Allergy sufferers: prepare for a month of pain

Sue Vorenberg | The New Mexican

3/27/2008 - 3/28/08

Spring in New Mexico has a sound all its own.

For some, it's the chirping of migrating birds or the chattering of tourists in the Plaza.

But for others, it's a great big "Aachooo," marking the start of yet another allergy season.

And if you're one of the 20 percent to 30 percent of the population that's allergic to juniper, you better buckle in for a long haul.

The season is peaking right now and should keep going for another three weeks or so.

After that, there's elm and Russian olive to keep those eyes itching, said Pat Torres, the New Mexico State University agricultural agent for Santa Fe County.

"I think folks can count on at least a month of pollen," Torres said. "Juniper is one of the worst pollens for people, but after it finishes, there are other types that still cause problems."

Rainfall, made of those valiant drops that pull pollen out of the air, isn't likely to provide much relief this spring either.

While snowstorms helped build up snowpack in the northern mountains this winter, La Niña conditions seem to be setting in, with a continued forecast of generally dry, warm, breezy conditions through April, said Brent Wachter, a forecaster at the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.

"Usually in March, though, we get a pretty big storm system that comes through, and we didn't get one this year," Watcher said. "So we'll probably get at least on decent storm system moving through in April, but that will probably only provide a brief respite to the situation."

Pollen counts vary from year to year, depending on a host of variables including amounts of sunshine, rain and temperature and the order in which those variables happen in the fall and winter, said Mark Schuyler, chief of The University of New Mexico Department of Internal Medicine Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

"I think this year, there is a little more pollen than average," Schuyler said. "But it's not as bad as last year. Last year was really bad."

Global warming, as a whole, however, is making the pollen situation worse in New Mexico, he said.

"I think we can say over the long term there will be more allergy problems here," he said. "Fifty years from now, the average pollen count will be worse than it is now."

Nobody knows exactly why some people get allergies while others don't. But Schuyler said research indicates allergy sufferers have both genetics and their environment while growing up to blame.

Before a child is born, things like a mother's smoking, her allergic state and her exposure to allergens all can worsen the child's lifetime allergic reactions, he said. "After birth, there are environmental influences, like cigarettes in the home, viral infections, exposure to pets," Schuyler said.

There's also a strange tidbit of knowledge about cats that pet owners with allergies should keep in mind. It turns out each cat produces a different amount of dander, and some are worse offenders than others, Schuyler said.

"It can vary by an order of 10,000 fold from cat to cat," Schuyler said. "Male uncastrated cats are worse than female cats and castrated male cats. It has to do with testosterone."

And cat allergies in a bad pollen situation can make allergy sufferers downright miserable.

Dog owners also aren't off the hook, he added.

Pets that go outside should be washed before they enter the house to keep pollen exposure to a minimum, he said.

"In general you want to avoid allergen exposure whenever possible," Schuyler said. "Since this is juniper season, you certainly don't want to go running around in a juniper forest, especially before 10 a.m. when the trees are pollinating."

He also advises the allergy prone to keep windows closed and to wash clothing and hair every time they go outside.

"Pollens can be washed off fairly easily with lots of water," Schuyler said. "And it's actually the water that counts, not the soap."

Of course, there's also the usual array of over-the-counter drugs like Claritin and Zyrtec, which work well for many people, he said.

And Benadryl can also help, but beware of the side effects, he said. "There have been some studies that people who take Benadryl and drive can be as impaired as if they're over the legal limit and driving drunk," he said.

If none of that works well enough, he also recommends prescribed nasal sprays like Flonaise and a consultation with an allergist.

But there is a bright side for some sufferers. Allergies tend to wane as people get older, Schuyler said. "We don't understand that either, but they tend to get better as adults get older," Schuyler said. "There are very few 90-year-olds that have a problem with allergies."

Contact Sue Vorenberg at 986-3072 or svorenberg@sfnewmexican.com.