Springtime And The Sneezen's Not Eazy

AHHHH-CHOOO!!
Allergies. Sonoma county. Sonoma County. Allergies. Seems like these are interchangeable works in the spring around here. Here are some FAQs (that's internet speak for Frequently Asked Questions!).

• ''Wow, how come it's allergy season again?'' If you know you have allergies every year around a given time (for most of us in spring), it's silly to forget about it and think next allergy season will be any different - it won't. The most effective products for nasal allergies (sneezing, itchy eyes, congestion, worsening of asthma) in my experience are the nasal steroid products such as Flonase, Beconase or Nasarel. But they take a while to desensitize the nasal membranes (7 - 14 days) and thus don't give quick relief like antihistamines. Plan ahead! Start your nasal steroid weeks ahead of your allergy season. Mark your calendar if you have to; the best allergy season is one that never starts for you.
• ''But aren't steroids dangerous?'' Yep - no question - high dose oral steroids for prolonged periods of time can cause horrible problems. That's what's so cool about the nasal products. You use microgram quantities applied to the target area (the nasal mucosa) without blasting the rest of the body. Long term studies have failed to show significant absorption of nasal steroids when used as directed.
• ''What about the role of antihistamines?'' These medications block a step in the body's immune process called the histamine receptor. (How often do we medical types use names that make sense?) They work well for a lot of people. They work better if taken regularly. They do have to circulate through the blood and cause side effects. The older (and stronger) antihistamines tend to cause some drowsiness. At least if taken intermittently. Studies show that many people get over the drowsy side effect if they use the medications on a regular basis. The newer ''non sedating'' antihistamines such as Claritin and Allegra are famous for what they don't do; they tend to be less sedating in part because they are less powerful. The drug companies are advertising the bejezus out of these - recently the FDA proposed making these over the counter and the manufacturers claimed they weren't safe enough to use without a prescription; in reality I think they realize that if consumers have to pay one to two dollars a pill instead of a five dollar co-pay they wouldn't buy them. We suggest you try our ''AM/PM Pack'' which has Allegra 60mg for AM use and Chlorpheniramine at bedtime.
• ''Should I see an allergist?'' We have a great one here, Al Haas. He would tell you that there is nothing he can do for you that I can't while the allergy season is going on. An allergy referral may help if you are interested in allergy shots to prevent allergies; these need to be started 9 - 12 months before allergy season and require weekly injections to help you build up blocking antibodies. This works well for a lot of people but requires a lot of planning and dedication to getting the injections regularly.
• ''My old doctor used to give me a cortisone shot, how about that?'' No question that steroids are effective at turning off the old immune system and knocking out allergies. Sometimes if the symptoms are really bad we use them (particularly if the allergies are flaring up asthma.) The downside is that we really hate to have patients on steroids for more than a few weeks due to side effects. If steroids are used, they should be as a bridge while other medications above are being started. By the way; oral steroids (prednisone) work just as well as the magic ''cortisone shot'' and hurt less.

Allergic and Non-Allergic Rhinitis

Disclaimer
If you think you have a MEDICAL OR PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY or go to the nearest hospital. DO NOT attempt to access emergency care through this web site. An emergency medical condition is a medical or psychiatric condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in any of the following: serious jeopardy to your health, serious impairment to your bodily functions, or serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part. An emergency medical condition is also "active labor," which means a labor when there is inadequate time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery or if a transfer poses a threat to the health of the member or unborn child.

This site may contain links to other web sites outside of www.permanente.net. Kaiser Permanente has no control over the content or the availability of these sites, and is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such Web sites. Web links are provided as an educational tool, and should not be relied upon for personal diagnosis or treatment. A link or reference to a web site should not be construed as an endorsement of the site or its contents. Any medical content that you feel may be important to your health should always be discussed with your Kaiser Permanente physician.