HEALTH
SEASONAL ALLERGIES
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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
THAT PESKY HAY FEVER...
// JUSTINE PATTON
Every year from the time she was two until her sophomore year of college, sinus infections and bronchitis cloaked Rachel Janose's life. "I had to miss a lot of school, work and social events because I was constantly sick," Janose, Kansas City, Mo. senior, says.
A doctor finally narrowed down Janose's problem after almost 20 years of misdiagnosis; she suffered from seasonal allergies.
Janose isn't alone. Marc Meth, an allergist at Century City Allergy in Los Angeles, says 30 to 40 percent of the population suffer from seasonal allergies, and more and more people join that category each year, for reasons Meth says are unknown.
For allergy sufferers, spring and fall can bring sneezing, nasal congestion and a runny nose, says Neeta Ogden, an allergist at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood, N.J. Itchy, watery eyes often join in the party, making eyes red and puffy. Ogden says people often complain of a sore or scratchy throat from post-nasal drip.
Sometimes the fun doesn't stop there, either. Ogden says people can often develop sinusitis and ear infections from ongoing allergies. People with asthma can face even bigger problems during allergy season. Asthmatics can experience shortness of breath, chest tightness and wheezing on top of the other symptoms.
SNEEZE, WHEEZE AND ITCH
WHEAT, GRASS AND TREES
Kansas isn't the greatest place for those seeking to escape seasonal allergies. Meth of Century City Allergy says the most common villains individuals face are wheat pollen,
trees and grass pollen. That's why allergies flare up most often in the spring and the fall those are the times when trees and grasses are pollinating. Outdoor mold can also cause symptoms as well.
Once these allergens pass through the skin or the mucosa of the nose, eyes or lungs, the body goes into defense mode. Meth says once those antibodies are bound to an allergen, the body releases all sorts of chemical mediators that contribute to allergies — the most common being histamines — which lead to those irritating symptoms.
Photo Illustration by Aaron Harris
Luckily, for most people allergies aren't that serious of a condition. While these symptoms can be annoying, Meth says people generally aren't keeling over from allergies. However, Ogden of Englewood Hospital says long-term sufferers can experience some debilitating symptoms that can interfere with focusing at school or work.
If you suffer from allergies, odds are your parents are to blame. Meth of Century City Allergy says if someone's parents have allergies, he or she is likely to develop them as well. However, the type of allergy rarely matches up. So if your mom is allergic to grass pollen, that doesn't necessarily mean you will be, too. It just means that you're much more likely to develop some type of allergy during your lifetime.
Meth says genetics don't account for all seasonal allergies. He says environmental factors could be partly to blame as well, but that side of the equation isn't understood as well.
MOM, DAD AND ME
Individuals can fight back against those pesky seasonal allergies. A good idea for
PREVENT, MEDICATE AND BREATHE
A serious itch: Kansas in spring can be both beautiful and uncomfortable. Common allergies trace back to wheat pollen, trees and grass pollen, which can cause the body to release histamines.
people who know they have seasonal allergies is to start on medication two to three weeks before allergy season, because some allergy medicine takes time to reach peak efficacy, says Ogden of Englewood Hospital. "If you have the medications on board, your body won't be surprised when the pollen hits, and you can avoid the vicious cycle of allergy symptoms, which can be hard to get under control once in full effect."
For those who aren't sure whether or not they have seasonal allergies or just a head cold, Ogden suggests giving some of the over-the-counter antihistamines a try. Odds are, if they help symptoms, seasonal allergies are the proper diagnosis. However, if they don't work, Ogden suggests possibly scheduling an appointment with an allergist.
Allergists can use two methods to see if a patient has seasonal allergies. The first method is a skin allergy test, where many different allergens prick the skin. Then the allergist looks to see if the skin around a certain allergen develops small hives. These tests often get a bad rep, because needles used to be involved in the pricking. However, some allergists, like Meth, have switched to small, plastic tongs, which make the test more comfortable. If the skin allergy test still sounds unappealing, Meth says a blood test can help determine a patient's allergies as well.
Bottom line: Seasonal allergies are no fun, but they are treatable. If you think you've caught "hay fever," visit your doctor so you can enjoy the spring weather and welcome back the sun, and not stay cooped up indoors.
MEDICATION ISN'T THE ONLY PREVENTATIVE MEASURE ALLERGY SUFFERERS CAN TAKE TO ESCAPE HAY FEVER. Neeta Ogdenan, an allergist at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood, N.J., says the following precautions can help make the season change even more enjoyable:
Find a website, such as www.pollen.com, that will email you the weekly pollen count. Then you will know what days to expect high pollen and more severe symptoms.
- When you come inside from being outdoors, change your clothes and leave your shoes at the door. That way, you don't track pollen throughout the house.
> Avoid going outside during peak pollen times, which are often early morning and early evening.
Wash your hair before going to bed.
Close all windows in your home.
Use air conditioning when it gets hot, and make sure your filters are clean. In the car, keep the vents pointed away from you.
If you have pets, wash them often so they don't track pollen from outdoors.
Within the next couple of months, students can expect to see construction beginning on 12th Street between Louisiana to Vermont streets because the Oread Neighborhood Lighting Project will finally be executed.
Additional funds that were needed from the Community Development Block Grant went through, so the final phases of the
According to Mark Thiel, assistant director of Public Works for the city of Lawrence, the project will be broken down into four phases. The first phase will include construction on the sidewalk of 12th Street between Louisiana and Vermont streets to comply with handicap standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Phase one has been contracted and workers are busy completing other projects before beginning
pleted pretty soon." Thiel said. "It's a matter of scheduling. My guess is they will wait until class is out and after graduation, so it's the least inconvenient to students."
Phase two, which includes 10-foot decorative light poles in South Park, will commence as soon as the materials are delivered.
Phases three and four include the installation of lights along 12th Street between Louisiana
and Tennessee streets and 12th and Kentucky streets. Both phases should be completed before the end of the year, Thiel said, with the possibility that phase four will continue until 2012.
The project will help increase safety for students and community members who travel along that pathway.
SEE LIGHT ON PAGE 3A
Oread Neighborhood Lighting Project
With the economic inflation and more students taking the bus, the University's parking and transit revenues are decreasing, leading it to make up for the lost revenue in some way.
Although nothing has been decided upon yet, the department has submitted different budgets to the provost's office. One of the budgets involving the red zone includes a percentage increase on various things like parking permits, fines.
Students planning on buying a KU parking pass for the next school year could be in for an unpleasant surprise. The parking and transit department at the University is considering a parking fee increase around campus.
BY LAURA THOMAS lthomas@kansan.com
SEE FEES ON PAGE 3A
Only cases of a stolen bicycle and some ill-placed graffiti stirred the spring break silence.
"The parking and transit department is completely user funded," Donna Hultine, University director of parking and transit, said. "So we really rely on the revenue streams of parking permits, tickets, garage revenue and events."
Two campus crimes occur during break
CRIME | 3A
TICKETS | 3A
One more sentenced in ticket scandal
Check out Kansan.com for more information about the potential increases in parking for the 2011 2012 school year.
Former athletics department employees now face steep fines and years of jail time.
SOFTBALL | 8A
Jayhawks prepare to fight for first Big 12 victory against Huskers today
After recent losses to No.11 Missouri and No.8 Texas, and a split doubleheader against UKMC, Kansas turns its attention to Big 12 play in its upcoming game against No.16 Nebraska.