Stock Up on Tips for Allergies
Not everyone’s fancy turns exclusively to romance when spring arrives. One in six Southern Californians again is sniffling through allergy season, stocking up on facial tissue and scouting drugstores for economy-size decongestants.
This year’s season is in full swing, fueled by the recent hot spell and the winds.
“Compared to last year, this year’s allergy season is about a month late,” said Dr. Robert Eitches, an allergist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and an assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at the UCLA School of Medicine. “And it will probably be moderate in severity.”
Trees now are the main source of problem pollens. “Pollen counts from trees are up considerably over two weeks ago,” said Eleanor Newhouse, a spokeswoman for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Los Angeles chapter, which records pollen levels.
High pollen counts, she said, have been recorded for walnut, olive, pine, sycamore, ash, oak, acacia, juniper, cedar and eucalyptus trees.
Pollens from grasses, weeds and mold spores also can contribute to the misery.
But predictions and pollen counts provide little comfort for the allergic. And misconceptions about how to self-treat can make symptoms worse, allergists say.
Among the most common mistakes allergists encounter from patients:
* Use of over-the-counter nasal decongestants. “It’s a quick fix,” Eitches said, “but in a day or two you can get a rebound effect. The medication, at first, shrinks the swollen blood vessels that cause the congestion and you immediately feel better. Then, the medication wears off and the swelling returns, sometimes worse than before you took the medicine.” Eitches tells patients to use saline-only nasal sprays for relief. Long-term use of oral decongestants is OK, he added, in the absence of high blood pressure or heart problems.
* Relying on fresh air to relieve symptoms. Many patients “think that fresh air will make them feel better,” Eitches said. “But they will only breathe in more pollens.” Forget about exercising outdoors if the pollen count is high, he advises. And avoid lawn blowers, which scatter pollen widely.
Other routes to relief:
* Stay indoors if possible. “Especially in the morning,” Eitches said. “Pollen levels are usually highest from 5 a.m. until 10 a.m.”
* Schedule vacations during allergy season. “Take vacation near the water if you’re allergic,” Eitches said. “Or travel to sites above 5,000 feet,” suggested Dr. Lewis Kanter , a Camarillo allergist. “Higher elevations have lower pollen counts.”
* Close the windows at home and in your car. Use air filtering machines at home.
* Take prescribed or recommended medications before exposure. “Take that pill before you cut the grass,” Eitches tells his patients allergic to grass pollens.
* Avoid allergens when possible. “If you can’t,” Kanter said, “wash your hands thoroughly as soon as possible.”
(The Allergy Foundation hot line is (800) 624-0044.)
POINT COUNTERPOINT
Lasers Beam In as New Solution in Dentistry
Developers of a dental laser, not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration, hope to alter the traditional patient-dentist dialogue. Delete: “Oh, no, not the drill.” Insert: “Beam me up, Doc.”
Under development by a Michigan company, the laser emits energy in short bursts or pulses, giving dentists more control. Proponents say the laser, which has been tested on more than 10,000 patients, will be useful to vaporize decay, to scale calculus from teeth roots, to make root canal procedures easier and to desensitize crown preparations. How big a role will the dental laser play, and how quickly? Here are the opinions of two experts.
Marwan Abou-Rass, professor and chairman, department of endodontics, USC School of Dentistry:
“I don’t think a dental laser will be in every dental office for many years. Initially, it will be used mainly by specialists such as endodontists, periodontists and oral surgeons to treat those teeth which now are doomed to extraction or loss by present means.
“I’m a great supporter of the laser. But it won’t replace the dental drill. One limiting factor is cost. Those that are safe now cost about $40,000 or $50,000.”
Joel White, assistant professor of restorative dentistry, UC San Francisco School of Dentistry:
“For patients afraid of needles, knives or drills, the laser offers an alternative treatment. For bombed-out teeth, this laser won’t replace the drill or root canal. But it can be used to treat early stages of decay conservatively for which the drill would be more destructive. It can be used instead of a knife or a scalpel to remove gum tissue before building restorations such as crowns.
“In our clinical study comparing laser with a conventional scalpel to remove gum tissue, the laser procedure removed gum tissue successfully without anesthesia and resulted in less bleeding.”
SHOPTALK A Microwave Path to Relieving Pain
Plagued by aching muscles after one tennis set too many? Arthritis pain? Relief is as close as the microwave, claims a Texas company marketing “Moist Hot Wraps.” The terry cloth wraps, mainly for use around the wrist or ankle, are filled with a gel, said a spokeswoman for Spenco Medical Corp. of Waco, Tex. After 60 seconds in the microwave, the gel inside is warm enough to deliver up to 30 minutes of moist heat therapy. The wraps, sold in drugstores and sporting good stores, cost from $12 to $20, depending on size.
“If you have the money, it’s definitely worth a try,” said Dr. Stephen Kay , an orthopedic surgeon and arthritis specialist who co-directs the Joint Replacement Center at Century City Hospital. “It’s a quick delivery system for moist heat. Moist heat is better than dry (for pain relief) because it penetrates deeper.”
The microwave moist heat wrap is no better than traditional moist heat systems, such as those that must be boiled, Kaye added. “But it is more convenient.”