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Joe Muehlenkamp
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August 12, 2002

ST. LOUIS – Watery, itchy eyes … sneezing … runny noses. Think you have a cold? West Nile virus? Think again.

Many Americans are now bracing for “Aug. 15,” the traditional “opening day” of ragweed season.

Dr. Raymond Slavin of Saint Louis University School of Medicine said it is often easy to tell whether you have seasonal allergies versus a common cold or other viral infection. People with seasonal allergies find their symptoms worsen after they’ve been outdoors, have symptoms about the same time each year, and often develop itchy, red, watery eyes with their nose symptoms. Eye symptoms are less common with viral infections, which typically get better within a week.

“Some people often confuse allergies with the cold,” said Slavin, professor of internal medicine and director of the division of allergy and immunology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. “But as we enter the fall season, Ragweed is one of the prime culprits behind allergic rhinitis, or hayfever.”

Slavin said that with the West Nile scare now going on across the country, it’s not reasonable to associate allergic symptoms with West Nile encephalitis, which may be asymptomatic or include flu-like symptoms, such as aching and malaise, symptoms not associated with allergies. He said it’s important to educate people about the symptoms of allergic illness and to treat it appropriately.

Ragweed is a slender inconspicuous plant that produces huge quantities of very tiny particles known as pollen that can travel more than 200 miles on a good gust of wind. Their mission is to fertilize parts of other plants, but many never reach their targets. Instead, by entering human noses and throats they cause the immune system to overreact. In the resulting allergic reaction, the body releases chemicals, such as histamine, that cause itchy eyes, runny noses, headaches and sneezing.

“A single ragweed plant can generate a million grains of pollen a day,” said Mark Dykewicz, M.D., professor of internal medicine and director of the training program in allergy and immunology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, “so this can be a miserable time for people with allergies.”

The good news is there are plenty of medications available today so that people needn’t suffer.

Drs. Slavin and Dykewicz offered the following tips to help allergy sufferers cope with the ragweed season:

Coping Tips

• Try to stay indoors, especially during the peak pollen hours from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• After going outside, change your clothes and take a shower. Pollen from the air can collect on your clothes and hair. Have children change clothes when they come in from playing outside. Change somewhere other than the bedroom so pollen doesn’t settle on bedding.
• Shower and wash your hair every night to remove pollen.
• Don’t line-dry clothes.
• Pets who live both in and outdoors should be bathed often.
• Keep windows at home closed whenever possible and use air conditioning. Cover air conditioning vents with filters, and change filters often.
• Monitor pollen counts and adjust your outdoor activities accordingly. Dry, windy days, especially after a rain, can be particularly high in pollen.
• If you’re mowing the grass or raking leaves, wear a mask to filter out pollen and mold spores.
• Keep windows rolled up while driving and use air conditioning to reduce pollen exposure.
• Seek help from medical professionals and use treatment properly, whether prescribed or over-the-counter.
• Avoid over-the-counter medications that list drowsiness as a side effect.

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