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The Agony And The Allergy

Tribune photo by VICTOR JUNCO

Lucille Carrillo visited the USF allergy center (Joy McCann Culverhouse Airway Disease Center) and gets looked at by Dr. Mark Glaum.

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By MARY SHEDDEN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 2, 2008

Latest Pollen Levels

Know a snot-nosed kid?

Odds are the tyke isn't an obnoxious brat but a sweet, albeit congested, victim of seasonal allergies.

Pollen, grass and mold wreak havoc on 17 percent of the nation's adults and children, especially in the spring. A recent nationwide survey shows just how significantly these youngsters' quality of life is affected.

In particular, 40 percent of the parents of kids being treated for nasal allergies say the congestion, headaches and dry cough interfere with their child's performance at school. They were almost four times more likely to point to health problems as a barrier to school than parents of children without allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever.

The allergies interrupted sleep, inhibited participation in organized sports or outdoor activities, and kept the child from being able to enjoy playing outside with their friends, according to a key investigator of the Pediatric Allergies in America study.

"That doesn't surprise me at all," says Lutz resident Pam Carrillo, whose 5-year-old daughter, Lucille, struggles with allergies to pollen and animal hair. When allergy season kicks in, her usually bubbly little girl loses sleep and experiences mood swings.

"It's not the real her. She's not herself," says Carrillo, who treats the symptoms with Claritin, an over-the-counter medicine. "All of these factors add up."

Although medicines ease discomfort, Carrillo and other parents are concerned about what their children take. A majority of parents in the survey say the drugs either make their child sleepy and unproductive or fail to act as long as expected. More than half of the children in the survey took an over-the-counter nonprescription antihistamine; 25 percent used a prescription nasal spray.

"There really is a large group of patients out there where the medications we have available are not taking care of things," says Michael Blaiss, a University of Tennessee professor of pediatric medicine and past president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Nasal rhinitis in children is not life-threatening, but it is serious, Blaiss says. Untreated, it can lead to chronic ear and sinus problems and possibly asthma. And although puberty may suppress many of the symptoms, it's likely the same discomforts will re-emerge in adulthood.

The Pediatric Allergies in America survey, paid for by pharmaceutical company Sepracor, points to a need for more education and communication among physicians, pediatric patients and their families, Blaiss says.

University of South Florida pediatric allergy specialist Mark Glaum sees some parents who want excuses so their child won't have to participate in outdoor athletic activities at school. It's most likely to happen from January to mid-March, the height of Florida's pollen season. Allergens including grass, weeds and mold are summertime concerns.

Despite the health concerns, Glaum thinks that any allergic child - with proper treatment - can participate as much as he or she wants.

"If they are treated, they should be able to be Olympic athletes if they want to," says Glaum, an assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at USF's division of allergy and immunology.

The first and most important thing a parent can do for a child suffering from nasal allergies is to talk with a pediatrician, Glaum says. Don't use any medications, over-the-counter or otherwise, before weighing benefits and possible side effects. See if nondrug remedies, such as nasal saline drops or cool compresses around the eyes, can help.

"It's always a balancing act," Glaum says. "Keep potent side effects in mind because every child and patient is different."

Carrillo, whose daughter is one of Glaum's patients, says she depends on her pediatrician and allergy specialist to help make Lucille's life as normal as possible. The little girl loves to play outside and with the family dogs and cats and chickens. The youngest of six children, she hates being told she can't play outside with her brothers and sisters because pollen will trigger congestion, headaches and a sore throat.

"That," says her mother, "makes them as miserable, or more miserable, than what the allergies do to them."

Taking control of allergies is possible, even in a place like Tampa, which Forbes Magazine recently named the nation's 24th worst city for people suffering from allergies. It just takes an understanding of the illness and a defined attack strategy, experts say.

Common Allergens:

Pollen from trees, weeds and grass

Mold

Animal dander

Avoiding Pollen:

Bathe before bedtime to remove allergens on hair and skin

Avoid the outdoors on dry, windy days

Keep car and home windows closed

Keep child inside when mowing the lawn

Medicinal Help:

Antihistamines to reduce sneezing, runny nose and itching; can cause dry mouth and drowsiness

Decongestants to temporarily relieve stuffy nose; allow two to four weeks to kick in

Cromolyn sodium, a nasal spray to prevent reactions to allergens; takes at least two weeks to show benefits

Nasal steroid sprays to relieve swelling in nose; use two weeks or more to see benefit

Eye drops for itchy, watery eyes

Allergy shots, or immunotherapy, to build up tolerance to allergens

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