Summer’s Weather Causing Severe Allergy Season this Fall

Otolaryngology Associates, with two locations of its ear, nose and throat (ENT) practice in New York City, is seeing a surge in patients who suffer from ragweed allergies, and expect an unusually severe and extended season. The practice is also experiencing an uptick in patients that are affected by the non-seasonal airborne allergens such as mold and dust mites.

This summer, and extending into the early Fall, residents along the East Coast experienced a record-breaking summer of high-heat and record rainfalls. When combined, they formed the perfect storm to growth of these allergens.

In August, it was reported that the Northeast experienced record ragweed pollen counts. Ragweed thrives in lots of water and sun. It blooms around August and can continue producing pollen through the late fall until a killing frost. Weather experts expect that it will be a long blooming season because for the last decade killing frosts have been occurring later and later.

Hurricane Irene, which caused record-breaking rainfall all along the East Coast, caused severe flooding of “epic proportions” according to NASA. High levels of rain are also ideal for the proliferation of another common allergen, mold. Although it is not a seasonal allergen, mold multiplies quickly in damp conditions. The Northeast typically has much dryer weather conditions in late summer to early fall, and is expected to have unusually high levels of mold this year. Dust-mites are also a widespread allergen that has reached unusual levels due to the high heat experienced this summer.

Allergic reactions to air-born allergens can range from mild to severe. Usual symptoms include stuffy or runny nose, sneezing and itchy eyes. Other symptoms can include coughing, fatigue, and sore throat. These symptoms can sometimes lead to more serious conditions such as sinus and ear infections. Due to blockage in the nose, snoring is also a very common result.

Treatment of your allergies varies according to severity. Prescription nasal steroid sprays decrease the allergic reaction and inflammation in the nose. Non-sedating antihistamines treat the body’s natural reaction when it comes in contact with an allergen by blocking histamine which causes swelling and congestion. Allergy injections or immunotherapy, are for patients with long-standing allergies, and may be identified through skin or blood tests. They gradually reduce symptoms and the need for medication. If you’re not sure what it is that is causing your allergic reaction, an allergist can identify your allergy. It is important to treat your symptoms because they can lead to more serious conditions, and if they are interfering with your breathing or sleeping, seek treatment with an ear, nose and throat specialist.  

Chronic Sinusitis: The Cold That Won’t Go Away

Suffering from
Chronic Sinusitis

Are you suffering from a cold that’s been holding on? When it’s past Valentine’s Day and your sinuses have been stuffed up since before the Holidays or longer, you may have chronic sinusitis.

Sinusitis (sinus infection) is an inflammation of the sinuses and nasal passages. Its symptoms include a headache or pressure in the eyes, nose, cheek area, or one side of the head. You may also have a cough, a fever, bad breath, nasal congestion, nasal secretions, and you may snore at night.

Sinus infections are characterized by how long they last and the location of the affected areas. When one or more of the sinuses is infected for a short term, from a week to three months, it is considered acute sinusitis. When an infection lasts more than three months, it is considered chronic and is often caused by allergies or a physical abnormality such as a deviated septum, or malformed bone.

Chronic sinus infection symptoms may be less severe than an acute infection but it can also last for years. There are four types of sinus infections with varying symptoms and treatments which depend on the cause.

To treat chronic sinusitis due to allergies, prescription nasal steroid sprays can decrease nasal inflammation and can be safely used for a long period of time. Antihistamines that do not cause drowsiness can be used to reduce allergic nasal congestion, either alone or with nasal spray. Allergy injections gradually reduce symptoms and the need for medication and can help patients with allergies that have been identified through skin or blood tests.

Often antibiotics are combined with decongestants and/or nasal steroid spray as an effective way to eliminate chronic sinusitis. When that doesn’t work,  endoscopic sinus surgery is an option for those who do not respond to antibiotic therapy. Using a CAT scan of the sinuses to confirm the chronic condition, endoscopic sinus surgery may be used to drain the sinuses.

There is now a relatively new procedure called Balloon Sinuplasty™ that treats blocked sinus passages. It is a less-intrusive form of surgery that can be performed in a doctor’s office on an out-patient basis. During the procedure, an endoscopic catheter inserts a small, flexible balloon into the sinus passageways, and is then inflated. The balloon gently widens and restructures the walls of the passageways, enabling the sinuses to drain.

If you’ve been suffering from chronic sinusitis, contact your doctor today and schedule an examination, or if you’re in the New York City area, feel free to contact the Manhattan Snoring and Sleep Center for expert diagnosis.

Disclaimer:
This article is intended for general information only is in no way intended to be a substitute for receiving direct medical advice, diagnosis and treatment from a medical professional. Use and access to this website or any of the links contained within the site do not create a doctor-client relationship. If you have any questions regarding a medical condition, or if you suspect you may have a snoring disorder, contact your physician today.

Spring Allergies: Itchy Eyes, Sneezing… Snoring?

With the stretch of warm weather we’ve had this spring in the North East, nature is blooming in abundance. And I’m seeing an abundance of people seeking help for their snoring. Coincidence? Not likely. Every year at this time, it’s common for the simple reason that many people suffer from seasonal allergies. Allergic reactions can lead to symptoms that include suffering from snoring.

Allergies, as well as asthma, cold and sinus infections (sinusitis) can cause blocked airways. So, people who regularly sleep with their mouths closed with no symptoms of snoring, have to open their mouths to breathe while they sleep if they have reactions to allergies. The blocked airways make inhaling difficult and cause people to sleep with their mouths open, creating a vacuum in the throat that leads to snoring.

Allergic reactions can mimic sinusitis (sinus infection), which is an inflammation of the sinuses and nasal passages that is characterized by a headache or pressure in the eyes, nose, cheek area, or one side of the head. Patients with a sinusitis may also have a cough, a fever, bad breath, and nasal congestion with nasal secretions.

Nasal allergies, which are either seasonal or constantly recurring, increase nasal congestion and can lead to sinusitis. Numerous treatments are available to provide identification and avoidance of allergens. For example, this time of year dust allergies are common, whereas in the fall, mold allergies are more prevalent. Exposure can be reduced with the use of non allergenic bedding, removal of carpeting or upholstery, and the use of an air cleaner with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter.

Additional treatment for nasal allergies include:

• Prescription Nasal Steroid Sprays which decrease allergic and non allergic inflammation in the nose and can be safely used for a long period of time.
  
  
• Non Sedating Antihistamines reduce allergic nasal congestion when used alone or with nasal spray.
  
  
• Allergy Injections are for patients with long-standing identifiable allergies (that may be identified through skin or blood tests). Allergy injections gradually reduce symptoms and the need for medication.

This time of year, with the many trees and flowers blooming, symptoms that lead to snoring are common, even in those who throughout the rest of the year don’t snore. If you’ve recently been snoring, and wish to know the reason why as well as get the appropriate treatment, contact the Manhattan Snoring and Sleep Center today.