Summertime Allergies
Dr. Megan Stauffer • June 3, 2017
A pollen-free season? Afraid not.
Spring is over. Summer is here! For many people with springtime allergies, this is a relief. Unfortunately, the summer offers allergy issues of its own.
While tree pollen is mostly gone, grass pollen is here and can cause all the same symptoms triggered by tree pollen: itchy/watery eyes, sneezing and stuffy/runny nose. In the late summer, weed pollen (ragweed) blooms and can cause similar allergy issues.
Pollen can also trigger a specific type of food allergy called Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS). OAS is a reaction to the fresh fruits and vegetables that we love to eat during the summer. It is caused by a cross reaction between proteins found in pollen that are similar to proteins in specific fruits and vegetables. For instance, people with a birch tree allergy may get an itchy mouth after eating fresh apples, peaches and cherries, but they are able to tolerate cooked forms of these foods.
Allergists are able to test for a bee sting allergy and can offer allergy shots that are 98% effective in preventing a severe reaction to a future sting.
Since we are spending more time outdoors during the summer months, we are more likely to come in contact with a stinging insect, such as a wasp or a bee. Fortunately, most people only have local reactions to insect stings, typically swelling, redness and pain at the site. However, less than 5% of the population will have a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting, which can be life threatening. Allergists are able to test for a bee sting allergy and can offer allergy shots that are 98% effective in preventing a severe reaction to a future sting.
For all these reasons, if you suspect summertime is giving you allergy issues, see one of our board certified allergists for evaluation and management.
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Summer is in full swing! Learn why some seasonal activities can cause flare-ups and how you can protect your lungs while still enjoying the festivities.
If you spend any time browsing the internet or social media, you’ve likely seen advertisements for mail-in allergy kits. They promise to test for hundreds of food intolerances and environmental sensitivities using just a few strands of your hair or a quick saliva swab. It sounds incredibly convenient, painless, and comprehensive. But if it sounds like a gimmick, it probably is. While these mail-in tests are heavily marketed, they often lack scientific backing and can leave patients feeling more confused than comforted. The Science of Allergy Testing. What Are We Looking For? To understand why hair and saliva tests don't work, we have to look at how the immune system reacts to allergens. When you have a true allergy, your body produces a very specific type of antibody called IgE (Immunoglobulin E) . These antibodies bind to mast cells (allergy cells), which are on high alert to protect you from perceived invaders like pollen, dust mites, or specific food proteins. The fundamental flaw with mail-in hair and saliva kits comes down to basic biology: Wrong Locations: Mast cells and IgE antibodies are not traditionally found in your hair follicles or saliva. Unreliable Results: Because these testing methods are looking in the wrong place, they are highly unstandardized and unvalidated. You are highly likely to get a flood of false positives or false negatives that are impossible to interpret accurately. What the Experts Say: Major medical organizations strongly advise against these methods. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) explicitly recommends against using hair analysis for food allergy evaluations due to a lack of diagnostic value. Furthermore, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) have issued strong practice guidelines stating that hair analysis should not be used to evaluate food allergies. The Big Misconception: IgE vs. IgG Many mail-in companies charge anywhere from $150 to upwards of $600 for "sensitivity" panels. When patients produce these multi-page reports, the testing is almost always checking for IgG (Immunoglobulin G) antibodies, not IgE. There is a massive difference between the two:
