Winter Allergies

For people that are taking allergy serums; the winter months offer us a chance to get ahead of allergy symptoms. When allergy testing is done in the winter, the test results reflect an allergy baseline in the absence of environmental influences like pollen and outdoor mold. This allows us to deliver the most effective allergy therapy. It is human nature to wait until seasonal allergy symptoms become a problem before coming in to address them. Testing during the allergy season, coseasonal testing, can help to reduce allergy symptoms in the short term. However, patients tend to experience more symptoms during testing. If a reduction in allergic sensitivity is our goal, then a proactive approach is most effective.

The predominant environmental allergens to be mindful of during the winter months are dust, dust mites, animal dander, cockroach, and indoor mold. These can become very problematic this time of year and can increase allergic symptoms like; nasal and sinus congestion, post nasal drip, asthma, skin rashes, irritated eyes, G.I. upset, joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, and mood changes to name a few. if you are taking an allergy serum and are having an increase in allergy symptoms it may be helpful to have end points checked. If you aren’t currently an allergy patient, you can call the office for more details on how allergy therapies can be helpful at reducing you allergy symptoms.

Some helpful hints, be sure to drink plenty of water everyday. If your body is dehydrated, your immune system is more likely to over react to

allergens. Wash bed linens in hot water, at least 130 degrees F., once per week helps to reduce dust mites. Wrapping pillows, mattress, and box spring with an anti-allergen cover also helps to reduce dust mite exposure when in bed. Cleaning with a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA or water ifiter can also help to reduce the overall dust content indoors. It is helpful to open windows while cleaning to reduce the amount of dust that settles indoors. For more information about indoor air quality and allergies see the following websites: