Autumn can be tough on allergy sufferers

Diana Sahagun

Thursday, Sept. 12, 2002 | 11:09 a.m.

Break out the tissues.

The lazy days of summer may be fading, but fall brings its own torment to allergy sufferers, through watery eyes and runny noses.

Through the spring and summer residents poured into local clinics suffering from allergies due to the pollination of olive and mulberry trees and grass. But after Labor Day -- the unofficial end of summer -- weeds have become the new culprit, local allergy specialists say.

"The fall season started about two weeks ago," Dr. Jim Christensen of University Medical Center said, "when we saw the weed counts go up."

The change in seasons has already triggered new allergies for local resident John Fleming, who was seeking relief from Dr. Joel Katz last week.

"This is one of the worst years I've ever had," Fleming said. "My eyes get bloodshot and they swell and they get watery and I sneeze. It's just really bad. It's affecting me more than it has in my entire life."

Local doctors say fall is the season for weeds, including ragweed, tumbleweed and sagebrush.

Mulberry and olive trees, introduced to the area several decades ago, cause major allergy problems beginning in late spring. The planting of these trees was banned 10 years ago, but existing plants are starting to reach their maximum pollinating activity.

Katz, a board-certified allergist, said allergy sufferers may get a respite this fall, because the Las Vegas Valley has received little rain. Some plants bloom only when there is moisture in the air.

"We may be lucky and have a mild season," he said.

Dr. Joram Seggev, another local board-certified allergist, isn't betting on it. She said she has already seen an increase in patients experiencing allergies from weed pollen in the last three weeks. She said she expects the symptoms to last through the fall.

Christensen said the painful symptoms from allergies should taper off by November, when the weather cools.

Fleming is feeling all of the symptoms -- itchy, watery eyes, eye irritation, congestion, runny nose, sneezing and an itchy nose.

He was planning to receive an allergy shot he hoped would help ease his pain. Such shots involve injecting a patient with minute quantities of the allergen. The injection of an allergy vaccine makes an allergic person's body produce an antibody that neutralizes the injected substance.

The shots have worked for Kim Welch, who has been getting weekly shots for the past three years. She started coming to Katz's office three times a week for shots -- in both arms -- but now receives the shots about once every three weeks.

Her allergies are virtually gone.

"Back then, my head was full of everything, teary eyes, just leaking from everywhere," she said. "Now I hardly have any symptoms anymore."

In addition to staying inside, there are some other ways to stay allergy free.

Katz advises residents not to hang clothes outside, especially between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. when mold and pollen are at their highest levels. Drivers should use air conditioning when driving, rather than leaving the windows open. People who spent a lot of time outdoors should wear a dust mask, he said.

"Is there any escape? The allergies are very difficult to escape unless you stay indoors completely," Katz said.

Katz cautions people about using over-the-counter medication, because many cause drowsiness. If allergy symptoms persist, he recommends people see a physician.

Seggev does not recommend people take over-the-counter medicine, because it can cause sedation or pose a danger to people with high blood pressure. That may change once the allergy medicine Claritin becomes available over the counter, she said.

One allergy symptom she said many people are not aware of is fatigue. One of the first questions she asks when seeing new patients is whether they are more tired than usual. It's not well known, but fatigue is a symptom of allergies, she said.