Q&A: Spring allergies

Portsmouth Herald
·2 min read

DOVER — Dr. Brendan Murphy, a family medicine physician at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, shares his opinions on spring allergies.

1. What are some of the most common spring allergies in N.H.? How and when do they typically present?

Pollen from trees is the primary spring allergen in our region. When this presents will vary depend on which part of the state you are in, but typically April is when pollen season starts. With warming winters we are seeing earlier shifts in the spring allergy season. Symptoms will present with sneezing, coughing, runny nose, congestion, itchy eyes.

2. Is it possible to suddenly become allergic to something at an older age? Why is this so?

Allergies can develop at any stage in life. Exposures to new allergens or changes in one’s immune system can be reasons for new presentations of allergies

3. What are some common allergies present later in life? Can they be serious?

Allergies can be serious for those who also suffer from lung disease such as asthma

4. If you think you might have allergies, how should you go about getting them tested?

Talk to your doctor. Testing, if necessary, should be done through a specialist in the field of Allergy and Immunology. Skin prick testing in which a small amount of allergen is exposed to a patient’s skin is a common method for testing for many environmental allergies.

5. Is there anything you can do to prevent allergies in the first place?

There is evidence that early exposure to some allergens can help to prevent the development of allergies later in life.

6. Are there any new noteworthy allergy treatments available?

Nasal steroids such as Flonase or Nasacort along with second generation antihistamines such as Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra remain the mainstays of treatment for most people. Some will require prescription medications or allergy immunotherapy at the direction of an Immunologist.

7. Do you recommend any holistic approaches to treating allergy symptoms?

I do not have a comment/recommendation on this specifically

8. What happens if you "ignore" your allergies?

Ignoring your allergies will lead you to suffer unnecessarily with the symptoms. There are many good treatments available that can significantly reduce one’s symptoms. Talk to your doctor about your allergy symptoms to develop a plan to treat them.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Q&A: Spring allergies