Oh yes — at least one third of seasonal allergy sufferers may have “oral allergy syndrome” —characterized by itchiness of the mouth, lips and throat, as well as the familiar sniffles and sneezing, after ingestion of various fresh fruits, vegetables and even nuts that cross react with tree, grass and weed pollens.

So what can you do? Well in many cases peeling, cooking and heating the fruits can reduce the likelihood of triggering seasonal allergy symptoms.  In some cases, the symptoms caused by the cross reaction are more likely during the height of the pollen season for that allergen.  That is spring time for seasonal tree and grass pollens in many areas of the U.S., and weed pollens usually during summer and early fall. 

So if you are sensitive to tree pollens you may react when eating apples, cherries, pears, apricots, kiwis, oranges, plums, almonds, hazelnut and walnuts.  I have actually seen some individuals with seasonal spring tree pollen allergies react to hazelnut flavored coffee!

Grass pollen may cross react with melon, tomato and orange.  Those who are sensitive to ragweed and weeds may react when ingesting banana, cantaloupe, cucumber, zucchini, watermelon and even chamomile tea!

Obviously having your seasonal allergy symptoms under control requires planning and often encourages my patients with seasonal allergies to develop an allergy action plan.  This way by following the allergy season calendar for your area and knowing the pollen count (go to www.aaaai.org/nab), you will be better prepared for those pesky allergy symptoms before they even begin!

Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine. He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. No information in this blog is intended as medical advice to any reader or intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition.

So what is in the air? Look out for seasonal tree pollens now wherever you are and learn more about these allergy culprits that are likely to be not only in your backyard — but also in your nose and eyes!  

Plant pollens such as trees, grasses and weeds are not the only allergens that affect the us while working in the garden. Many mold spores also affect people in the outdoors, seasonally, or even year round.

If there is an existing pollen problem in your landscape, replace that plant with a less allergenic selection.  A system that may help you do this and indicates the likelihood of a plant’s potential to cause allergy is the Ogren Plant Allergy Scale.

A pollen-producing tree in your own yard will expose you to up to ten times the amount of pollen as would the same tree planted just down the block from your home! 

Here are some more allergy sufferer’s tips for you and your yard:

• Wear a pollen mask while gardening
• Keep grass cut short
• Avoid touching your eyes and nose while gardening
• Plan outdoor time for rainy, wet, cloudy and windless days — which usually have lower pollen counts
• After yard work, leave your clothing outside of your bedroom, brush off your shoes and rinse your glasses. Also, wear gloves to minimize local contact and reduce irritation to the skin of your hands and arms
• Limit your gardening to short intervals on “high” pollen days
• If you are allergic to mold spores, avoid damp places and stagnant water
• Proximity and location of pollen-producing trees, shrubs and plants will affect your exposure to seasonal allergens
• Planting female trees in one’s own yard may trap incoming airborne pollen from male plants

Other resources are www.aaaaai.org and www.allergyandasthmarelief.org

Happy planting!

Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine. He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. No information in this blog is intended as medical advice to any reader or intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition.

With allergy season just around the corner, let’s take a minute to review some early tips to help you survive allergy misery.  Many sufferers have allergy symptoms that affect your eyes and eyelids and can be quite troublesome. Allergy medications may often work better if you start them just before the season begins. 

Right now, we are seeing early tree pollens such as juniper, cedar, elm, alder and maple in many regions of the country.  The late winter pollens cause “early” spring suffering even before the trees grow leaves! 

Here are a few practical tips:

• LIDS OFF: Gently irrigate your eyelids (while your eyes are closed) with a mild, tear-free “baby” shampoo to remove excess allergens and pollutants which may have accumulated.  Check with your provider (especially if you wear contact lenses or have other eye problems) to learn whether anti-allergy eye and/or moisturizing drops may also be helpful and safe.

• BLOCK YOUR EYES: Wear sunglasses to block pollens from entering and getting into your eyes.

• WASH WISELY:  Rinse off your eyeglasses and shower and shampoo your hair every night to remove allergy causing pollens that collect during the day.

Stay tuned for more late-breaking successful seasonal allergy survival tips to come …

Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine. He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. No information in this blog is intended as medical advice to any reader or intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition.

Dr. Bassett

Seasonal allergies may cause a variety of symptoms for sufferers such as nasal stuffiness, sneezing, itchy and watery eyes in addition to an increase in mucus causing the familiar “clearing” of the throat in some.  There are also a variety of associated things that I hear from my allergy patients in the office, such as “fatigue” and lack of energy.  In many cases congested nasal and sinus passages may cause poor quality, interrupted sleep as a result of sleep disordered breathing.  So what to do?

Having an examination of your nose and sinuses which reveal the extent of the level of severity is the first step.  In some cases clogged breathing passages may be a result of a deviated septum or chronic infection.  The work up by a specialist for these conditions may include a sinus X-ray (CT scan) to completely visualize the sinuses and identify the problem.  In many cases, saline (salt water) irrigation of the sinuses and nasal steroid sprays can provide a great deal of relief, safely. 

Another tip you have allergy is the timing of your symptoms along with the season and weather. For example, pollen levels are typically higher on dry, sunny and windy days and lower on windless, cloudy and wet days. 

Survival tips

• WASH WISESLY: Shampoo your hair at end of day to remove excess allergy containing pollens that accumulate during the day
• BEAT THE CLOCK: Check local pollen counts at www.aaaai.org/nab to plan outdoor activities and/or “move inside” on high pollen days
• DO NOT RE-CIRCULATE: Keep the A/C on the “do not re-circulate mode” and change filters in the air conditioner frequently during the allergy season
• Changing your clothing outside of the bedroom, washing your glasses and brushing off your shoes, to help to reduce the pollen load in your bedroom
• Vacation by a body of water, such as a lake, river or at the beach, where pollen levels are typically lower

These survival tips actually work!

Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine.  He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.  No information in this blog is intended as medical advice to any reader or intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition.

Dr. Bassett

Allergy season in many areas of the US has had a big impact on all of allergy sufferers, particularly on children.  As children often spend a larger amount of time outdoors during the summertime they may be more so affected by the onslaught of daytime seasonal pollens and mold spores.  

 If one parent has allergies there is at least a 25 to 33 percent chance of the child developing allergies and the risk goes up over 50 to 75 percent if both parents are allergic sufferers.  So family history is a key factor in whether or not your children will develop seasonal allergies, indoor allergies and/or asthma.

 Recent studies have looked at impaired sleep as a result of poor breathing due to congested nasal and sinus passages during the night.  This may have a direct impact on daytime behavior and performance in the classroom.  Fatigue and daytime drowsiness may also be a sign of sleep disturbances that occur due to poorly controlled allergies.

Some suggestions I typically discuss with the parents of children suffering from seasonal allergies are:

  * Change clothes after spending time in the park where pollens are plentiful

  * Washing hair and taking a bath later in the day after being outside on a “high pollen day

  * Pre-treat to prevent daily symptoms during peak seasonal pollen periods

  * Vacation at peak allergy times by a body of water such as a lake, river or by the beach, where pollen levels are typically lower

* Ask your pediatrician or allergist if your child should be on “anti-inflammatory” nasal sprays to reduce congestion from seasonal allergies that may assist in better quality sleep at night

Be proactive and develop a sensible allergy management program for your child to successfully combat seasonal allergy triggers!  Learn more at www.acaai.org and www.aaaai.org.

 Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine.  He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.  No information in this blog is intended to diagnose or treat any condition.

Summer allergies and oral allergy syndrome

If you are one of the thirty million people suffering from summertime seasonal allergies, it is important to know about pollen-food syndrome, also known as oral allergy syndrome (OAS), caused by allergens such as ragweed pollen. 

Each year, grass pollens and weeds cause seasonal suffering and ragweed begins to bloom around early August in many areas of the U.S.  In the warmer climates weed pollens may be seen during much of the year.

Itchiness of the mouth and throat immediately after eating fresh fruits or vegetables are common symptoms of OAS. Oral allergy syndrome results from a cross-reaction between allergy antibodies directed towards pollens with similar proteins that are found in foods in about one-third of seasonal allergy sufferers.  Individuals with ragweed allergies might experience these symptoms when consuming foods such as:

• Banana
• Cucumber
• Melon
• Zucchini
• Sunflower seeds
• Chamomile tea
• Echinacea

Grass pollen allergic individuals might experience symptoms when ingesting

• fig
• melons
• tomatoes
• oranges

Mugwort (weed pollen) allergic sufferers may suffer after eating:

• carrots
• celery
• coriander
• fennel
• parsley
• peppers

Generally, cooking or microwaving the food will eliminate a reaction, but not always.  Less commonly it is possible for the OAS to induce mouth and throat swelling if you are allergic to various foods. 

For additional information from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology at http://www.aaaai.org/media/news_releases/2006/08/080206.stm.

Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine.  He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.  No information in this blog is intended to diagnose or treat any condition.

1.      At home or when driving, keep windows closed and set air conditioner on re-circulate to keep out seasonal pollens and mold spores, if you suffer with seasonal allergies

2.      Change or wash air conditioner filters frequently

3.      If you have allergies to pets (i.e. cat) use a central air filtration system in your home and/or portable room HEPA air filter

4.      Use an exhaust fan in your bathroom to reduce mold spore growth and excess humidity

5.      Dehumidifier may be useful in below ground rooms or basements if mildew is an issue

6.      Place disposable filter covers over forced air vents in your home that may provide additional filtration

7.      Avoid open windows in your home during high pollen days (check out the local pollen count at www.aaaai.org/nab)

8.      HEPA vacuums and or pre-filter bags prevent dust from re-entering the room after vacuuming

9.      If you are very sensitive to dust, leave the room for at least 30 minutes after sweeping/cleaning to allow dust particles to settle

10.  Remove unnecessary dust collectors in the bedroom if you have indoor allergies – placing a “stuffed toy or pillow” in a zippered plastic bag in the freezer periodically will help to reduce the amount of dust mites

Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine.  He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.  No information in this blog is intended to diagnose or treat any condition.