MISERY IN FULL BLOOM FOR ALLERGY SUFFERERS

April 12, 2005
Section: Front
Edition: Final Chaser
Page: A1

MISERY IN FULL BLOOM FOR ALLERGY SUFFERERS

Kerry Fehr-Snyder, The Arizona Republic
Reporter Annemarie Moody contributed to this article.

Doug Griffen set a personal record -- 26 sneezes in a row -- this weekend while driving his four children to his son's basketball game.

"I'm on a world record sneeze-athon," said the founder of Advanced Strategy Center, a planning and organizational development company in Scottsdale. "Twenty-six sneezes in a row, it was quite humorous. The kids were rooting me on."

Griffen, 49, may have set a personal best -- or is it worst? -- but he wasn't alone over the windy weekend that made conditions worse for allergy sufferers in Arizona. Winds gusted up to 39 mph in some areas, spreading pollen and dust. Conditions should ease after Wednesday, with winds fading and temperatures climbing.

But the pollen produced by bountiful weeds and early Bermuda grass this year aren't going away.

"It's really been ugly," said Dr. Duane Wong of Arizona Allergy Associates. "We've gotten crushed."

So crushed that Wong can't see new patients until June. Other allergy doctors say they have shorter waiting times but generally are scheduling patients several weeks out.

"We're busy because we're at the height of our season. We can't get patients in fast enough, and we're working really long hours," said Dr. William Morgan of the Arizona Asthma Allergy Institute.

Top allergen: Ragweed

The wait leaves many sufferers self-medicating.

They are battling ragweed, Bermuda grass and olive, mulberry and ash trees.

"In general terms, it's been a record for ragweed because of all the winter rains," said Mark Sneller, director of Aero Allergen Research in Tucson.

Pollen counts in Tucson have been soaring, he said, adding that there's no reason to believe they would be much different in metropolitan Phoenix. No one tracks pollen counts in the Valley.

"Ragweed was the leader," he said. "That's been the real troublemaker the last few weeks."

Pollen from olive trees also is high, he said.

Weekend winds aggravated conditions for allergy sufferers in the short run but should blow away pollen over the long term, Sneller said.

Finding right medicine

Allergies have made Teresita Oaks in Phoenix so miserable lately that she's been waking up in the middle of the night with watery eyes, a scratchy throat and itchy ears.

"There's no outdoor activities, which is hard because the weather is perfect and you want to be outside, but there's a cost to that," said Oaks, 42, who works at the state health department. She gets weekly allergy shots and uses nasal sprays, antihistamines and an inhaler to control her allergy-induced asthma.

Twice-weekly allergy shots barely help Dawn Tessmer, a property manager whose suffering is not seasonal.

"I suffer all year round with watery eyes, and I'm sneezing constantly," she said. "When it gets really bad, I take Allegra-D just because that works for me." She said she also finds relief with Flonase, a prescription nasal spray.

Her doctor, Laura Ispas, said it's important for allergy sufferers to seek medical help when severe allergic rhinitis strikes.

Over-the-counter medicine works only so far, she said, and what works for one patient won't for another.

"Generally speaking with medication, people respond differently. It has to do with their body chemistry," she said.

Patients with milder disease often get away with taking non-sedating decongestants and antihistamines, while others require prescription medicine.

"I think a lot of people try to medicate themselves. Or they ignore their disease. A lot of patients feel they can get by without treating the disease, but they are paying a price for thinking in this way," said Ispas, who practices at Sonoran Allergy & Asthma Center in north Scottsdale.

The price is in diminished quality of life as sufferers stop enjoying the outdoors, she said.

Griffen, who sneezed 26 times in a row, knows that first hand. He can't mountain bike, run outside or hike like he once did.

"Spring is my favorite time of year," he said. "But the last two years, I've been slammed. There's a lot more stuff swirling around."

Tips for allergy sufferers

Yard work:
Avoid working in early morning when pollen counts are higher, and use pollen filtering masks and gloves when working.

Medications:
Take at least 30 minutes before outdoor activity.

Laundry:
Wash bedding weekly in hot water.

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