No Holds Barred

By: Unchained Melody

 

As I welcome this new venture in my life, allow me to say that creating awareness, education and sharing knowledge has always been in the forefront of why I became a nurse in the first place. I come from a family who are all teachers, principals and professors on my mother’s side and I have all the medical people on my dad’s side. So growing up, I had the best of both worlds. I’m passionate about what I do.

What I am trying to achieve through this avenue is to somehow dissect, unchain and compartmentalize diseases so it can be understood by everyone. I will attempt to piece out signs and symptoms, what to look out for, when to call MD or call 911, and possibly explain the reasoning behind why such things occur. I am by no means an expert, but my exposure to the healthcare setting for the last 21 years can probably shed some light to those questions.

What I can promise is that I will provide you with health tips from reliable sources. In fact, this may also be a learning experience for me. So let me, Melody, unchain our health together with no holds barred.

Our first topic for the month of May is allergy. Since May is an allergy month, let’s start with environmental allergies:

Pollen and mold are common culprits of seasonal allergies, but there are things you can do to help minimize symptoms.

The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology offers these suggestions:

• At home and in the car, close the windows and run the air-conditioning, if needed.

• When pollen and mold levels are high, stay indoors. Wear a pollen mask during a prolonged stay outdoors.

• When you come inside, wash your hair and change your clothes.

• Ask someone else to mow the lawn and rake leaves.

• Don’t hang clothing or linens outside to dry.

• Take allergy medication as prescribed.

Recognizing Hay Fever

Millions of people are bothered by hay fever, an allergy to grass, trees, weeds or other types of pollen. Symptoms of the most common type of allergy frequently make sufferers feel miserable.

The American Academy of Family Physicians mentions these common symptoms of hay fever:

• Sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose and difficulty recognizing smells.

• Coughing and a sore throat.

• Itchiness of the skin, mouth, throat, nose and eyes.

• Pressure in the cheeks and nose.

• A popping sensation and fullness of the ears.

• Headache.

• Eyes that are swollen, watery or red, or surrounded by dark circles.

When pollen count is high

High pollen counts can trigger sneezing, watery eyes, itching and coughing among people who are allergic.

The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology offers this advice:

• When pollen counts are high, avoid lots of time outdoors.

• If you have to mow the lawn or rake leaves, wear a dust mask.

• Immediately wash clothes that you wore during yard work. Don’t wear them inside the home.

• Frequently clean or replace the air conditioner’s filter. • Don’t dry clothing outdoors.

• If you plan a vacation, choose locations and seasons when pollen counts tend to be low.

My 2-cents on this:

There are over-the-counter medicines to help alleviate these symptoms if totally impossible to avoid culprits. For other patients, like asthma patients, who get symptomatic, oftentimes their physician will increase their usual dosage for asthma meds. Nevertheless, it couldn’t hurt as well to check with your primary physician and see if you are a candidate for allergy shots.

I hope I unchained some misconceptions and had given you valuable health information. Till my next health topic.