Citizens Memorial Hospital | Vitality | Summer 2019

12 VITALITY Summer 2019 triggering the release of chemicals (such as histamine) that lead to those uncomfortable symptoms. FINDING RELIEF If you think you might have allergies, tell your doctor. You may need a skin test or blood test to learn what you’re allergic to. Then your doctor can recommend a treatment plan, which may include: Avoiding your allergy triggers. Try to spend less time outdoors when pollen counts are high. You can find pollen counts online or get them through apps on your smartphone. Taking over-the-counter or prescription medicines. Options include nasal steroid sprays and antihistamine pills. These medications generally work best when you start them just before allergy season begins. WHAT ABOUT ALLERGY SHOTS? Allergy shots (immunotherapy) might be another option. It takes time, but the shots can build up your body’s resistance to specific hay fever triggers. Many people who get allergy shots see their symptoms improve or even disappear. depending on your location and the time of year. And one thing you’ll notice is that those symptoms arrive with the seasons. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, hay fever is often triggered by: » » Tree pollen in early spring. » » Grasses during late spring and early summer. » » Weeds in late summer and fall. Pollen is usually harmless. But if you have hay fever, your immune system mistakes pollen for an invader, COMMUNITY You’re sneezing and coughing. And your eyes are watery, red and itchy. Then there’s that runny, stuffy nose. Maybe you remember having the same miserable symptoms last year when the seasons changed. What gives? You may have seasonal allergies— or what’s commonly called hay fever. POLLEN COULD BE YOUR PROBLEM If you do have hay fever, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re allergic to hay. The culprit could just as easily be a tree. That’s because a variety of airborne pollens can set off allergy symptoms, Gardeners: You need this vaccine If gardening is your thing, make sure you’re vaccinated against tetanus before you dig in the dirt. Tetanus infections cause lockjaw, which can be a fatal disease. Anyone can get tetanus, but gardeners are particularly susceptible because tetanus spores thrive in soil. These spores, which develop into bacteria, can enter the body through breaks in the skin, especially a deep wound or cut. You may have had a tetanus shot before. But vaccine immunity fades with time. That’s why you need a booster shot every 10 years. So if it has been a while since your last tetanus shot, ask your primary care provider if you’re due for another one. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Reaching for those tissues again? It could be hay fever THINKYOUMIGHT HAVEALLERGIES? MAKEANAPPOINTMENT WITH BOARD CERTIFIED OTOLARYNGOLOGIST, MATTHEWC. ERICKSEN, D.O.,WITHTHE CMH ENT CLINICAT 417-328-7000 . WELLNESS