Late last week we were discussing how it seems like every other person you meet these days has an allergy. Whenever we were younger, back in the pre-historic days of the fifties and sixties, you might occasionally run into someone who had hay fever but it wasn't often. To help us discern whether these observations were insightful or simply our time ravaged memories playing tricks on us again, we checked with Dr. Saad Sanyurah and Dr. Erik White, partners in the Allergy and Asthma Treatment Center which specializes in treatment of adult and pediatric allergies, asthma, and immunology. Dr. Sanyurah spent some time providing us with the following information:
Allergies and asthma are very common problems and becoming more prevalent every day in both adults and children. Combined, allergies and chronic sinus problems are the most common chronic conditions in the United States today and are more common than hypertension or even heart disease. There are many theories that attempt to address the cause of this rise in the number of people suffering from allergies. One theory for this increase that has not yet been medically proven is known as the hygiene theory. This theory states that due to improved hygiene and the fact that our bodies' immune systems are changing. During the past fifty to one hundred years, these changes have come to mean that our immune systems don't have to fight the quantity of diseases and protect against the classical germs as they have for thousands of years prior. An allergy is actually a faulty immunity where the body creates a fight with dust mites or ragweed pollen allergens, for example. Although the ragweed pollen isn't invading the body, the body mis-identifies this allergen as a germ and mistakenly begins to take measures to protect us from it by creating an inflammation. This inflammation is responsible for all the symptoms and complications of allergies.
There are, of course, other theories for the rise in the number of allergies, too. Some theories focus on pollutants, the way we build our houses with tight insulation and wall to wall carpeting, and even the lack of use of breast milk in modern society. Each of these theories has it's own merits but we just don't know the exact cause for this increase. The incidence of allergies has multiplied significantly and we hear estimates that range from one out of five people having allergies to as high as two out of five.
Many times allergies are trivialized as being not life threatening but that's not always true. A lot of people die each year from allergic reactions to insect stings, asthma attacks, or food allergies (such as peanuts or seafood). Allergists are the only specialists capable of treating conditions such as these. Allergists also are the most qualified to treat those suffering from asthma. Asthma is a disease that is very frequently triggered by allergens. Asthma attacks can be triggered by pollen, dust mites, animals, and other factors such as the common cold, exposure to cigarette smoke, and occupational related exposures. Although asthma is rarely fatal, there are a reported four to five thousand deaths each year from asthma nationwide. The most accurate predicting factors of whether a person is going to have asthma are inheritance factors. If a patient's family has a history of allergies, the patient is at much greater risk of suffering from asthma.
There is no true cure for allergies but you can come close with allergy vaccinations or allergen immunitherapy. We also treat chronic sinus problems that are very often the result of underlying allergies and many times sinus problems will coexist with asthma. If someone has chronic allergies that they've been treating with over the counter allergy and sinus medications for a long time, I want them to know that there's help available. A lot of the over the counter allergy and sinus medications can raise the blood pressure and decongestant nasal sprays can be addicting and I'd advise allergy sufferers to seek help from their family doctor or an allergist instead of self treating their condition. If it's a mild situation that only lasts a short time each year, self treating is fine as long as no side effects occur but if it's a condition that lasts throughout the year, professional help should be sought. As we now know, untreated allergies can progress into asthma so treatment is very important. Education about environmental control measures is another important part of preventing allergies.
Immunology is the clinical study of the immune system. We find that many people who have frequent sinus infections or frequent episodes of pneumonia may have a defect in their immune system caused by deficiencies in certain antibodies. Cases of immune deficiencies are less common than allergies but the complexity of the field and the discovery of new diseases each year require constant study to be able to properly diagnose cases of immune deficiencies.
As we're only graduating approximately one hundred allergists nationwide each year, allergy and asthma care are two areas of specialization that are growing in demand. It's a very interesting specialty and the fact that you can impact the quality of your patients' lives so dramatically is a nice reward.
Allergies can cause school and work performance to suffer and degrade your overall quality of life. Whenever your allergies flare, don't self-medicate, call the Allergy and Asthma Treatment Center for the relief you deserve. Don't forget to tell them that The Advocate sent you!
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