the good doctor on: April Showers Bring.... Allergies?
Blog #49 April showers bring….allergies?
Yes and No. It is true that the warmer weather brings out tree pollen, but wet weather and showers actually help to dampen pollen counts. In fact, hot, dry weather is bad for people with allergies, with places like Phoenix, Arizona or Atlanta, Georgia being the worst for high pollen counts. Closer to home, pollen counts in Canada’s major cities have been steadily increasing in the past ten years, with global warming being a major contributor. What can an allergy sufferer do?
You could move to Frobisher Bay or…you could turn down the thermostat that is located on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Seriously, a first step is to do less outdoor exercising, especially in early morning when trees are releasing the lion’s share of their pollen. And for more relief, I know you are not going to want to hear this, but wearing a mask (yes, masks again) reduces our exposure to pollen. Did you know that pine tree pollen is 800 times larger than the coronavirus!! and studies show that people wearing surgical masks or N95’s experience 40 percent less sneezing and runny noses. Health experts recommend that you wear a mask when outdoors for activities like walking or doing yard work (you’d fit right in during these covidic times).
Only one catch, the mask filters out the air for your nasal passages, but not for your eyes, they are still exposed. That is where we can help at Burlington Eyecare. If your eyes are irritated, watery or itchy, try cold lubricating eye drops, cold compresses applied to the eye lids, and an oral antihistamine which you are probably already taking for all your other symptoms. Keep your bottle of artificial tears in the refrigerator. Cold drops feel so nice on an itchy, irritated eye.
If you still feel no relief, then please call us. We will confirm an allergy diagnosis, then prescribe a mast cell stabilizer eye drop that works right away. Note for the contact lens wearer: switching to a daily disposable lens helps reduce the impact of pollen contamination. You do not have to suffer in silence.
Til next week,
the good doctor, Dr. Mark Germain, Burlington Optometrist
