APRIL HEALTH UPDATE from the

Olean Medical Group, LLP

It’s allergy season and Dr. Fred Lewis of the Olean Medical Group has been preparing for the many who will suffer this time of the year.

Do you have allergies ? Take this short quiz.

· Have you been sneezing a lot lately ?

· Are there certain times of the year when your nose is very itchy?

· Are your eyes watery and / or red ?

· Do you have a runny nose with clear drainage ?

· Are you wheezing and coughing ?

If you answered yes to many of these questions, it is likely that you have allergies.

If you have seasonal allergies, then you may need to take allergy medications, which can include antihistamines, steroid nasal sprays, and eye allergy medications.

Watch for Dr. Lewis’ daily pollen counts and avoid going outside during days when the counts are high, use nasal washes, take a decongestant, and consider allergy testing and allergy shots for persistent symptoms. Also, remember to start your allergy medications before your typical allergy season begins.
Dramatic strides in allergy medication therapy research have developed effective allergy treatment options. The three major allergy medicine categories include: antihistamines, decongestants, and anti-inflammatory medications.

In general, allergy treatment begins with avoidance of the triggers. Then medication is added, and if neither avoidance nor medication are effective, then allergy shots are added, which immunize the patient to the pollen itself.

Avoidance: It is often hard to avoid pollen when it's in the air we breathe but here are some basic avoidance tips:

· Wash pets that have been outdoors.

· Wash pollen off your hair and skin

· Keep your car and house windows closed.

· Use air conditioning

Still, for most seasonal allergy sufferers, avoidance is impractical and doesn't do the trick. The good news is that there are very effective medications that address a range of symptoms and your allergist can best help  you decide which ones will be most effective.

For more information or to make an appointment to see Dr. Lewis, please call 716-376-2416.