Allergies Archive

Thunderstorm asthma is an attack that starts or worsens after a thunderstorm. It can occur in anyone with asthma, but it most often affects people with seasonal allergies. There are several risk factors that make experiencing this phenomenon more likely, so it's important to know what these are.

Sinusitis occurs when blocked sinuses cannot drain and the backed-up mucus gets infected. The simplest and often most effective treatment is daily nasal irrigation. It can also help to drink a lot of water, inhale steam, and sleep with the head elevated.

In many places in the United States, spring is starting earlier— which means more pollen and a longer allergy season. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to manage the impact of seasonal allergies and reduce sneezing and itchy eyes.

Allergies that cause nasal congestion, sneezing, and a runny nose (what doctors call allergic rhinitis) can cause more frequent and louder snoring. Treating allergic rhinitis can reduce snoring and other symptoms related to poor-quality sleep.

People who are unable to or don't want to drink cow's milk have alternatives, such as milks made from grains, nuts, and soy.

Try stress reduction to improve your quality of life and potentially relieve allergy symptoms.

Spring allergies are a stressful business. Coping with watery eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, coughing, or a sore throat affects how you get through each day. "The primary consequence is a reduced quality of life. This naturally can lead to stress on patients and their families," says Dr. Ahmad Sedaghat, an ear, nose, and throat specialist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

The influence goes both ways: not only can allergies cause stress, but stress can make allergies worse.

What to do about prickly heat, poison ivy, and other uncomfortable skin reactions.

 Image: © LCOSMO/Getty Images

Sunburn is a big risk in the summer. You know the rules: seek the shade, wear protective clothing, and use a broad-spectrum sunscreen (with an SPF of at least 30). But sunburn isn't the only summer skin problem.

Plant-related rashes

Many people are allergic to urushiol, an oil found in poison ivy and poison oak. Exposure occurs when you touch the plant directly, maybe while gardening, or indirectly, by touching an object that's picked up the oil (like a shoe). You can spread the oil wherever you touch your body until the oil is washed off. Two to 10 days later, the affected skin develops a red, itchy, blistering, oozing rash. It's not contagious, though you may feel like it's spreading. "The allergic reaction continues to unfold even after you've washed off the oil," says Dr. Jason Frangos, a dermatologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Here's how to prepare for spring and summer pollen allergies.

Ah, spring is in the air. But unfortunately, so are billions of pollen particles that make millions of stuffed-up Americans suffer through weeks and months of sneezing, coughing, and wheezing. Even if spring and summer allergies never bothered you before, it's possible for symptoms to suddenly appear now in your 60s or 70s.

"Your immune system changes over time. Although most allergies begin early in life, it's possible to develop seasonal allergies at any age," says Dr. Mariana Castells, an allergist and immunologist in the department of Allergy, Rheumatology, and Immunology at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.