According to a recent survey by Harris-Decima for Reactine, more than 50 percent of Canadians believe allergies impact their overall quality of life. “What impact? Well, first of all if your nose is blocked or runny or you’re sneezing, you don’t sleep. You feel ill. Sometimes not ill enough not to go to work or school, so then what happens is this concept of presenteeism. You’re there but you don’t have that edge so you do feel dopey and on tests people didn’t respond as well as they should have,” Greenwald says. “Some people find it difficult to drive. Socially they’re impacted. They don’t want to go out because their nose is dripping. They’re sneezing all the time so people feel uncomfortable in public doing that. The effects are from the subtle and benign to actually bad functioning.”

The term ‘seasonal allergy’ gives the impression that people are only affected for part of the year. Trees pollinate in the spring, grasses in the summer and ragweed from late summer into autumn. In the transitional seasons there’s also the possibility of mould allergy. “Seasonal doesn’t really describe it anymore. It can be a couple of seasons together so you can have tree and ragweed, or tree and fall mould,” Greenwald says. “The picture is continual. For example, you have dust mites and we’re indoors more in the wintertime. You have that whole season with a dust mite allergy and then before that has a chance to self-resolve or resolve because of interventions, you have your spring, summer and fall stuff so you have a picture that’s basically perpetual.”

Tips to reduce impact of symptoms year round

• Don’t compromise

“First and foremost, don’t compromise your lifestyle. Don’t limit yourself, limit the condition,” says Greenwald.

• Create a sanctuary at home

Deal with your environment at home first. “Get rid of the cat, get rid of the smokers, get rid of the dust mites so your baseline is good,” says Greenwald. “If you reduce your baseline then your seasonal exacerbations won’t be as bad.”

If you’re gardening or working outside, take your work clothes off as soon as you go inside, wash them and have a shower. Don’t carry the pollens into your home.

When pets come in from outside, they act as the transport medium for pollens. “There are certain wipes that you can use to get that stuff off the coat of the pet,” says Greenwald. “Keep the cat out of the house or if it’s not out of the house, keep it out of your bedroom. If it’s not that, at least wipe it down and shampoo it.”

When the warm weather hits and you’re tempted to open your windows, don’t, at least not in high-pollen areas.

• Plan your outdoor activities

When planning outdoor activities, early morning or evening in the spring, summer and autumn seasons is better. “As the temperature rises it will pick up the pollens and distribute them into the air masses and wind channels,” Greenwald says. “So in the cooler times when there are no air currents there will be less pollens in the air by far.”

• Pay attention to health advisories

“Take them seriously because they will definitely increase the susceptible individuals’ degree of symptoms and may precipitate more serious reactions, so plan out your time,” Greenwald says.

• Take your medication early

“If you anticipate you’re going to have problems don’t curtail what you’re doing. Take your medication before you go out, before the season starts. Don’t reserve it for a rainy day. Use it properly, all the time. Use it throughout the season,” Greenwald says.

• Be proactive

“Get it young, get it early and get it when it’s mild. Do something about it, whether it’s environmental, medication or permanent,” Greenwald says.

Resources

Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Asthma Society of Canada

Allergy Canada Ltd (for dust mite proof encasings and pet wipes)

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