If you happen to be one of the many millions of people who have seasonal allergies spring through fall season means the season of sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy, swollen eyes and sleepless nights among other troublesome symptoms. Seasonal allergies, also called hay fever and by the medical term – allergic rhinitis, can simply make your life miserable. The same substances that trigger your allergies e.g. pollen, pet dander and molds may also cause asthma symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing and chest tightness which is called allergic asthma or allergy-induced asthma and may result in serious health issues. Allergies represent the most common acute and chronic disorders affecting both children and adults worldwide. Estimates indicate that about 20% of the population suffers from some form of allergic disease. In seasonal allergies, airborne pollen from various seasonal plants enters the body through the eyes, nose, or throat, and triggers an allergic reaction. Normally, the immune system does not respond to innocuous substances like pollen and mold. But in sensitive individuals, and that is a lot of us, the body’s immune system views these allergens as harmful and mounts an attack. That then leads to release of numerous chemicals, e.g. histamine and other compounds, resulting in eyes and airway inflammation accompanied by irritation, discomfort and health problems. Allergies commonly develop in childhood but they can strike anytime. It usually takes 2 – 3 years to become sensitized after you have changed climate, e.g. moved from South to North or from West to East Coast. Like other problems that involve an abnormal immune system response, allergies tend to run in families and do not discriminate between men and women or ethnic background. Now, as the weather becomes warmer, seasonal allergies are here and here to stay, until the first frost in the fall. The culprit is pollen of trees, weeds or grasses. Perennial allergies refer to allergens present all year round such as pet dander and house dust mite. Since molds are found both indoor and outdoor they can cause allergies and asthma both seasonally and all year round. When pollen season starts and how long it lasts varies throughout the country. In our area, trees usually start pollinating in March and grass can start as early as the end of April. Late summer and early fall is the weeds and ragweed season. Allergic symptoms that come with the start of pollen season are a good indication that you may be suffering from seasonal allergies. Itchy, watery eyes, a tickle on the roof of the mouth or in the back of the throat, sneezing and a runny, stuffy nose may be well familiar to you. Some also experience congestion, headaches, wheezing and coughing, poor sleep and irritability. But it does not have to be this way. Since April 2012 local residents and their children of Germantown, Poolesville, MD and Manassas, VA have been enjoying the expert allergy care of Dr. Bocek and his staff in Allergy and Asthma Clinical Centers (AACC). Dr. Bocek is Board certified in both pediatric and adult allergy/immunology and the patients seeking his care come from the entire DC metro region. The patients who have started allergy shots treatments in AACC in the past year (and even those who only started in the past months) are now happily reporting having their first season without any allergy problems in years. Dr. Bocek and his AACC staff perform all state-of-the-art allergy diagnostic services, identifying with precision all the pollen types which are responsible for triggering their patients’ allergy symptoms. That allows for formulation of individually tailored allergen extracts which are then used in brief weekly injection visits to successfully desensitize allergy and asthma sufferers. These injections are administered on a walk-in basis. Thus, if you are tired to go through spring, summer or fall allergy season with a box of tissues in one hand and multiple allergy pills in the other, you want to pay a visit to our Allergy and Asthma Clinical Centers offices in Maryland and Northern Virginia and join the rank of others for whom seasonal allergies are a matter of the past.
