Health Watch by Aaron K. Akins

The North Jefferson News



Each spring and summer we all notice the tiny particles that are released from local weeds, trees, flowers and grasses.

These tiny particles, known as pollen, hitch rides on air currents in order to reach their final destinations. They have a primary mission of fertilizing parts of other plants, trees, weeds and grasses. However, the problem is that much of the pollen never reaches its primary targets.

Instead, the pollen coats our vehicles, and more importantly enters our noses, throats, and eyes to trigger a type of seasonal allergic rhinitis called a pollen allergy. Many people refer to this pollen allergy as hay fever or rose fever, depending on the season in which the symptoms occur.

Of all the things that can trigger an allergy, pollen is one of the most widespread — there is no easy way to avoid it. Even staying indoors when the pollen count is high cannot totally alleviate symptoms of a pollen allergy.

Additionally, people with pollen allergies often develop sensitivities to other troublemakers that are present all year, including dust mites. For people who suffer year-round allergies, the “sneezing season” may be endless. Airborne allergens may cause year-round allergic rhinitis, as opposed to pollen which causes seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Plants make and release microscopic pollen grains in order to reproduce. In some species, the plant may even use the pollen from its own flowers to fertilize itself. In order for fertilization to take place in other plants, the pollen must be transferred from one plant to that of another plant of the same species.

While insects are important for the pollination of certain flowering plants, others rely on the wind to transport the pollen. The types of pollen that most commonly cause seasonal allergic reactions include the trees, grasses and weeds that do not have “showy” flowers. These plants produce small, light pollen granules that are destined for transport by the wind.

Samples of ragweed pollen have been collected up to two miles high in the atmosphere and even 400 miles out to sea. Because pollen is often carried for long distances and can drift into the area from miles away, it does little good to rid an area of offending plants.

Additionally, most of the offending pollen usually comes from plants that produce pollen in large quantities. Among the plants in our area, weeds are the most abundant producers of allergenic pollen.

On a given day, a single ragweed plant can generate a million grains of pollen. Though ragweed is a major culprit, other weeds of importance include sagebrush, redroot pigweed, lamb’s quarters, and tumbleweed. Grasses and trees are also important sources of pollen that produces allergic reactions. Although there are more than 1,000 species of grass that grow in North America, only a few produce highly allergenic pollen. The highly offending grasses include timothy grass, Kentucky bluegrass, Johnson grass, Bermuda grass, redtop grass, orchard grass, and sweet vernal grass. Trees that produce allergenic pollen include ash, elm, hickory, oak, pecan, mountain cedar, and box elder.

There are three general approaches to treating a pollen allergy — avoidance of the allergen, medications to relieve symptoms and immunotherapy or injection treatments (commonly called allergy shots).

Effective medications that can be prescribed by a physician include antihistamines and corticosteroids. There are also many effective antihistamines and decongestants that are available over the counter without a prescription.

If you think that you are a candidate for receiving relief from a pollen allergy, talk to your physician or pharmacist about possible options.

Aaron K. Akins is a PharmD candidate from the McWhorter School of Pharmacy working at The Pharmacy in Mt. Olive. The Pharmacy can be reached at 631-1201.