School is out and summer has begun. Summertime brings the return of rapidly growing grass. Grass pollens in Louisiana peak during May and June. In February, grass pollenates and continues to do so until the first frost in the fall. Of course this means the return of grass pollen and frequent grass mowing. For the allergic person this means increased sinus allergy symptoms.

If you are like me and are outside this summer grilling and swimming, grass pollen can be bothersome to enjoying precious time outdoors. Grass pollen can also affect allergy sufferers who are out at the ballpark or children at camp this summer.

Managing respiratory allergy involves 3 key steps:

1. Avoiding allergy triggers as able.
2. Allergy medications.
3. Allergy shots.

Trigger Avoidance

Although it is impossible to avoid pollen completely, here are some steps to help decrease exposure to this common allergen:

• Wearing a mask when mowing the grass.
• Keep windows closed in your home and automobile.
• Change clothes and shower after being outside to remove any pollen attached to your hair, body and clothing.
• Bathe any pets that have spent time outside. Fur traps outdoor pollen, carrying it into your home.
• Monitor local pollen counts and avoid outdoor activities on days with higher levels of pollen.

Medications

Medication options include:

• Antihistamine pills to help with sneeze, runny nose, itchy nose and itchy eyes.
• Antihistamine nasal sprays to help with similar symptoms.
• Steroid nasal sprays to help treat nasal congestion.

Many of these medications are now available over-the-counter.

Allergy Shots

An excellent, long-term treatment option involves allergy shots, which are a useful intervention for anyone whose allergy symptoms are not controlled with medications or who are tired of requiring daily medications to control symptoms. These small injections help your immune system buildup a resistance to your triggers, slowly turning off your allergic response. This effective therapy can lead to a reduction in allergy symptoms, allowing less need for medications.

Schedule an appointment with us today to seek expert care for, not only your grass pollen allergy, but all your allergy triggers in-between!