Allergies are rough now. Here are some tips to help.

Shari Rudavsky, Indianapolis Star
·2 min read

The pollen counters are pretty much all in agreement: It’s bad out there right now.

As temperatures have fluctuated in recent weeks, Dr. Anita Sivam has been hearing from many of her patients that between plants, grasses, trees and mold, allergies are definitely in full flower right now.

“It’s been kind of a rough allergy season,” said Sivam, an allergist and immunologist with Family Allergy and Asthma who practices in Avon and Greenwood. “All the patients tell me allergies seem worse this year, but every year that seems to be a consistent complaint.”

If you’re among those who are suffering, there are steps you can take to alleviate your symptoms:

How to fight allergy symptoms in Indiana

  • Spend as little time as possible outside amongst the allergens and close your windows to keep the pollen out.

  • If you do spend time outside, once you come inside, shower from head to toe so you’re not compounding the problem by bringing the allergens into your bed.

  • Try over-the-counter medicines, such as antihistamines or intranasal steroids that you spray into your nose.

  • If you do use a nasal spray, make sure you use it correctly, Sivam said. Point the spray away from the bony part of your nose, the septum, and take a small sniff rather than a big sniff so the medicine stays in the nose rather than dripping out.

  • Keep in mind that to be most effective, a nasal spray needs to be used daily and consistently. “It’s not one of those things that you spray and feel better immediately,” she said.

  • For those for whom the over-the-counter options are not sufficient, prescription medicines do exist, Sivam said, which are usually used in addition to the over-the-counter remedies, not instead of them.

Dr. Anita Sivam, an allergist and immunologist with Family Allergy and Asthma
Dr. Anita Sivam, an allergist and immunologist with Family Allergy and Asthma

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Allergy shots and when to see a specialist

  • But all of these tips just address allergy symptoms, not the root cause. “The only thing that can truly treat allergies at the source are allergy shots,” Sivam said. Allergy shots, though, can be a lengthy process over the course of three to five years.

  • Finally, if someone is really suffering with allergies or has recurrent sinus infections due to allergies, it may make sense to see a board-certified allergist, Sivam said.

  • With only about 30 such specialists in the state, however, getting an appointment may take a while, so people should make an appointment and not worry if it’s a few months out. “It’s important not to just come to the allergist when you’re having symptoms,” she said. “A lot of people wait until things are bad and make an appointment. We should approach it proactively.”

Contact IndyStar reporter Shari Rudavsky at shari.rudavsky@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @srudavsky.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Tips to handle spring's seasonal allergies from an Indiana allergist