Show 1403: Managing Year-Round Allergies with Medicines and Herbs

This week, our guests share their expertise on how to deal with sniffles and congestion, whether you are reacting to seasonal triggers or suffer from year-round allergies. Can you reduce the amount of allergen you are exposed to? Which medications could help, and what are the downsides? We’ll also discuss some herbs that can help ease uncomfortable symptoms.

You could listen through your local public radio station or get the live stream at 7 am EDT on your computer or smart phone (wunc.org). Here is a link so you can find which stations carry our broadcast. If you can’t listen to the broadcast, you may wish to hear the podcast later. You can subscribe through your favorite podcast provider, download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of the page, or listen to the stream on this post starting on October 14, 2024.

Is Climate Change Making Allergies Worse?

We’ve been talking about the misery of allergies for decades, but it seems as though they are getting worse. Could there be a link to climate change?

Dr. David Peden says that is very likely. With climate change, plants start releasing their pollen earlier in the spring and continue later in the fall. Depending upon which pollens trigger a person’s allergic response, they could start suffering sooner or discover they are miserable later in the year.

Does the Indoor Environment Contribute to Year-Round Allergies?

Outdoor air carries pollen, but indoor air can also be full of allergens. Pet dander and dust mites are common culprits. What can you do to protect yourself from hazards inside?

Ventilation is key to getting enough clean air. One tool that can help assess the ventilation in your space is a carbon dioxide monitor. That’s not because you need to avoid carbon dioxide but rather because it tells you if the air around you is circulating or just sitting and accumulating contaminants. A good air filtration system is vital for controlling indoor allergens and managing year-round allergies.

Medications to Treat Year-round Allergies:

Antihistamines:

Some of the best-recognized medications for allergies are antihistamines. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) has been around for many decades. Although it blocks histamine quite effectively, it has a significant downside for daytime use. People taking Benadryl during the day may feel too sleepy to function. In fact, OTC nighttime pain relievers such as Advil PM or Tylenol PM continue diphenhydramine to cause drowsiness. Short-term use could help you breathe at night during allergy season. We worry about long-term use for year-round allergies because it could affect cognitive function. Moreover, using any of the antihistamines, including cetirizine (Zyrtec) or fexofenadine (Allegra), continuously for an extended period my result in reduced effectiveness.

Decongestants:

Decongestants shrink the blood vessels that lead to swollen tissue in your nose. That can help you breathe much more easily, but of course there’s a catch: Decongestant nasal sprays are limited to about three days. If a person uses one for longer than that, their body may adapt, and stopping use could result in rebound congestion. Oral decongestants don’t usually create that problem, but they are much less likely to be helpful. Scientists know that one common ingredient, phenylephrine, is essentially ineffective.

Steroid Nasal Sprays:

Within the last decade, a number of steroid nasal sprays have become available over the counter. These can be very useful in alleviating congestion and other nasal symptoms. They are powerful anti-inflammatory compounds being delivered right where inflammation is causing the most trouble. None of these should be used indefinitely, however.

Allergy Shots:

There is st