Ragweed Causes Allergies: What you need to know!

One of the most common allergens in the fall is ragweed.  Normally ragweed doesn't begin to pester allergy suffers until fall officially begins, however with this summer’s cool weather, and long spells of little rain, we’ve already started to see ragweed begin to bloom this season.

Here are four things you need to know about ragweed:

What is ragweed?

Spoiler alert: Ragweed is a weed! It grows nearly anywhere but especially in the east coast and Midwest. Starting in the beginning of fall, ragweed blooms and begins to releases its pollen, which is a fine powder also made by trees, grasses, and flowers. The pollen is what people are allergic to! In NYC, ragweed pollen usually appears around August 15^th, give or take a few days, and can be active until about November.

Here are a few images of what ragweed looks like. We’ve provided a close up image of the flowering pollen as well as an overview of the entire plant! Does this look familiar?

Source: http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek070915.html 

Source: http://njmoldremoval.pro/ragweed-pollen/

Ragweed can cause hay fever

As just mentioned, ragweed is a weed that releases pollen when it blooms. The pollen from ragweed can cause allergies for people who suffer from pollen related allergies.

Ragweed allergy symptoms include sneezing; itchy throat; runny or stuffy nose, hives, swollen eyelids and itchy eyes. These symptoms are often referred to as hay fever, or by its medical term, seasonal allergic rhinitis. Some people also develop asthma symptoms from ragweed, such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath

How can you avoid ragweed pollen?

• Make sure to wash your hands often. As we’ve mentioned in other tree pollen posts, pollen can stick to your hands when you touch something outside. Same goes for your pet, pollen can easily stick to their fur. So to minimize reactions, make sure to wash your hands and face!
• Don’t spend a lot of time outdoors when pollen (ragweed) counts are high! Here’s a great resource to check the pollen forecast: http://www.weather.com/health/pollen/forecast/10007
• If you spend the day outside, be sure to take your “outdoor” clothes off when you get home as they may be covered in pollen.
• Make sure to change your air conditioning filters often and use HEPA filters when possible as they remove 99% of all pollen as well as other allergens.
• Dry your clothes in a dryer when possible as opposed to hanging them out to dry.

How do you know it’s time to see an allergist?

If your eyes are red and puffy, your nose won’t stop running, and your throat itches, you may have severe allergies. To us, these symptoms indicate that it’s time to see an allergist. We believe that there is no reason one should suffer from seasonal allergies, especially since there are remedies that we can provide you with to help you through allergy season. We can suggest over the counter drugs, which are a temporary solution, or we can discuss something more long-term, like allergy shots.

If you are interested in finding out more about seasonal allergy treatment, please give us a call or schedule an appointment to speak with one of our doctors today. 212-729-1283 or info@hudsonallergy.com

Summer Food Allergies – Oral Allergy Syndrome

Dr. Kuriakose and Dr. Mainardi hosted a roundtable discussion at Hudson Allergy last night, to discuss the topic of summer food and alcohol allergies. The goal of the roundtable event was to provide free education to the community, and a safe, supportive environment where people can come and ask questions. While our roundtable topic was Summer Food and Alcohol Allergies, one of the main things we discussed oral allergy syndrome, or OAS, as it’s related to food allergies.

According to Wikipedia, oral allergy syndrome is defined as a type of food allergy classified by a cluster of allergic reactions in the mouth in response to eating certain (usually fresh) fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

OAS is perhaps the most common food-related allergy in adults. OAS is not a separate food allergy, but rather represents cross-reactivity between distant remnants of tree, grass or weed pollen still found in certain fruits and vegetables. OAS is typically seen in tree and weed allergic patients, and is usually limited to ingestion of only uncooked fruits or vegetables.

Another term used for this syndrome is '"Pollen-Food Allergy."' In adults up to 60% of all food allergic reactions are due to cross-reactions between foods and inhaled allergens.

One of the types of questions that the doctors are often asked is, “If I am allergic to apples, why don’t I get an allergic reaction when I eat an apple pie?” The answer to this question has to do with the fact that people are allergic to the protein that is in the raw fruit. But, once it’s cooked, the protein changes it’s properties and thus the allergen you are allergic to is no longer an issue. This is not always the case, but there are some people who are allergic to raw peaches but can eat a peach tart because the fruit is cooked.

The roundtable was very interesting to say the least. Most of the people who attended the event were fascinated by the notion that oral allergies do exist and how they are related to pollen allergies.

Food allergies are still relatively unknown among much of the general public, and this is one of the main reasons behind our roundtable discussions: To educate the local community.

This event was just the first of many and we look forward to publishing a calendar that will outline our monthly events and topics.

If you have any questions about oral allergy syndrome or other food related allergies, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Additionally, if you would like to suggest a question for us to discuss in one of our future events please let us know. info@hudsonallergy.com.

Four Tips To Help You Get Through Allergy Season

Now that tax day is here, we are officially in heart of April and it is really starting to feel like Spring! When you make your way around the city we are sure that you are starting to notice the trees and flowers starting to bloom, and the grass beginning to sprout.  Hello allergies! For more than 30 million Americans, spring kicks off an annual search for ways to avoid spring allergies. Here are a few ideas for relief.

Check you local pollen index

This is a great way to check the pollen levels in your local area, and figure out what types of pollen are prevalent in your zip code.  Weather.com and Pollen.com are two great resources to check the pollen levels. This can be very helpful if you know which types of triggers you are allergic to so that you can change your plans if a particular pollen is running rampant near your particular destination.  

Keep your indoor space allergy free

You can help control you allergies by controlling your environment. If pollen levels are high outside, make sure that you keep your indoor environment allergy free (or as much as possible). One way we recommend minimizing indoor allergens is to get an air purifier, specifically a HEPA Air Purifier. HEPA Air Purifiers have a filter that captures up to 99% of mold spores, pollen, pet dander, smoke and dust, all of which are common allergens.

Another tip is to keep windows closed and if it’s hot turn on the air conditioning unit.  A/C unites have filter in them that should filter out most allergens.  The filter should be cleaned weekly or if not possible, change the filter prior to the pollen season.

Wash your hands frequently

It sounds so simple, but it’s important that you wash your hands frequently during peak allergy season and washing your hands should be a regular habit, regardless of your destination or time of year.  If you regularly feel the negative affects of allergies, you should also get into the habit of regularly washing your face as well, and when you get home from being out, you should also change your clothes. It is also recommended to shower at night time before you go to bed and thoroughly wash your hair. Remember that pollen sticks to everything and the more you can do to keep it off your body the better.

Talk to an allergist

If your eyes are puffy, your nose won’t stop running, and your throat itches, you may have more severe allergies than you think and you ought to talk to an allergist. There might be some additional measure that an allergist would want you to take to help you get through allergy season.

For example, one of the first things an allergist might recommend is doing a skin test to pinpoint exactly what you are allergic to. This can be very helpful to know, as it will guide you on what to steer clear of or pay special attention to during allergy season.

Here at Hudson Allergy, there have been many times that allergy shots have really helped our patients. Imagine what it’s like to feel “normal” during spring and fall?

If you are looking for more information about allergies or remedies for season allergies, we invite you to come to our website where you can learn more about our practice and the three wonderful doctors who bring it to life. Or, something else to consider is that we do take same day appointments, so don’t hesitate to give us a call if you’ve had it with your seasonal allergies. We are here to help!

Central Park Allergens: Tree Pollen

Millions of tourists visit Central Park each year to see the sights, but for local New Yorkers Central Park is considered one of the top places to escape the hustle bustle of the city. Central Park is an oasis in the concrete jungle, a place to recharge from our crazy lives, a place to BREATH! 

However, as springtime comes, some of us find it hard to breath in Central Park, as the trees, weeds and flowers begin to bloom.

Central Park is the flor and fauna capital of Manhattan, and many allergy sufferers become conflicted between the beauty of her nature and the effect it has on our allergies. 

As a New York City Adult and Pediatric Allergy and Asthma practice, we want to help our fellow New Yorkers identify some of the common Central Park trees and plants that can be tough on allergies.

Oak Trees: Few trees are as “strong as an oak” and this strength is carried throughout their pollen. There are approximately 600 different species of oak across planet earth and there are about 5 different species that live in Central Park.  To pollinate, oak trees produce catkins, which are slender dense clusters of petal-less flowers. These catkins develop prior to the leaves, and aid in the pollination process, but they make a mess as they float about the air. You can find some gigantic Spanish Oak and Northern Red Oak near the Great Lawn.

Cypress Trees: These beautiful trees have been causing humans allergies since before Central Park, and even the ancients Greeks had allergies to the Mediterranean Cypress Trees.  Cypress pollens can cause a “green pollution” when their pollen is released, and this could be the stuff you see floating atop the Harlem Meer. Two types of Cypress in Central Park are the Common Bald Cypress and Swamp Cypress.

Maple Trees: While maple trees are the source of delicious maple syrup, they are also the parents of some of the most allergenic pollen. These pollens regularly trigger asthma so if you are asthmatic, it is wise to keep your distance.  There are some beautiful Red Maples in Central Park, especially near the Mall At Bandshell.

Grass: No list would be complete without mentioning one of the most commonly known allergy-inducing culprits, grass. There are many types of grasses in Central Park and they can all have different affects on people. When in the park, it is normal to sit and play in the grass and this direct skin contact allows for the blades and their microscopic barbs to irritate your skin. This is a tough one to avoid, but wearing long sleeves can prevent direct contact, and a quick shower can also help relieve the itching.

If you find your self itching and sneezing when you walk through the park, chances are that you have allergies to one of the many trees found in Central Park. If you want to know for certain, schedule an allergy test and lets get to the root of it!

To find out more about the different trees in Central Park, click here.