While seasonal allergies are always in bloom during the late summer and early fall, this season’s allergies might be in fuller force than in years past.
While McKinley Health Center Medical Director David Lawrance said he hears allergy complaints every year, the weather of the past spring and summer might have combined to breed a forceful set of seasonal allergies. Ragweed, a type of weed that grows in many places, creates a pollen during this time of the year and “thrives” in the environment that the past few months have allowed, Lawrance said.
When I go running, I feel like I just can’t breathe.
Maggie Allison, senior in LAS
“Apparently, it thrives when there is an early wet spring — which we had — and then a late dry summer that we had,” Lawrance said in an e-mail.
He added that an opportunity to grow early in the spring may have given ragweed more of a “head start” to thrive against other plants. A later and drier summer got rid of drought-intolerant plants, which again left more space for the ragweed to grow.
Some students who both do or do not usually experience allergies are complaining about this season.
Christian Trejo, junior in Engineering, said he usually does not have allergies but has already experienced a runny nose and occasionally itchy eyes this semester.
“It’s been the first time I’ve had allergies since I’ve been on campus,” Trejo said.
Although she usually experiences allergies, Maggie Allison, senior in LAS, said her symptoms for this season have been “horrible.”
“When I go running, I feel like I just can’t breathe,” she said.
Lawrance said McKinley sees many individuals for allergies and colds during this time of the year, and said there are some “cures” for the pestering symptoms. Usual allergies can be battled with antihistamine medication such as Benadryl or nasal sprays, which Lawrance said are better than pills.
But for people with symptoms that cannot be controlled by over-the-counter medications, Lawrance said allergy shots are an option. For this, a patient can go to an allergist, who will test him or her for specific allergies and administer a series of shots as necessary. He said this can often provide a good result against allergy symptoms.
Lawrance said he is still unsure as to whether allergies have actually been worse this season because it has not been made official yet, but added that there is evidence to back it up.
“I’m skeptical, but there may have been the ‘perfect storm’ this year that does make it a worse allergy season,” he said.
http://www.dailyillini.com/news/campus/2010/09/17/perfect-storm-of-allergies-to-strike