Allergy sufferers welcome a looming hard freeze

Oct. 26—MANKATO — Allergy sufferers are having a tough fall, with the late hard freeze and leaf debris being airborne on recent gusty days.

The weather and its effects on allergy sufferers are significant.

"It's a tough time for allergies right now," said Mickey McDonough, M.D., co-chief resident in Family Medicine at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato. "Unfortunately, we have about 60 million people in the U.S. who have allergies. Right now we're seeing people come in with typical allergy symptoms, such as nasal congestion or a stuffy nose, sneezing, a runny nose, itching and watery eyes that might turn red or itchy."

"Fall is always one of the worst times for eye allergy sufferers, and this fall has been no different," said G. John Lach, owner and optometrist of Carlson-Tillisch Eye Clinic in Mankato. "Many patients are experiencing the effects of fall allergies. The biggest factor this time of year is the increase in dust and pollen in the air due to the harvesting of crops."

Lach said the symptom that bothers people most is the watery, itchy eyes. The more you rub them, the more they itch, making relief hard to come by, he said.

Taken early and often, allergy eye drops can actually prevent many of the symptoms.

Some folks are confused about whether their allergy symptoms are actually COVID or a cold, and they should seek care if they have questions, McDonough said. If you have a fever or chills that piques a doctor's interest that you might have an infection or COVID.

"If anyone has doubts, the next best step is to get tested," she said.

Dr. Vasan Ramanuja, an allergist at Mankato Clinic, said they've opened up more appointment spots, which has helped those seeking relief from allergies. "It's about the suspected increase that we would expect to see at this time of year."

With winter looming, those with allergies to outdoor molds and pollens will have a respite. "Winter can be a nice welcome to them," Ramanuja said. "There is discussion about how pollen seasons seem to be lasting longer. It's thought to be due to changes in the climate."

McDonough said there is interesting research on why this season is worse than most. Some research points to climate change, and seeing seasons last longer than they did 30 years ago. The season is about the same length, but the severity of concentrations of allergens are higher, so there's "more in the environment at a time," she said.

Secondly, for the past two years many people have had a filter over their mouth and nose with face masks. "It filters all of those allergens out, and now that we've been able to de-escalate and remove masks in outdoor settings, we're seeing a rise in allergy symptoms."

Some relief from allergy symptoms can be found in over-the-counter medications, medical experts say. For those with nasal allergies, Ramanuja said, there are antihistamines available that don't cause as much drowsiness as Benadryl, with Clarityn, Allegra, Xyzal and Zyrtec as good options. There's also various nasal sprays available over the counter, including Flonase, Nasacort, Rhinocort and Nasonex as those he recommends allergy sufferers turn to.

Antihistamine eye drops can help with itchy, watery eyes. Allergy shots are also available for people who aren't finding relief from over-the-counter medications.

McDonough said generics work just as well as name-brand medications.

"As things freeze out and the ragweed dies, people will start to see relief," she said. "Again, it's really important that if they have a fever or chills or other concerns, that they may have COVID or RSV or another respiratory illness, that they come in to be tested."

"There is hope," Lach said. "There are several effective treatments for eye allergies, including eye drops, both prescription and non-prescription. Cold compresses and eye rinses are also helpful in reducing symptoms associated with eye allergies. In the most severe cases, oral allergy medications may be necessary to provide relief."

"Once we get a week or so of freezing temperatures, the pollen counts will be significantly reduced and eye allergy sufferers will be much happier," he said.

Allergy sufferer Jacob Jergens, of Mankato, said his symptoms haven't been bad enough yet this season to buy medication. "I've been experiencing symptoms of allergies for probably the last month," he said. "I have a runny nose, dry nasal congestion and I get headaches. Once winter settles in, the majority of the symptoms go away."