ST. GEORGE — Eyes are red as tulips and antihistamines are being depleted like a rude reminder of a pandemic. Spring seasonal allergies are back and like an evolving virus, the season is not the same.
What has changed?
Sufferers might feel as if the season is longer and more invasive than in previous years. It is.
There are two major culprits contributing to St. George’s influx of allergens: weather and growth.
“The previous two years were extremely dry and plants were stressed,” said Dr. Kenneth Pinna of Southwest Allergy and Asthma. “When a plant is healthy, it pollinates heavily.
“Naturally occurring plants in this area were getting watered — finally. There were so many spring flowers that we could all see. It was beautiful last year and it is going to be the same this year.”
Southern Utah has had more rain in the past couple of years. This is an encouraging trend considering drought and water conservation. It also results in vegetation having the water it needs to flourish and pollinate sooner and stronger. Therefore, the area has pollen in the air sooner than expected.
Weather changes compound with the growth of the community. St. George has grown over 21% in the past 5 years.
While many residents suffer from allergies to native high-country desert plants such as rabbit brush and sage, there is an intense increase in allergies to introduced trees planted in new neighborhoods. Mulberry, elm and ash trees continue to be prevalent. With new neighborhoods popping up all over St. George, Hurricane and Washington, so are more landscaping and wind-pollinated trees.
Age matters
Allergies tend to afflict many mid-life often due to moving to a new location. Young people are not impervious to allergies. They have a better time fighting them and building tolerance in youth, Pinna said. When we age, the symptoms are universal, however, and can lead to other complications in older patients, including nasal polyps, sinus infections and asthma.
Fight a good fight
While the allergy season may have changed over the years, the options to take control of managing the symptoms have remained fairly consistent. The first line of defense is to clear your body of any lingering allergens, Pinna added. Take a shower at the end of the day to rid your skin and hair of pollen before going to bed to avoid contaminating pillowcases.
Making it a habit to wash hands when coming in from outdoors can prevent a dose of eye drops. If there’s dirt, dust and allergens on the hands, it takes just a slight touch to the face and suddenly eyes itch — more than they did already.
Medications to minimize the discomfort are plentiful. Antihistamines vary in strength and time of effectiveness, including 12-24-hour relief. There are now four generations of medications. After extended use, it is common for effectiveness to wane, often requiring one to switch to a new brand, Pinna said.
Xyzal (Levocetirizine Dihydrochloride) is the newest generation on the market. While effective for many, it does cause drowsiness and is suggested to take before bed. The side effects of allergies alone are annoying. Plan accordingly which medications to take when noting those that cause drowsiness, suggests an article posted on the medical website WebMD.
Newer to the market over the past couple of years are Asterpro and Pataday. A few years ago these were only available through a prescription. Now available over the counter, Asterpro is a nasal antihistamine and steroid-free, different from Flonaise, which is a steroid spray to help minimize inflammation. Pataday is an antihistamine eyedrop with a neutral pH, so there’s no burning when administering, and can be taken as needed.
“These have had a major impact in terms of patients being able to treat themselves successfully,” Pinna said. “Asterpro is more specific to an allergic nose – symptoms, itching, sneezing, running nose. Putting them (Asterpro and Flonaise) together, one in the morning and the other at night, if you have really bad symptoms, can be very effective.”
Taking countermeasures
As there has been an increase in the number of people suffering from allergies, there has also been an increase in those looking for longer-term solutions including immunization therapy also referred to as immunotherapy injections, or simply, allergy shots, Pinna said. While the process requires a lengthy commitment, there is a roughly 60% permanent relief after three to five years of allergy shots.
How do allergy shots work?
The first step to immunization is to understand what exactly is causing the allergies – which species of trees, grasses, shrubs or even animals, Pinna said. The procedure can vary from a scratch test on the back or a set of organized pricks, similar to TB tests, but a few dozen on each arm.
The patient waits for an itchy 30 minutes or so to see what causes inflammation. Using this resulting data, a serum can be developed specific to the perpetrators and then administered over years in a strictly supervised and regimented process.
Injections are required every two to four weeks, spanning a few years, depending on whether the goal is building up immunity or maintaining it, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Over time with the injections, the dosage increases and the maintenance pace decreases and immunity slowly builds to the allergens.
Immunotherapy is a worthy investment for those who suffer and are planning on staying in the area for years. Moving away, to a new locale, could result in different allergies.
End the quarantine
For anyone afflicted by allergies, most pharmacists are well-schooled and knowledgeable and can guide choices and combinations. If symptoms are still not controlled, Pinna suggests allergy sufferers make an appointment with a physician or allergy specialist to narrow down the root cause. There is no need to be locked up and avoid the gifts of Southern Utah fearing the slightest breeze could cause an allergy attack.
“We shouldn’t allow the allergy to control us. We should control our allergy,” Pinna said.
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