| Show Nothing to Sneeze About The Human Side SideBy By Connie King PA rr Redwood Health Center As this article is written we are experiencing that changeable weather er of early Spring The snow is slowly leaving our valley view AND the trees are budding Pollen counts wi will soon be part of the weather report instead of snow fa fall or maybe snow melt Seasonal allergies and hay fever are characterized by sneezing nasal congestion and irritated eyes Those having symptoms now are allergic to tree pollens and symptoms will subside in mid May and possibly recur again in mid August Allergies are sometimes acquired and you may not have symptoms that bother you until after several years exposure to the sub sub- stance For intermittent or short term symptoms the over-the-counter OTC medications can work quite well The treatment for allergy symptoms is an antihistamine These medications block the action of the offending agent at the cellular level There is a problem in that antihistamines antihistamines antihistamines anti- anti histamines can cause sedation that interferes with work and study A combination decongestant and antihistamine antihistamine antihistamine anti anti- histamine like Actifed or a taken at bedtime bedtime bedtime bed bed- time may be all that is needed to control mild daytime symptoms After taking the same medication over a prolonged period of time it may not work as well and it is advantageous to change medications occasionally 11 I t is also good to keep upper respiratory tract membranes moist with a good fluid intake and perhaps a vaporizer or humidifier at home Those of you who take one of the prescription antihistamines like or should start your medications BEFORE your symptoms start There are two new antihistamines antihistamines antihistamines prescription sedating non-sedating mines on the market PLEASE NOTE There is a startling starting report that adverse reactions may occur when taking this class of medication with grapefruit juice DO NOT take these antihistamines with grapefruit juice If you have questions about your allergies or the medications you are using stop by and we can discuss your options Redwood Road Health Center is located on the lower level of the College Center Hours are 9 am a.m. to 3 pm p.m. on Monday and Thursday and 9 am a.m. to 1 pm p.m. on Tuesday Wednesday and Friday The Health Center at is at and the hours are from 9 am a.m. to 1 pm p.m. |
