By BETH PERDUE May 30, 2011 12:00 AM
Blossoming trees and growing grasses send pollen counts skyward and allergy sufferers running indoors each spring — doing their best to avoid sneezing and wheezing their way through the season.
This year, in particular, spring burst on the scene so quickly that allergists saw a sudden spike in those seeking treatment.
“This year was a little different in that it started slow and it just came on all of a sudden,” said Dr. David Miller of Allergy Associates in Dartmouth. “Everything seemed to turn green just overnight.”
The higher the pollen count gets, the worse people feel, and the last few weeks have been especially bad, he said.
“It came on a little late, but probably a lot more concentrated.”
Unfortunately, it’s not over yet.
July is usually the quietest month, Miller said, but there will be another four weeks yet before the season ends.
The number of allergy sufferers in this country has climbed steadily in the past 25 years, with symptoms now affecting 40 million Americans, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
Twenty-five years ago it was half that number, AAFA said.
Even pets are getting into the allergen mix.
Allergies is one of the top five complaints heard at Anchor Animal Hospital in Dartmouth, according to veterinary technician Shayna Lopes.
While dogs and cats don’t typically sneeze or reach for the tissue box, they do show symptoms through their skin, she said.
Lopes’ own pit bull, Titan, is allergic to grasses, and starts licking his paws obsessively each spring. “Right now is really bad for him,” she said. “He’s been really itchy because the pollen levels are so high.”
Immune symptom responses tend to involve itching, and pets can irritate matters, or even cause infection, by constant scratching and licking, Lopes said.
“They’re hard to diagnose because a lot of people won’t do allergy testing,” she said, noting that tests can cost about $180 through the lab that Anchor uses.
Treatment varies but often includes antibiotics and steroids first, Lopes said, then testing different foods and finally, as a last resort, testing for specific allergies.
People too, often try varying medications, including antihistamines, nasal sprays and allergy shots to find relief from symptoms.
And while today’s research hasn’t resulted in breakthroughs in symptom relief, it is offering improved delivery mechanisms of already successful medications, according to Mike Tringale, vice president of external relations for AAFA.
“A lot of research we’re familiar with now is looking at, not necessarily new treatments, but how to deliver those treatments,” Tringale said.
For example, a new delivery method may someday allow patients, who now travel to receive allergy shots from their physician, a way to take their medication orally, under the tongue.
“It’s much easier and less intrusive for patients to get that kind of therapy,” Tringale said. “But it’s not here yet.”
New research is also suggesting there may actually be an upside to having allergies, although not one that offers symptom relief.
A research study is trying to determine if those with allergies are less likely to develop cancer, specifically brain cancer, after several studies suggested a possible link.
While studies have taken place that show some connection, nothing conclusive has been determined, Tringale said, adding that research to date has raised more questions than it has answered. One of those questions, he said, revolves around a specific immune system antibody, called Immunoglobulin E, that is found in higher amounts in those with allergies.
“It’s that overproduction of IgE that triggers all those allergy symptoms,” Tringale said. “Your immune system starts saying, let’s inflame, itch and sneeze everything out.”
“The question would be, ‘Is that the antibody that protects us against cancer?’” Tringale continued. “If the body produces too much IgE — is that what’s really leading to this reduction in cancer risk?”
Still, despite the lack of definitive answers, Tringale said he finds the hypothesis exciting.
“The idea that a highly attentive and overactive immune system, like a little army in your body, is obsessively guarding your health is an interesting idea,” he said. “It’s just when you turn the microscope up, bigger questions emerge.”
Tringale said the AAFA would ultimately like to see immune system research happen that leads to a cure for allergies. the disease, while not life-threatening, threatens the quality of life of its sufferers, he said.
And while recent breakthroughs have been helpful, they aren’t there yet.
“And that’s the problem,” he said. “We don’t want to get too satisfied with just treating the symptoms. we still want to have research that will find a cure.”
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