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Allergies
Gardening With Allergies
When you have allergies, thoughts of gardening may lead to thoughts of pollen, mold, fragrance sensitivity, insect bites, or skin rash. But having allergies is no reason to miss out on the joys of gardening, as long as you take a few simple precautions. Find out how to plant and tend a low-allergen garden and how you can keep your allergies under control while gardening. Learn how to make those outdoor chores more enjoyable.
Register now to discover ways to enjoy your garden with fewer allergy symptoms. About My Allergy
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, allergies are among the major causes of illness and disability in the United States, affecting as many as 50 million Americans, including
10% to 30% of adults and up to 40% of children. Allergy symptoms may significantly impact quality of life by causing fatigue, headache, and difficulty in daily functioning.Steroids May Work Better Than Antihistamines for Allergies
A steroid nasal spray may relieve seasonal allergy symptoms better than an oral antihistamine, according to a study by researchers at the University of Chicago. Dr. Robert Naclerio and colleagues compared
the effectiveness of fluticasone (Flonase), a corticosteroid nasal spray, with loratadine (Claritin), a nonsedating antihistamine, for treating ragweed allergy on an as-needed basis. Study participants
who used the inhaled steroid experienced significantly fewer allergy symptoms and reported less impact on their quality of life than those who took the antihistamine.
During the four-week study, 88 participants took either the steroid nasal spray or antihistamine on an as-needed basis. They kept a daily diary of their allergy symptoms and completed a quality-of-life questionnaire. Researchers looked for chemical evidence of allergic reaction, such as eosinophils, in participants' blood. Eosinophils are white blood cells involved in defending the body from allergens. By all measures -- reported allergy symptoms, quality of life, and blood tests -- the steroid nasal spray significantly outperformed the antihistamine. For best results, experts generally recommend that you use either an inhaled steroid or an antihistamine on a continuous, long-term basis. But the researchers point out that most people tend to wait until symptoms appear before taking allergy medications. This may be one reason for the superiority of the steroid nasal spray in the study. Unlike inhaled corticosteroids, antihistamines like Claritin are not very effective in blocking the allergic response once it has begun. The study was partially funded by Glaxo Wellcome Inc. (manufacturers of Flonase), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and the National Institutes of Health. |
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