Coming Your Way this Summer: Fall Allergy Season

Santa Monica, CA-

 Before you shrug off your sneezing and runny nose to a summer cold, you may want to think twice. Even though it’s only August, hay fever season is here, causing misery for 15 percent of American adults and children.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, one of the main culprits is ragweed, which comes in 17 varieties and blooms from August until November. A single plant can release as many as one million pollen grains in a single day.

“Mold spores are also problematic throughout the summer and fall, and may outnumber pollen grains in the air,” said allergist Dr. Bernard Geller, Allergy & Clinical Immunology Medical Group. “Unfortunately, climate change is making the hay fever season last up to three weeks longer, which means even more suffering for Santa Monica locals.”

Other weather changes, such as wind and rain, can also affect the severity of symptoms. For example, wind can carry the small pollen grains from ragweed, grasses and trees up to 100 miles from its source.

To help combat fall allergy symptoms, Dr. Geller recommends that you:

• Take medication before symptoms begin and don’t stop immediately after pollen is no longer detected in the air
• Keep car and home windows closed so pollen doesn’t filter indoors
• Wear a pollen mask (such as a NIOSH rated 95 filter mask) when working outdoors
• Limit outdoor activities between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. when the air is saturated with pollen
• Make an appointment with an allergist to find relief

Trigger avoidance and allergy medication might provide great hay fever allergy relief for some, but not for all. A board-certified allergist can provide effective treatment with medications that may go beyond over-the-counter remedies. Immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots, can provide hay fever symptom relief while also preventing the development of asthma and other allergies.

Dora Afrahim, MPAP, PA-C

Allergy & Clinical Immunology Medical Group

For more information about treatment of allergies and asthma, visit our website at www.SneezeWheeze.com, or reach us by telephone: (310)828-8534 or by e-mail: FrontOffice@allergyandclinical.com

Author

Dora Afrahim, PA-C Dora Afrahim is a board-certified Physician Assistant. She received her Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and then received her Master's degree from Keck School of Medicine USC. Her training includes general medicine as well as diagnosing and developing individualized treatment plans for patients who suffer from allergies, asthma, and other disorders of the immune system. Dora is a Southern California native and was inspired to specialize in Allergy & Immunology by her desire to help improve her patient’s quality of life. In her spare time, she enjoys cycling, hiking, traveling and volunteering.