How to Avoid Allergic Respiratory Diseases

Allergic rhinitis, sinusitis and asthma are encountered more frequently during autumn. While pollen allergy typically brings spring and summer to mind, certain wild grass pollens appear more abundantly from late August through September and October. Plant spores can also increase in autumn, as damp ground, basements and moist leaf piles create ideal breeding grounds for mold. As temperatures drop, time spent indoors increases, raising exposure to household dust. With schools reopening, infections such as influenza, Covid-19 and common cold emerge, triggering increased cases of allergic respiratory tract diseases.

Specialist Dr. Ayhan Değer from Memorial Antalya Hospital Chest Diseases Department explained what needs to be known about autumn allergies.

 

Allergic respiratory tract diseases are often confused with infectious diseases

Allergic respiratory tract diseases and viral respiratory tract infections are frequently confused due to some shared symptoms. However, there are important differences between these two groups. Fever, fatigue, malaise, sore throat, muscle and joint pain are common in viral infections but rarely occur in allergic respiratory tract diseases. Additionally, allergic respiratory tract diseases are not contagious, so similar complaints do not appear in close contacts. Viral respiratory tract infections, by contrast, spread very easily, making similar symptoms very common.

These symptoms may indicate allergy:

1. Nasal discharge and congestion 2. Watery eyes 3. Sneezing 4. Cough 5. Wheezing 6. Itching in eyes and nose 7. Postnasal drip

Personalized treatments provide relief

Treatment varies depending on the cause and severity of the allergy. Many medications are available. Steroid nasal sprays can reduce nasal problems. Antihistamines help stop sneezing, nasal congestion and itching. Decongestants relieve congestion and help clear nasal mucus. Antibiotics may sometimes be necessary. For asthma, steroid inhalers (delivered directly to airways), bronchodilator inhalers, and montelukast—a tablet medication taken orally—are used.  

Immunotherapy provides significant benefit

Immunotherapy is recommended for individuals in whom allergens have been identified through skin or blood tests and particularly those with severe symptoms requiring long-term use of multiple medications. The goal of immunotherapy is to make the body insensitive to the allergen. This treatment method, applied for respiratory allergies such as pollen, house dust and mold, has a high success rate. Planned and administered by allergy specialists, this treatment is typically given as an injection, though in some allergies it may be administered as a sublingual tablet.

While it is not entirely possible to avoid respiratory tract allergies, the following preventive measures may provide relief:

1. Pollen counts are highest in the mornings in late summer and early autumn. Pollen can also rise on windy, hot days and after rain. During these periods of high pollen counts, it is important to keep doors and windows closed and limit time spent outdoors. 2. When it is necessary to go outside, it is advisable to remove clothing and shower before entering the home. It is beneficial not to dry washed clothes outdoors. 3. Children in particular may enjoy playing in leaf piles. This should be avoided. Playing in these piles can release millions of mold spores into the air, facilitating disease development. 4. If there is moisture and mold where you live, it would be wise to eliminate it if possible. Cigarette smoke can also increase allergies. 5. House dust thrives in warm, humid environments and multiplies rapidly. For this reason, the sleeping area should not be kept warm and humid. Bed sheets, sheets and pillowcases should be washed at least once weekly at a minimum of 55 degrees. 6. It is important that the environment be free of dust-collecting items such as books, carpets and toys. 7. Dusting should be done frequently by someone without illness, and electric vacuum cleaners designed for dust mites should be used. 8. Influenza and Covid-19 vaccinations are important.