The kids are back in school, the humid days are numbered and there are only 4 months until Christmas. We hope all have had a great summer full of fresh air, exercise and watermelon. One can never have too much watermelon.
Fortunately, on the way to winter our region must pass through my favorite time of year -fall. Cooling temperatures bring bonfires and UT football. We enjoy the thrill of getting lost in a corn maze and embrace crisp, starry nights. This summer's rain should yield a beautiful display of some of the best scenery one can find - orange and yellows, reds and browns, and perhaps even purple.
East Tennessee is blessed with an incredible diversity of flora. Further, our geography both protects and contains us. Simply, we live in a bowl, which tends to contain many things. Our environment often brings many challenges. The diverse flora yield multiple pollens causing many to struggle. These microscopic irritants that are inhaled enjoy stimulating our immune systems to secrete, tear, cough and itch. This is the body's attempt at keeping something - which is foreign - out. For example, it knows ragweed pollen isn't supposed to be in your nose and so it triggers a cascade of signals telling your nose to create mucus as an attempt to protect. This will irritate many.
We receive questions regarding runny noses, itchy and watery eyes, and cough. In the absence of fever (under 101), these symptoms could suggest allergic symptoms or a viral illness. A good history and physical exam can help differentiate the two. Parents are often interested in home measures to control allergic symptoms. Mild symptoms can be treated with the old stand-by Benadryl, but it may cause undesired drowsiness. Longer acting antihistamines such as Zyrtec and Claritin are often better choices as they require less frequent dosing, taste reasonably well, and have relatively few side effects. Feel free to contact us with any dosing questions.
For all our wheezers out there: Check you inhalers. Call if you need a refill. This is not the time to stop your maintenance medications even if you have "done great" in the past.
We have many tools to help minimize the allergic season in East Tennessee. We want our families to get out, have fun and embrace this wonderful area. Let us know if a runny nose is preventing your children from enjoying this time of year.
As always, call us if you have any concerns or questions. 865-212-6350
Dr. Greg
