Fall is here again, the time of the year where ragweed and other weed pollens are rampant.

All over the news, weather forecasters are predicting a bad Fall season for allergy sufferers. For some, it may already have begun. Ragweed, the bane of allergens in the fall spews millions of pollens from each plant causing raging symptoms. It typically pollinates at noon after all other pollens level off. Thus pollen exposure is longer in the fall for those with ragweed allergy.

Here are the nations top Fall Allergy Capitals:

1.  Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, PA

2.  Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville, NC

3.  Louisville, KY

4.  Austin, TX

5.  Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, MI

6.  Memphis, TN

7.  Oklahoma City, OK

8.  Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX

9.  Kansas City, MO

10. St. Louis, MO

About 75 % of people with pollen allergy are allergic to ragweed. Some of the major symptoms consist of intense itchy, watery eyes, runny stuffy nose with sneezing fits and a persistent itchy and sometimes sore throat from drainage down the throat. Some people also develop itchy mouths when eating cantaloupe, melons, zucchini, cucumber, bananas, sunflower seeds or drinking chamomile tea. This is called Pollen-Food Allergy Syndrome and is due to cross-reacting proteins that are present in ragweed and the Compositae family which include these fruits and vegetables.

Here are some tips to reduce ragweed exposure:

• Avoid being out when the ragweed count is very high.
• Close doors and windows, run air conditioning and use a HEPA filters indoors while cleaning.
• Bathe pets frequently especially if they have been outdoors when the pollen counts are high.
• Shower nightly to wash off pollen that has collected to avoid re-exposure while sleeping.
• Take your allergy medications including nasal steroids and antihistamines regularly during the allergy season.

Allergy shots are another important way to reduce overall symptoms and reduce medications. Your allergist can help you devise the plan.

Trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) consists of trace amounts of the egg protein ovalbumin, typically reported as less than 1 microgram per 0.5 ml dose (extremely small dose), and were found to be much lower in the lots tested for 2011.

Patients with a history of egg allergy who currently eat egg directly (eg, scrambled egg) are no longer considered egg-allergic and, therefore, may receive the vaccine in the usual manner.

Individuals with a history of reactions more severe than only hives after egg ingestion, or who are sensitized (have a positive skin test) to egg but have not had any reactions to egg should be referred to an allergy specialist to receive TIV. They typically can receive the injection under close watch.

To sum up, all persons, irrespective of type of egg allergy (mild or serious) can tolerate the influenza vaccine and should receive it annually, especially those with respiratory conditions like asthma. The benefit far outweighs the risk of any allergic reactions.

ReF: Joint Task Force Practice Parameter on "Administering influenza vaccine to egg allergic recipients".

News from the allergy world:

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Auvi-Q (epinephrine injection, USP), the first-and-only compact epinephrine auto-injector with audio and visual cues (talks to you) that guide patients and caregivers step-by-step through the injection process.

A large study presented here at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) 2012 Annual Congress showed that corticosteroid use to control asthma in children affected the height they attained as adults by only about 1 cm. Similar results were seen in the US where more than 1000 children with asthma (Childhood Asthma Management Program) were followed for 7 years and were found to have a reduced height of 1 cm at adult hood compared to normal. Factors other than glucocorticoids that influenced adult height were Hispanic race, vitamin D insufficiency at baseline, lower height on study entry, greater body mass index, and a longer duration of asthma.

Thank you to all my patients!  My staff and I appreciate your patronage.  Here is a unique article I found that I wanted to share with all of you...

A bite from the lone star tick can cause a person to develop a delayed, life-threatening allergic reaction to eating beef or other mammalian meat. The syndrome consists of a history of a tick-bite followed by a reaction after the person eats red meat. Unlike most food reactions that occur within 1-2 hrs, this reaction occurs in about 4-6 hrs and consists of generalized hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or face. The tick bite is thought to produce immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to the carbohydrate (alpha-gal), present in mammalian meat glycoproteins or glycolipids. Avoidance of all red meats is the treatment. This condition is becoming more common in the southeastern United States, where the lone star tick is endemic.

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Enjoy the Fall season!  

Dr. Birjis Chinoy