If your allergies and asthma are flaring up ahead of schedule this year, you’re not alone. Experts report that Minnesota’s mild winter has given pollen a head start, and people feel it.
Pollen from grasses, trees, and weeds needs to be reproduced. However, it can also cause health concerns, triggering allergies and asthma attacks and affecting other respiratory conditions. RiverView Health Respiratory Therapist (RT) Stephanie Korynta said she’s seeing patients coming in earlier this year for breathing help. Korynta and fellow RT Dallas Aune are asthma educators who see patients of all ages. They educate asthmatics on triggers and ways to eliminate or reduce their triggers, how to monitor symptoms, and how to properly use asthma medications. They work with patients to create individual Asthma Action Plans. Asthma, Allergies, Both, or Something Else?
Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways that makes breathing difficult. It causes inflammation and a narrowing of the airways, along with over-production of mucus in the lungs. During normal breathing, air flows freely in and out of the lungs. However, during an asthma attack, the lining of the airways swells, muscles around the airways tighten, and mucus clogs the tiny airways, making breathing difficult.
Common asthma symptoms can include Wheezing, Coughing (especially at night), Shortness of breath, and Chest tightness.
Asthma symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening. There is no cure for asthma, but it can be managed with appropriate medications and by avoiding asthma triggers. Asthma is common in Minnesota. According to Minnesota Department of Health reports, 9.9% of adults and 6.3% of children have asthma in Minnesota, accounting for approximately 516,200 people. In 2021, on average, one Minnesotan died of asthma every six days. In the United States, 32.7 million people have asthma, including 4.7 million children.
The majority of people who have asthma also suffer from allergies. While asthma triggers are not the same for everyone, common ones include allergies to molds and pollen and weather changes, making this spring the perfect storm for an allergy-triggered asthma attack. According to Korynta, symptoms can confuse patients at this time of year. “With the weather being so up and down with temps and precipitation and the snow being gone already, it does not feel like your typical spring; this has caused some not to recognize their allergy symptoms right away and assume they are coming down with cold a or other viruses.”
Common allergy symptoms include Nasal congestion, Runny nose, Sneezing, Itchy eyes, Coughing, Sore throat, and Sinus headaches.
While cold and allergy symptoms are similar, if you have a fever or body aches, it’s likely a cold or the flu. In the case of allergies, symptoms will continue beyond the typical seven-day timeframe of a cold or flu.
Tips for Relief
There are many ways to prevent or reduce asthma triggers this time of year. Most importantly, follow medical orders. “If your primary care provider has recommended the use of allergy medication, now would be the time to start taking it,” Korynta stated. Be consistent with taking allergy and asthma medications to get the most benefit from them. Nasal sprays are commonly used, but talk to your provider if you feel you need them longer than the manufacturer’s recommended time of use.”
Korynta also shared the following tips to help reduce allergy and asthma symptoms:
- Use saline nasal rinses to clear your sinuses of allergens.
- Be sure to clean the filter on your furnace/HVAC system to help filter allergens.
- Having your rescue inhaler with you is essential as many find that they need it more during the spring and fall months in our area due to pollens, molds, and dust from harvest.
- Pay attention to your surroundings. Many are doing yard cleanup, including thatching, which kicks up dust and allergens. Consider staying inside while this is happening and keeping your windows closed. If doing this work in your yard, consider using a mask and a saline rinse afterward.
- Pets also enjoy the more excellent weather; however, they can bring in allergens on their fur.
- Consider not letting your pet onto the furniture or bed with you at night. If keeping pets off of furniture or out of your bed/bedroom is not an option, consider using blankets or covers that can be washed easily to remove allergens and dirt brought in by the pet.
- With the cool, crisp air at night, many people like to sleep with their windows open, but for someone with allergies, this can worsen symptoms. Keep your windows closed.-
- If you have a peak flow meter, check it regularly during peak seasons to help detect a breathing problem sooner, which allows you to address it sooner.
“Our homes are our sanctuaries, and while we may not be able to avoid our asthma or allergy triggers when we are out of the house, be sure to protect your home from them as much as possible,” Korynta concluded.
If you are suffering from allergies or asthma, talk to your primary care provider regarding treatment options. If you do not have a primary care provider, make an appointment with one of RiverView’s Family Medicine or Internal Medicine providers at 281.9595. If you have an asthma diagnosis and want assistance from Korynta or Aune, call 281.9463 to schedule an appointment.
