of year it is.

Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) is the most common of the allergic diseases and refers to seasonal nasal symptoms that are due to pollens. One of the most obvious features of pollen allergy is its seasonal nature; people experience symptoms only when the pollen is in the air.

Each plant has a pollinating period that is more or less the same from year to year. Plants produce microscopic pollen grains to reproduce. In some species, the plant uses the pollen from its own flowers to fertilize itself. Other types must be cross-pollinated; that is, in order for fertilization to take place and seeds to form, pollen must be transferred from the flower of one plant to that of another plant of the same species. Insects do this job for certain flowering plants, while other plants rely on wind transport.

The types of pollen that most commonly cause allergic reactions are produced by the plain-looking plants that do not have showy flowers. These plants manufacture small, light, dry pollen grains that are ideal wind transport.

Because airborne pollen is carried for long distances, it does little good to rid an area of an offending plant because the pollen can drift in from many miles away.


Among North American plants, weeds are the most prolific producers of allergenic pollen. Ragweed is the major culprit; a single ragweed plant can generate a million grains of pollen a day.

Colorful or scented flowers have large, heavy, waxy pollen grains. This type of pollen is not carried by wind but by such insects as butterflies and bees, and -- what may be surprising to many -- is not typically a cause of seasonal allergy.

Similarly, the heavy, very visible pine pollen, despite leaving your car a nice shade of green, is usually not a significant cause of symptoms. Spring allergies are a result of pollen from trees that typically start pollinating from March to April, depending on the climate.

In some areas, some weeds will also pollinate in the springtime. Late spring and early summer allergy is typically due to grass pollen.

Most are familiar with the usual symptoms of seasonal allergy. These include nasal congestion and discharge, either frequent blowing of the nose, or postnasal drainage. Itching and watering of the eyes (and ears and nose) and sneezing in some combination are common.

Less-appreciated symptoms include fatigue, poor sleep quality, predisposition to sinus infections and, commonly in children, middle-ear infections. Allergies can worsen sleep apnea and affect your voice (a problem for singers). Though not life-threatening, seasonal allergies can have a big impact on an individual's quality of life, as measured by rigorous scientific studies.

Help is likely around the corner. A number of allergy medications are available at your local pharmacy. Nonsedating antihistamines, such as loratadine, can be helpful for many allergy symptoms. However, a stuffy nose may not respond to these tablets.

Caution should be used with taking certain antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine, as they can be sedating and have negative impacts greater than the disease itself. If symptoms remain bothersome despite a simple intervention, one should contact his or her physician. A number of prescription therapies, including nasal sprays and eyedrops, are available.

In addition, your physician may recommend a referral to an allergist. Allergy skin testing is a way to find out exactly what you are allergic to. Knowing this may allow for more streamlined therapy as well as consideration of allergy immunotherapy, more commonly called allergy shots.

While allergy shots cannot cure allergies, they are a way to make one less allergic, less sensitive, so that springtime pollen no longer wreaks the same havoc it once did.

Spring is inevitable (fortunately), and allergy sufferers need not put up with their symptoms. 

Oren Schaefer, M.D., can be reached at: Mass Lung & Allergy, Staff Physician at HealthAlliance Hospital, 100 Hospital Road, Suite 2A, 978-466-2692. Please contact your physician if you are experiencing any health concerns. If you are looking for a doctor, please call our physician referral line at 888-840-DOCS (3627).