Could That Rash Be an Allergic Reaction?
Spring Has Sprung, So Too Has Allergy Season
ELLY GRIMM • Leader & Times
The spring season can be a wonderful time featuring good weather and slowly greening scenery to admire.
For the many people who suffer from spring allergies, however, that same scenery can cause multiple health issues. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, in 2021 alone, approximately 81 million people in the U.S. Were diagnosed with seasonal allergic rhinitis, more commonly known as hay fever. This equals around 26 percent (67 million) of adults and 19 percent (14 million) of children.
With those types of numbers in mind, there are some precautions people can take, according to the Mayo Clinic.
"To reduce your exposure to the things that trigger your allergy signs and symptoms, it's a good idea to stay indoors on dry, windy days. The best time to go outside is after a good rain, which helps clear pollen from the air," the Mayo Clinic noted. "It's also recommended to avoid lawn mowing, weed pulling and other gardening chores that stir up allergens and remove clothes you've worn outside and shower to rinse pollen from your skin and hair. It's also highly recommended to avoid hanging laundry outside as pollen can stick to sheets and towels, and wear a face mask if you do outside chores. Seasonal allergy signs and symptoms can flare up when there's a lot of pollen in the air, so it's good to check your local TV or radio station, your local newspaper, or the internet for pollen forecasts and current pollen levels. If high pollen counts are forecasted, start taking allergy medications before your symptoms start. Close doors and windows at night if possible or any other time when pollen counts are high. Avoid outdoor activity in the early morning when pollen counts are highest."
A 2024 article from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) noted spring allergy seasons have been lengthening for multiple years.
"The changing climate has caused shifts in precipitation patterns, more frost-free days, warmer seasonal air temperatures, and more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. These changes may lead to both higher pollen concentrations and earlier and longer pollen seasons," the HHS release noted. "Data from the USA National Phenology Network indicates on average, the start of spring has occurred earlier in the contiguous United States since 1984. Researchers discovered nationwide, total pollen amounts increased up to 21 percent between 1990 and 2018, with the greatest increases recorded in Texas and the Midwest. One studylinks to an external website found that nationwide, total pollen amounts increased up to 21 percent between 1990 and 2018, with the greatest increases recorded in Texas and the Midwest. Some of these changes in pollen due to climate change could have major impacts on human health such as increasing individuals' exposure to pollen and their risk of having allergy and/or asthma symptoms."
Another way to help reduce exposure to allergens is keeping indoor air clean.
"There's no miracle product that can eliminate all allergens from the air in your home, but these suggestions may help: Use air conditioning in your house and car, and if you have forced air heating or air conditioning in your house, use high-efficiency filters and follow regular maintenance schedules," the Mayo Clinic noted. "Also, it's a good idea to keep indoor air dry with a dehumidifier and use a portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in your bedroom. It's also recommended to clean floors often with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter."
Yale Medicine added seasonal allergies can be treated in a variety of ways.
"Most often, over-the-counter or prescription antihistamines help suppress the body's immune response, providing relief from symptoms. Decongestants can be used to relieve congestion. Over-the-counter cough medications are commonly recommended as well," Yale Medicine noted. "For people who need additional relief, antihistamine or steroidal nose sprays can be prescribed by your doctor. These help calm the body's immune response to seasonal airborne allergens. If you need more specialized care, your doctor may recommend allergen immunotherapy. This helps your immune system build up a tolerance against an allergen by exposing you to the irritant in small doses. Allergen immunotherapy can be given in two ways: subcutaneous injections, where a doctor administers a series of shots containing those specific allergens that are given in the doctor's office over many months or years, usually in the arm; and Sublingual immunotherapy, where allergy sufferers can try prescription tablets or drops that dissolve under the tongue (sublingually). Sublingual immunotherapy is only available for grass and ragweed allergies, however."
The Mayo Clinic added another treatment option is rinsing the sinuses.
"Rinsing your nasal passages with saline solution (nasal irrigation) is a quick, inexpensive and effective way to relieve nasal congestion. Rinsing directly flushes out mucus and allergens from your nose," the Mayo Clinic noted. "Saline solutions can be purchased ready-made or as kits to add to water. If you use a kit or home-made saline solution, use bottled water to reduce the risk of infection. Homemade solutions should have one quart (one liter) of water, 1.5 teaspoons (7.5 milliliters) of canning salt and 1 teaspoon (five milliliters) of baking soda. Rinse the irrigation device after each use with clean water and leave open to air-dry."
Grab The Medicine. Atlanta's Pollen Counts Are Rising
Retrieve the tissues and antihistamines, Atlanta. Pollen is exploding in the "city in a forest" this week.
Tree pollen counts have been climbing steadily since February, so if you're a chronic allergy sufferer, you've already been battling the sniffles and itchy, watery eyes.
But Monday may have been especially difficult, as it marked the highest pollen count — at 3,028 — we've seen this season.
That number, which skyrocketed from Sunday's count of 402, put the day well into the "extremely high" range, according to Atlanta Allergy & Asthma, which treats patients across the region and tracks daily pollen counts. The high range for tree pollen begins at 90; the extremely high range starts at 1,500.
Credit: Ben hendren
Credit: Ben hendren
Tuesday's count is not as high — 1,295 — but that doesn't mean we're starting a downward trend. Pollen counts fluctuate and are very weather-dependent as spring swings from cool to warm. Dry, windy days like we've had this week make for higher pollen counts.
Rain helps wash pollen and other airborne allergens away, but dry stretches allow it and other pollutant levels to keep building. The next chance for rain is late Saturday into Sunday, so we can expect high and extremely high pollen counts this week.
"The typical trend for our pollen in Georgia and the Southeast, especially, is that we usually will see them kind of peak toward mid-March and then it can go all the way to mid-April, where you see the highest count," said Dr. Lily Hwang of Atlanta Allergy & Asthma.
ExploreWhy your allergies are acting up now and how to get reliefBut high-range pollen counts can — and have in recent years — start as early as February and last through the end of May. And, notes Hwang: "You don't have to be in that extremely high range to actually have symptoms."
Once you're exposed to allergens, your immune system is primed and ready to respond at the next exposure. Warmer winters lead to earlier pollen emergence, which leads to prolonged pollen seasons and more misery for those with allergies.
ExploreThink Atlanta's pollen is bad? New study finds it could get much worseTree pollens such as pine, oak, sweet gum and birch are the top contributors to this week's counts. Weed pollens, such as mugwort and nettle, are in the moderate range.
Tree pollen is the main culprit for spring allergies, but it's not the yellow or green dust we usually think of coating cars and porches. It's actually the lighter, more powdery pollen from hardwood trees, such as oak, hickory and birch trees.
Credit: Ben hendren
Credit: Ben hendren
ExploreSpring allergies are here. Will your air purifier actually help?Over-the-counter antihistamines are a good temporary remedy, but they must be taken well in advance of exposure to allergens, Hwang advised.
"Once you're triggered (antihistamines) can't reverse that," she said. "That's the reason why a lot of people feel their medicines don't work for them ... Because they started when they are symptomatic."
Getting tested to pinpoint what exactly causes your allergies is your best bet at longer-lasting relief. A board-certified allergist can recommend treatment plans, including determining whether immunotherapy, which desensitizes your immune system to the allergen, is an option.
ExplorePollen is near record levels. Doctors advise how to exercise outdoors now Tips for managing seasonal allergiesSource: Atlanta Allergy & Asthma
Do Air Purifiers Actually Work?
Portable air purifiers are good for helping air out your home, reducing or increasing humidity, limiting access to air pollution, and generally keeping your home air clean. However, you need to get the right purifier for your needs.
Home air purifiers often claim to be reliable solutions for indoor air quality health concerns, but do they really clean your household air?
The short answer is yes, but only to a degree. It all depends on what you want an air purifier to do in your home and how well you match the specific air purifier to your goals.
Read on to find out how portable air purifiers work and what exactly they do.
This article concerns portable air purifiers, which are devices designed to filter the air in a single room, not your whole home. Whole-house air purification systems are available, but they are tied into the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a home or facility.
Most current portable air purifiers are designed to filter both particles and gases. But one filter can't do the entire job. So many air cleaners contain multiple filters, one for particles, another for gases, and still more for gases, chemicals, or odors.
Despite their differences, portable air purifiers generally work the same. They use fans to draw air in through one or more filters, trap various contaminants, and then re-circulate the cleaner air back into the room.
Portable air cleaners vary in weight, but they can usually be moved from room to room. Some can be mounted on the wall. And there are even wearable and desktop versions too.
Air purifiers vary according to:
All these variables are important in your consideration of a portable air purifier. To choose wisely, you have to know both the dimensions of the area you want to clean, the capabilities of the particular air purifier you're considering, and what contaminants you're targeting.
Before investing in an air purifier, you may want to invest in an air quality home test to determine what contaminants you have in your home.
Probably the most important variable in an air purifier is the filter. Your best choice to filter particles is a device with a HEPA filter, which is designed to collect at least 99.5% of particles in the air that are 3 microns or less in size. Generally speaking, this type of particle includes pollen, dust, moisture, bacteria, viruses, and dirt.
The effectiveness of a HEPA filter depends on how tightly bound the fibers are. This is usually expressed as a rating from MERV 12 to MERV 17. You want a filter that is at least MERV 13.
Another important variable is the clean air delivery rate (CADR). This is the amount of clean air your device will re-circulate. The general rule is that the CADR of your air cleaner should be equal to at least two-thirds of the room's area.
For wildfire smoke, the CADR should be higher, equal to the number of square feet of the room you are trying to clean.
Some air cleaners specify CADRs according to the three specific types of pollutants: tobaccosmoke, dust, and pollen. These correspond to small-, medium-, and large-sized particles, respectively. You can choose a device with the right CADR for the contaminants you are targeting.
Most portable air purifiers are one of three types:
There is concern that electronic air cleaners (including the last two types of air cleaners in this list) can produce ozone gas and other pollutants that may be hazardous to health. Therefore, filtered air purifiers are considered the safest type for home use.
Neither the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certify air cleaning devices. The EPA also does not recommend any particular air cleaning devices or manufacturers.
This is the question people ask the most about air purifiers. The short answer is yes, but only to a degree. The full answer all depends on a number of factors:
The issue is complicated by the fact that in addition to being airborne, particles can embed themselves in furniture, bedding, and carpeting, as well as collect on hard surfaces like walls and ceilings. So your housecleaning habits can affect how much work your air purifier has to do.
Most contaminants are collectively described as particulate matter, or simply PMs. PMs refer to airborne particles, which are usually classified as either
A micron is a unit of length equal to one-millionth of a meter. Fine PM, the term for the smaller PM2.5 particles, cause the most health concerns because they can penetrate human airways and enter the lung air sacs. Air purifiers in general are effective in removing airborne fine PM.
Let's take a look at the various contaminants you might be dealing with in your home and see how air purifiers might be able to help.
Allergens
Allergens are substances that can trigger symptoms in people with allergies, asthma, or respiratory conditions. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 8 of every 10 people in the United States are exposed to dust mites, and 6 of every 10 are exposed to cat or dog dander.
Some of the most common allergens found in indoor spaces like your home and schools include:
What does the research say?
One study cited a number of reports that HEPA air purifiers can benefit people with varied allergies by reducing the concentration of indoor allergens, including pollen, house dust-mite (HDM) allergens, and dog dander.
But not all research agrees, especially when it comes to dust mites and animal dander.
One research review concluded that air cleaners have little meaningful effect on dust mite allergens because these allergens ride on larger particles that quickly settle to surfaces and are not caught by air cleaners. It also said evidence failed to show that air cleaners significantly reduced airborne animal allergens or pollen.
Mold
Research shows that mold can be especially harmful for people with asthma and other lung conditions, especially in children. Mold is a fungal growth that forms and spreads on various kinds of damp surfaces. Its presence indicates a problem with excess moisture.
Mold reproduces by producing spores, which become airborne. Inhaling these spores or touching mold can trigger a mold allergy. Symptoms might include sneezing, throat and nose irritation, runny nose, and red or itchy eyes.
What does the research say?
According to the EPA, portable air cleaners do not resolve a mold problem. They may remove some of the airborne mold particles, but they don't eliminate mold. To do that, you have to resolve the excess moisture and clean up the mold.
Smoke
Indoor smoke can come from many sources, including:
What does the research say?
One study found that air purifiers do little to remove nicotine from indoor air. Other research showed that HEPA air purifiers can reduce smoke particles in the air, but not the non-particle nicotine or other gaseous components of smoke.
This makes air purifiers useful during short-lived indoor smoke from landscape fires, but not totally effective for protecting from the adverse health effects of tobacco smoke, either primary or secondary.
Smoking cessation in households and cars is preferable over air filters. But if this is not possible in a home, a HEPA air filter may reduce smoke particles and be a better intervention than nothing.
Gaseous pollutants
Gaseous indoor pollutants may include:
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gaseous emissions from thousands of products containing organic chemicals, including many household products. Organic chemicals vary greatly in their health effects from highly toxic to no known health effect.
To filter gases, you need to choose a portable air cleaner with an activated carbon filter or otherfilter designed to remove gases. HEPA filters are generally ineffective against VOCs. Also, some air cleaners are targeted only to specific types of gases or VOCs.
What does the research say?
There are many air purifiers that claim to reduce VOCs in your home. But when the American Chemical Society tested four consumer-grade portable air cleaners that claimed to remove VOCs from indoor air, researchers found the actual VOC removal to be minimal.
More startling, they found that the "cleaned" air that some of the air cleaners delivered actually contained additional VOCs and other byproducts known to be harmful to human health.
The lesson here is to check the specific product packaging or labeling on an air purifier to be sure you get one designed to filter the VOCs you're targeting.
According to the World Health Organization, household air pollution exposure can lead to serious health conditions such as stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer.
Can portable air purifiers make a difference?
The EPA says portable HEPA air cleaners have been shown to benefit allergy and asthma symptoms, as well as cardiovascular health. But the amount of benefit can be small, and the benefits may not be solely due to air cleaners.
What does the research say?
Portable air purifiers work best in conjunction with
Consider starting your search for an air purifier by clarifying what exactly you want it to do in your home. Know the dimensions of the space you want to clean and which contaminants you are targeting. Then match up your expectations with the specs of an appropriate air purifier.
Ideally, here's what you want in an air purifier:
If you have any underlying health issues, such as asthma and allergies, talk to your doctor about ways you can improve your indoor air quality to manage your symptoms. Never stop taking any medications without talking to your physician first.
You can also look for air purifiers and filters that are certified asthma and allergy friendly devices by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. An allergist may also have specific recommendations tailored to your needs.
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