Allergy season

The trees are in blossom and that means that it is time for seasonal allergies to attack when they are least expected.

Dr. Do Hwang said that tree and pollen allergies are at their highest in the spring. He said that weed allergies are at their highest in the fall.

“The most common allergies in this area are trees, grass and weeds,” said Hwang.

Hwang, whose office specializes in allergy, asthma, family care and pediatrics, said that it is important for patients to know what they are allergic to. He said that after his office knows what allergies a patient has, then they can prescribe an appropriate medication.

Hwang said that a patient is tested for more than 100 different allergies. He said they do a lot of allergy testing because studies have shown that asthma can be triggered by a person’s allergies.

“If you find out what someone is allergic to, then you can prevent other problems,” said Hwang.

Allergy testing can be done on anyone, but Hwang said that the most accurate readings are done on patients who are 4-years-old or older. He said that for patients under 4, there are 20 to 30 allergies that they can be tested for.

Deb Gwin, pharmacist at Medicine Shoppe, said that the pharmacy sees customers buying allergy medications throughout the year. She said that it is not exclusive to an allergy season.

“Some people will have allergy problems spring through the fall,” said Gwin.

Gwin said that when a customer comes in, she will ask which over-the-counter products they have tried in the past. From the symptoms given, she said that she will suggest different products to the customer.

“If that doesn’t help, I tell them to see their physician,” said Gwin.

Montgomery County Public Health Nurse Rebecca Lang said that some allergies are affected by the pollen count in the air. She said that pollen index ranges from zero, or low, to 12, or high.

Lang said that today’s pollen index forecasts the pollen index to be above 11. She said that the pollen count in Montgomery County can be found each day by going to www.pollen.com.

“They can access the information,” said Lang. “The Web site tells what the predominant pollen is.

“If people see that the pollen count is going to be high, they may need to stay inside.”

Source : www.thepaper24-7.com