Spring allergy season has hit most of the United States, bringing uncomfortable symptoms like congestion, sneezing and itchy eyes along the way. About 25% of American adults suffer from seasonal allergies – and many people are looking for relief right now. Although there are many over-the-counter medications to treat allergy symptoms, it is usually helpful to consult a primary care physician or allergist for a targeted care plan. However, even doctors themselves are not immune to the effects of seasonal allergies. Yahoo Life consulted eight healthcare providers who treat people with seasonal allergies about how they manage their own allergy symptoms.
From regular allergy shots to showering when they get home, here’s how they stay as comfortable as possible during allergy season.
“I have to shower every night before going to bed.”
Dr. Jackie Eastman, an allergist and immunologist at Corewell Health, tells Yahoo Life that she is allergic to tree pollen as well as grass and weed pollen. “For me, grass pollen is the worst,” she says. Their allergies can lead to a stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, and red, itchy eyes. “At worst, I have asthma, including cough and shortness of breath,” says Eastman.
She takes four medications to control her symptoms, including the antihistamine fexofenadine, a corticosteroid nasal spray and eye drops, and uses an inhaler. “In the spring, I have to take a shower every night before bed,” says Eastman. “If I don’t remove pollen from my hair, my eyes look much worse in the morning.”
Eastman also takes sublingual herb tablets, a form of oral immunotherapy that she places under her tongue. “I did this two years in a row and the third year I had minimal symptoms during grass pollen season,” she says. “That’s what brought me the most benefit.”
She adds: “Before the sublingual tablets, I really couldn’t go out at the end of May.”
“I had to stop mowing the lawn”
Skin tests revealed that Dr. David Corry, professor of medicine in immunology, allergy and rheumatology at Baylor College of Medicine, is “highly allergic” to most regional pollens, as well as “almost anything the allergist can throw at you,” he said at Yahoo Life.
“My worst time has always been spring and summer, which probably reflects my severe grass allergies,” he says. “My allergies as a child and teenager were truly crippling to the point of disability; I had to miss school several days a year.”
Corry says his symptoms have improved now, although he has to take several medications to keep them under control, including an antihistamine, eye drops and a corticosteroid on particularly bad days. However, he shares that his eye symptoms can still become debilitating for one to two days during the height of oak pollen season.
“I had to stop mowing the grass at our Houston home and took it to a professional crew years ago. However, I still have acres of grass to mow on our downtown farm from Texas, where…
